It can be difficult, sometimes, to think of yourself differently.  Because I spend all day every day acting as a consultant to Associations, Chambers, business leaders and so on…because I’ve served on the faculty at Institute and spoken at State conferences around the country…because I’ve worked with Chambers of Commerce in 5 different countries…I tend to see myself the way others see me, and as I portray myself:  as the “expert”.  But today, as I sit in the office putting together proposals and reading so many Facebook and Twitter posts from friends of mine just coming back to work after attending Midwest Institute or kicking off yet another State conference like TCCE is in Corpus Christi this week, I’m reminded of a conversation I had with my friend Ray Hernandez, President/CEO of the Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce here in Lewisville, TX just the other day.

In all of those roles I mentioned above, I tend to say many of the same things nearly every day.  In fact, one of those things you’ve probably heard me talk about ad nauseam is the one question I think we should all memorize and ask every chance we get:  What keeps you up at night?  But Ray brought me back to thinking like a student again; to thinking about things much differently.  You see, what Ray told me made me see things not through my own eyes or the eyes of my clients, but through the eyes of YOUR clients…your members.  Let me try and explain…

We were talking about an upcoming training session I’ll be facilitating with the Lewisville Chamber staff this week, and I asked about the questions Ray uses when speaking with members in regards to Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) efforts.  I expected a good answer, but I DIDN’T expect to learn something new.  Ray said “I like to ask ‘What keeps your EMPLOYEES up at night?”.

I was speechless (I know…tough to believe…but I WAS!).  How could I have missed this sensational follow-up question?  How had nobody ever mentioned that to me before?  It’s BRILLIANT!  Ray explained that he often has to dig a bit deeper as most business-owners REALLY aren’t prepared to hear THAT asked of them.  He said that he wonders out loud if the businesses employees may be wondering if they will still have a job next year, if they’ll get a raise, a bonus or a promotion.  They may be thinking about a whole HOST of things, but until we bring it up to the business-owner, they’ve never really considered it that way before.  But isn’t that the deal?  Whether we are trying to retain business to our community, keep our members engaged, communicate our value proposition…isn’t one of the most important things we can ask a business-owner is to think like her employees for just a few moments?  Think about the sorts of challenges we could uncover, the types of issues we can help solve for our members, if only we can get THEM to stop thinking like the expert all the time!

I challenge you today to do what I challenged MYSELF to do this weekend thank to Ray…take your organization BACK.  I want you to try to think not like you, and not like who you’re talking to, but try to think like the person the person you’re TALKING TO needs to talk to…

I look forward to your feedback.