Archive for the ‘Feedback’ Category

appreciation: a motivator for your child care, elder care, chef and nanny service providers

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

At LifeWorx, one of our chefs Greg, who provides full time Personal Chef Service to a client in Manhattan, New York, always sends us warm greetings and appreciation about the personal chef job we found for him in Manhattan, NY.  He does not shower us with unnecessary praise, rather he is humble and on the mark about what he likes about working with LifeWorx.  In one of the most recent notes we received from him, Greg said, “As always I am grateful to you for guiding me toward my position with Rose. Looking back at the past 2 years I do see that I have been guided by powers greater then myself and I have been very lucky.  I also realize that there are many people suffering now who have little or insufficient work and I pray that things change for them and for all of us very soon.”

Greg is not just lucky; he is extremely professional, skilled and appreciative.   His boss in New York, NY is also extremely appreciative of his chef services.  The appreciation that she provides to him fosters the growth of their relationship, and she provides clarity and honesty which motivates him and makes Greg provide the best possible chef service in NYC that he can.  There are many times when appreciation may go to an individual’s ego.  For many individuals who have never experienced genuine appreciation, they misperceive it as a weakness in the boss and start to claim their righteousness and demand immediate benefits or pay increase.  It is the equivalent of a lit match that never saw any fuel before- as he or she is appreciated; the ego gets fuller as opposed to the level of effort or skills.

I recently visited India and 42 of my extended family members went to a resort and we took a personal chef with us.  Each meal that the chef and his help provided to our extended family was with a unique cuisine, and it was incredibly fresh and healthy.  Of course some of it was traditional while other courses included fusion cuisine from all over the world.  On the last day, all of my family members personally thanked him for his outstanding service and delightful meals.  The glow on his face has been etched into my memory forever.  He served the best meals and all of the appreciation went right to his heart rather then to his ego.

For information on Chef Services provided by LifeWorx, visit http://lifeworx.com/services/chef.html

Posted in Chef, Feedback, New York City | No Comments »

feedback, the lifeblood of service

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Anyone working in your home is counting on you to give feedback, a sense of belonging, and respect. As a former veteran of the corporate business world for 20 years, I have learned that working in Corporate America is very different than working with someone at home. Anyone I was working for or who worked for me had plenty of peers, colleagues, mentors and advisors. There were always group meetings, processes and systems to help us do our job well. All tools and techniques were available at our disposal to help us efficiently do what needed to be done. The entire organization effectively integrated our positions, and nurtured us as employees.

In the nanny world, everything operates very differently, and when someone works for you at your home it entirely revolves around you. Nannies, homemakers, child care professionals, chefs, and personal assistants look to you for support, feedback, advice and a sense of belonging. Even if they are fully experienced, professional and competent to do the job, these child care and elder care professionals need a personal or social connection to feel that they are doing a good job, and to personally feel good. This is an example of a basic human need which is often overlooked in the personal assistant world.

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As a parent and homeowner, I have sat down and had a glass of wine with my housekeeper from New Rochelle, NY, and shared stories about her children, despite her having poor language skills. My housekeeper will jump through hoops for me, not because I pay her an outrageous compensation, but because of the respect and warmth I offer to her. All of the service providers that come to the LifeWorx office receive a warm welcome, a cup of coffee and a chance to sit down and chat. Every professional we hire is the best available in their selective field, and we want to make sure they know it and receive positive praise and attention from us. We want them to know it, feel it, and live it.

However, getting too involved with the help in your home may take you down a path that is beyond your comfort zone. Fifteen years ago, my amazing housekeeper had issues about her daughter, ex-husband, church life and career. She would share these stories with me; even after I came home from a long day of work and wanted to relax. I would listen and make a few comments, but I never once told her that I do not have time to hear her share her life experiences with me. Sometimes her daughter would even come along to my house and spend time with us in my house. All of this was a small yet essential part of a creating a good home environment for the housekeeper. As a result of listening to my housekeeper share what was going on in her life, she was ultimately a better and more productive worker. Because I was so receptive to her, she was more receptive to hearing about duties and pending projects in the house that needed to be completed. A little act of kindness goes a long way, especially when we remember to treat others as we would like to be treated.

Posted in Feedback, Housekeeper, New Rochelle NY | No Comments »