Speaker 1: 0:00

We'll survive, we'll get through it, as we always do. Oh, shut up, craig. I was talking in the middle of a conversation. You just jumped right in there Freaking beaver. He just Sometimes he's very rude Like yeah, I told him to jump in here. What I didn't tell him to do is just announce his presence and scream in my ear.

Speaker 2: 0:21

I know it's really crazy how none of our listeners ever have to hear that, but every single time our eardrums are damaged.

Speaker 1: 0:28

They're lucky, they're really lucky.

Speaker 2: 0:31

Jealous times think about how many times we've had to hear him jump in here.

Speaker 1: 0:36

I know, I know because the number of episodes we have, that's not the number of times he's jumped in here. Yeah, you're right, we've had to read, like we've had times where like we're like craig get in here and he's like now record no, and like okay, craig's broken, great. And then we had to get g arc and g arc like now no and craiger no, they're the same okay they just look different. Yeah, yeah, g arc looks malicious. He does looks very malicious. You're going to mess someone up. That's the impression I get.

Speaker 2: 1:08

I kind of miss him. I'll be honest, we haven't seen him. Hasn't happened in a while.

Speaker 1: 1:14

Shoutouts to whoever invented Craig. You're doing the real work and it costs nothing to use, just outstanding work.

Speaker 2: 1:24

I hope they're getting some sort of kickback, because he's a pretty cool little beaver.

Speaker 1: 1:30

I don't know how. I truly don't know how Discord and some of these Discord bots and utilities do it. It can't just be for the love of the game. No, there's no way.

Speaker 2: 1:42

That'd be something. They probably just have a marketplace. I just hope they're making money. I hope discord looks at their utilization is like dang. That's a lot of value they're bringing to people.

Speaker 1: 1:52

We should pay, I know they have some really crappy AI games. Oh, they're the worst, just absolute cringe slop. But uh, you know they're trying, they're trying, they're trying.

Speaker 2: 2:04

That's all you can do in life. Give it a college, try, ah, truly.

Speaker 1: 2:10

And even that, you know, might be a little excessive Questionable, questionable. You know what else is questionable?

Speaker 2: 2:15

What's that?

Speaker 1: 2:16

Welcome back to Corporate Strategy Podcasts. Could have been an email. I'm Bruce and I'm Clark. We're going to continue down a path, a path that we've started to walk, that we can't unlock. Our appreciation series, where we talk about appreciation languages, acts of appreciation in the workplace, led by none other than Clark. But, but before we get into that, clark, I have a confession to make.

Speaker 2: 2:47

Oh no, I have a confession to make. Is HR in the chat? Do we need to bring HR in the chat?

Speaker 1: 2:54

No, but we have a listener. We have a listener who is going to laugh at what I'm about to say. They probably already know because they're there. I've been going through management training along with many other managers at my, my company, and the last week's I was gonna say last week's episode, last week's training was focused on feedback and there was a part during the training where I said hey, have y'all heard about appreciation, languages of appreciation?

Speaker 1: 3:26

in the workplace. I know what's that. Oh, it's this cool thing. You know acts of service, you know words of appreciation, quality time, appropriate physical touch, and they're like this is cool. I'd never heard of something. Yeah, you know, it's something. I've been. I've been learning about something I've been doing on my own. You know, just I'm I'm pretty smart and cool. You should listen to me and, uh, everyone was just like floored because of my knowledge around these topics and I didn't give you any credit at all none.

Speaker 2: 3:58

Wow. Well, first of all, I don need it. I do it for the love of the game. That's good. That's a good attitude. So are you?

Speaker 1: 4:21

saying there's someone here that knows about how you just completely stole my thunder and gave absolutely zero credit to this podcast. We have a listener who is a co-worker of mine and I know they listen and I know they're gonna hear this and they're gonna smile and be like, yep, because we're in this training together and I'm sure that even in the moment when I because I'm assuming they're fairly caught up I didn't check in and be like, hey, you see how I totally stole clark's thunder during that, during that call today, but but you know, shout out.

Speaker 2: 4:45

I mean it's kind of funny because you're basically you're eating your own dog food. It's like we do this so that corporations become a better place through the people Like people listening to this take this back and hopefully make the workplace a little bit better for those around them, and that's exactly what you're doing. So you're really just living our ethos in your daily life, based on what you're learning in real time, which is exactly what this is all about. So I love it. I'm totally okay with this.

Speaker 1: 5:15

You're not even wrong, because there was like 14 people on this call and they're like this is super cool, what's the book? I want to go learn about this and like yeah, yeah, you know, I mean Bruce, I mean only Bruce, me myself, and I made the world a better place by myself, with no help from anyone else, so shout outs me, that's that's who I dedicate this podcast to Mic drop Peace.

Speaker 2: 5:41

Just to me, I actually. I love it though, though, because hopefully what it does is it encourages the right environment in your workplace where you all start appreciating each other, but not in some stupid like rewards marketplace thing that no one actually cares about stupid slack channels or teams channels or whatever for appreciation like you guys actually put in the work to appreciate each other in a way that you'll actually appreciate. It won't just be like a generic blanket for everybody. So I love it. I think what you're doing is going to make where you work an even better place.

Speaker 1: 6:15

Oh, thanks, clark, you know, I try, I try to try.

Speaker 2: 6:19

I'm just so proud of you for going through this with me and then bringing it back into the world and just living our ethos out. I'm just so appreciative of how hard you work and I hope you feel appreciated by me for appreciating you. You know what would make me feel even better.

Speaker 1: 6:38

What's that? If you did something?

Speaker 2: 6:40

for me. Well, that leads us right into our topic for today, the third love language acts of service hell yeah, let's go.

Speaker 1: 6:51

This is mine, this is all me I'll be honest.

Speaker 2: 6:55

In our poll right, wasn't this the highest one?

Speaker 1: 6:58

uh, yes, it was by a large margin.

Speaker 2: 7:01

Yes, and think honestly like this has got to be top two of most people out there. Like this one in the workplace just makes so much sense. Like it's so logical to be like, yeah, I appreciate when people actually do their jobs or they do something that makes me feel like I'm appreciated or they actually do something that benefits me in the workplace.

Speaker 1: 7:22

Like this one just feels like such an obvious 90% of people probably are like top two with this one. I can see why and I'm curious to hear the breakdown of it because, you know, I only know what I know from the quiz and what we talked about. But when I took that quiz, anytime an acts of service question came up I was like, oh please, how do I make this happen at IRL, like how do I get this for me?

Speaker 2: 7:49

There are some really, really good tips on this one, I think one thing so I've been reading more in this book and, full disclosure, I have not finished this book, so this is gonna be a real-time podcast where we're learning together. I finished most of it, but I'm still reading. So we are taking the learnings in real time to this group, to this podcast, and we're iterating on it together, and that's what I love about the podcast format. But one thing I found out is that was Real quick.

Speaker 1: 8:15

before we move on Clark, if our listeners are curious, clark has been having internet issues, which is why sometimes it sounds like he's in a fishbowl. I'm just letting you know, because it's occurred a couple of times and they're probably like what the heck's up with you now? So, okay, continue.

Speaker 2: 8:29

Yeah, I blame my internet. I think there's a storm rolling through, but just in general my internet's just been terrible. My ISP is just really like. It's such a weird internet problem because if you do a speed test, everything checks out, All passes the sniff test and you're like, okay, interesting. But then you get on calls where you have to upload any sort of data, voice video, whatever and it just drops right over itself, just stumbles everywhere, and so I don't know what's going on. So, yes, thank you for bearing with me, because my quality and my voice is not going to come through crystal clear this episode.

Speaker 1: 9:02

unfortunately, it's kind of given you a lovely little lisp. So I actually, you know you kind of sound like if Grimes was a guy. So you know, continue oh.

Speaker 2: 9:14

I love it. Well, I was doing more research and what I did find out is there is an official test. Like I talked about last time, a physical, appropriate physical touch is not anywhere on any of these tests, which I mean kind of makes sense.

Speaker 1: 9:29

You know how do you kind of?

Speaker 2: 9:29

ask questions around that. It's more of like an in the moment thing and we'll get to that eventually. But just one clarification that when you take this test and one day we're going to try to find a way to bring it to our people so people can actually find out what they are there likely will not be physical touch as part of that, because it's a really hard and awkward thing, I think, to test for. So it's just not part of the official test.

Speaker 1: 9:50

But more importantly, no touching.

Speaker 2: 9:53

Yeah, just no touching. But I think when we actually get to it and I said this last time just a little bit of a spoiler I actually can see how this is an appreciation language and I could kind of see myself relating to it in a lot of ways. So I'm burying the lead for a future episode because we're about two away from that, but I think people are going to see it and they'll be like oh, shoot, I can kind of see it, even though it sounds really cringy right now. I'm ready for it. Are we going back to acts of service? Let's do it All right.

Speaker 2: 10:22

Acts of service I think the the name itself is kind of self-explanatory. It's doing something for someone else and in this like, especially in the workplace, you can think of it as like okay, people are, you know, completing a task that they knew I needed to do but I didn't have time for, or doing helping me with a task because I was overwhelmed, I had a bunch of other things on my plate, and or just doing something because they know like, hey, they took out my trash today, or they cleaned up my desk, or something like that, like those tiny things that may or may not be work related, but are still something that involves them to put effort and thought towards. So it's not as much as like hey, just saying something, like words of affirmation or spending time with you, but it's doing something to help you. That's really the kind of the essence of access service. Did I cover everything like that would come to mind for you immediately, bruce.

Speaker 1: 11:20

So my big confusion with this whole thing is is it organic, like hey, you know what, I'm going to go ahead and just check this Jira ticket that got assigned to Clark I know he's been really busy. I'm going to do it and see if I can't do it myself. Or is it you're like, hey man, I'm struggling, would you mind doing this Jira ticket? And I go do it Like is acts of service, something that is prompted or that is almost like a surprise? Hey, I did this for you. I hope this helps.

Speaker 2: 11:53

Yeah, it's actually really interesting. And that's really what I learned most about this one is, as I was reading this, I was like, oh shoot, I actually need to think about this a little differently. And I think you're kind of like me. Like when I see a problem or I see someone struggling with something like, my natural inclination is just to go help them and do it, even if it's like in my own way. It's like let's just get it done, I'll do it for them. I'm sure they'll appreciate it right. And the answer is not really, as I was reading through this all Not really as I was reading through this, all the studies that they did is they had so many tips around like, well, yeah, how do you bring this forward?

Speaker 2: 12:27

Like, is it exactly what you said? Do you just do it and do it your way and just get it done because they'll appreciate it? And the answer is no, and it's not the best way to approach it. Most people, when you approach it that way, likely won't be appreciative of you doing it, which is interesting. Be appreciative of you doing it, which is interesting. And so they give a lot of really helpful tips and they really say, like, at the foundation it starts with don't do access service for people if you can't cover your own stuff. So if your own responsibilities are lacking, like that's like foundational. Don't do stuff for other people or help them with tasks If you can't even get your own stuff done, because that's just going to look bad on you. It's going to look bad for everyone else. It's like, oh weird, like Bruce always wants to do my stuff but he never gets his own stuff done. It's just going to create a really bad vibe between everybody to be like why are you helping me?

Speaker 1: 13:16

when you're the one that needs help. I could definitely see that. Can you give an example of like what an act of service is?

Speaker 2: 13:25

Yeah, yeah. So let's say someone is overloaded, like let's say, you have let's put ourselves where you started in some of your initial work, which is, like you know, handling customer support issues that might be coming up, like, let's say, you have like 100 tickets you got to deal with and you're just overloaded. You've got to get them done by the end of the week and there's like no way you're going to do them. An act of service would be like hey, bruce, I finished my stuff early. I can help you with this. You know how about I take like 20? Yeah, I'm offering. I'm saying, hey, my stuff is covered. So I covered the foundational thing. I said I, my own stuff is done, I have the extra time.

Speaker 2: 14:04

Now the second part of the foundational part of this appreciation language is saying, bruce, can I help you with this?

Speaker 2: 14:11

I'm asking before I help and saying I have 20 extra hours this week. I think I can take that time and complete the rest of your task. So that's kind of the next thing is ask before you help. So you're asking permission and you're being specific in terms of how much time you have, and that's important because, like next week, I might have a hundred tickets of my own I have to deal with, and so I basically need to set expectations with you that I'm going to take 20 and I'm going to do them this week, and if I don't have time this week, then I'm going to have to get back to my own stuff and you're going to be on your own again.

Speaker 2: 14:42

So I'm very clearly stating kind of the let's say, the constraints of me helping you, so that way you understand my bandwidth that's. It's really important to do that, because otherwise it might be like okay, well, you said you were going to help me, like, why aren't you helping me this week too? And it's like well, I got my own stuff, and now it creates a weird tension between us where it's like I told you I'd help and now I'm not helping the next week. So by doing this upfront, setting the right expectations next week, you're like oh yeah, that's right, I really appreciate the help last week, but he's got his own stuff this week.

Speaker 1: 15:12

I really liked that explanation because that fills in a couple of blanks for me, right, when, when I took the test and you know this doesn't help the listeners because they haven't taken the test, but it was always it was basically like, would you rather be thanked for work or have someone come and help you do your work? And it's like why would help help? Help me, please, and you know, as someone who's who's overloaded, like that sounds great, but I think the additions of what you're saying right here is very important because if you know someone likes acts of service, you absolutely don't want to paint yourself into a corner where you could potentially be like on the hook to continue to deliver that to make them happy, or put them in a place where they feel worse because you withdrew an act of service that they expected, that you were never going to give them. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2: 16:03

Like imagine if you were just overloaded and somebody you were never going to give them. Yeah, exactly Like imagine if you were just overloaded and somebody said they're going to help you and then, yeah, they just disappear. Like next week they have vacation. It's like what? Why would Bruce tell me on a Friday afternoon that he's going to help me with this stuff and then he's just gone next week and I had no idea. Like that would actually make it even worse. I'm like now I don't feel appreciated. Now I thought I had relief. Now I'm even more stressed out because I got to get this stuff done and he's gone and it's creating just a weird dynamic between us because now I'm just not going to trust him next time.

Speaker 2: 16:30

So it's super important that you're specific on your time. You set the constraints up front and then you still ask like, would that a ton of things to do? And if I was like, hey, I think I can help you get like 10 of these done. But to be honest with you, friday's my drop dead date Like I might only be able to get through half of those. Like, is that okay? Are you still willing to get that help? And I can think of tasks that I would do where it's like I can't have you do 20% of it, like you got to do all of it, otherwise I'm just going to have to restart, and so I think it's really important, like you, clarify if I can only do half of this, is that okay, or would you prefer I don't do that, because it's actually going to make it worse for you?

Speaker 2: 17:14

And so you need to be very like conscious on what you're signing up for and very, I guess, thoughtful in how much can you actually do with your constraints and set the right expectations.

Speaker 1: 17:26

This is a. You haven't made it to this part in the book yet. Clark and I have cause. I'm a wizard at it. It not reading. It's called the cat framework constraints. Ask for qualifications and set a timeframe Got them.

Speaker 2: 17:41

Yeah, look at that. I actually liked that.

Speaker 1: 17:45

Yeah, I think that's a great. I'm writing my own book now. Don't worry, it's going to beat this book so much because I have cool little acronyms like that all over it.

Speaker 2: 17:56

Did you learn this in management training?

Speaker 1: 17:57

Yeah, I did. I did. I'm actually. My manager is a descendant of Conan, the Barbarian Drive. People from their lands hear the lamentations of their children and their women. It's a big part of being a good manager, so I'm just applying that to yeah yeah.

Speaker 2: 18:16

Yeah, burn the boats, you know, pillage the villages Right, right, right Of your competition.

Speaker 1: 18:23

I like this. This is what a good manager does, and, when it comes to a good act of service, follow that cat framework.

Speaker 2: 18:33

Cat framework's all you need, get rich with guy travel. But I think all that, like all that ties in to setting the right expectations and then saying would that still be helpful? And like you're still asking for that permission up front. So to your question at the very beginning it's not just grabbing something from them because like oh yeah, they had to go out for an appointment and they're on an appointment this morning, but we're in our daily standup and they have three tickets. There's no way they're going to get this done by the end of the week.

Speaker 2: 19:01

I'll just take this one. Like that's not the right way to show access service towards thinking you might think that's the right thing to do to help them, but in reality that is actually likely making it worse. And if access service is their appreciation language, they will definitely not be appreciative of you just snagging that thing from them and then when they get back from their appointment, they might just start working on that thing again because they're like oh yeah, I'm just going to continue working my task. They weren't communicated to, they don't understand the expectations. You also don't know where they left off, so it's not clear of how you can actually help them with this task. So definitely don't just start grabbing things from them or doing things that you may or may not complete in the timeframe that needs to be specified.

Speaker 1: 19:41

So, okay, we've established some boundaries here. The next question I have is identification of the acts of service. Individual right, like I am definitely this type of person. But how do you tell your team like hey, I really like acts of service. Wink, wink, like that sounds weird. So like what's the? I think I feel like with words of appreciation and with quality time, it's very easy to be like oh yeah, you know, I really enjoy spending time with the team you know, whether it's in jam sessions or going bowling or with words of appreciation, you know you can.

Speaker 1: 20:17

you can show that by being like oh hey, I really appreciate it when you gave me that. Shout out, thanks. That meant a lot to me. Like, what do you do for acts of service?

Speaker 2: 20:26

Yeah, you know it's interesting, because I think it's a lot of just what we're talking about. Yeah, you know it's interesting. You know Windows Server 2012. I say this because I think you're chuckling right now.

Speaker 1: 20:54

I really know.

Speaker 2: 20:54

Windows Server 2012. Like why don't I help you with this? How can I help you with this and share some of my knowledge so that I can help you get this environment set up or get the script running on it through our hypervisor, or something like that? And I think that's how you're going to find out, because they might be like hey, you know it's okay, I think I've almost got it, so I'm all good. And like in that case, you know they might want to be independent and they don't really need the help, but someone else might be like oh, thank God you offered Bruce, because I've been banging my head against the wall for weeks on this one issue. Do you mind coming?

Speaker 2: 21:26

to sit next to me and help me work through this.

Speaker 1: 21:29

Then they realize it's actually Windows Server 2012 R2, and they're both screwed. Thanks, microsoft, appreciate it, love it, thanks for doing that weird release thing you do.

Speaker 2: 21:45

Yeah, exactly. Thanks for helping us create all these ridiculous Windows Server versions that never work right across all of them. They always have to have something else that's configured that you never even think about, so I don't miss those days.

Speaker 1: 21:57

Did you check that KB article? Did you get that hotfix?

Speaker 2: 22:03

Did you go into your network preferences and turn off the firewall, because that's an important step it's not off automatically.

Speaker 1: 22:09

You've got to do it now on Windows yeah, I heard that too yeah, and with the latest update you have to go into the registry and just delete seven random keys. Doesn't matter which, as long as it's seven.

Speaker 2: 22:19

Then it will start to work normally again but only see windows binary one, two, three, four, dot, dll. Yeah, just delete that and then everything will work perfectly, believe it it or not, fix my issue, yeah. So, like, I think that's like exactly how you can find out. You ask and you see how they kind of react to that. However, there is one thing I wanted to touch on that is an important note to this as well. You can't just do it your way. So let's say, like, you offer me to help, you know, figure out this environment configuration issue. Like, yeah, I'd be so appreciative, like, can you come and help me? If you were to just jump on the computer and like, do it yourself. I may not want that and I might say, oh well, I mean, I guess Bruce is just going to do it.

Speaker 2: 23:00

So something that's really important and foundational that I talk about is you need to do it their way and with their permission, not just jump and take over or do it how you think it should be done, because that's a really important step to this is saying like, hey, you know, I typically, you know, find that there's a configuration issue. Do you want me to hop on the keyboard and like show you how to do that, or do you want me to just tell you and we can walk through it together? And so you're constantly kind of clarifying like, how do you want to do this together? And so again, you're asking permission, but you're doing it in a way that they are helping guide you, so that way you're staying within their parameters. And then, let's say, a week from now we have another test.

Speaker 2: 23:38

We're like, hey, I've got this configuration issue again. I'd really appreciate your help, bruce, because last time, you know, we made such a good team working through this and I was able to do it faster. So now it's you know me actually asking for your help and also being appreciative of you, because you're basically helping me with my acts of acts of service and my appreciation language. So that's a really important step is don't just do it the way you would do it. Even if it's faster, even if it's better, you need to ask permission and help guide them, but then don't just do it your way.

Speaker 1: 24:09

I mean, the more we talk about this, the more this can be a little bit of a nightmare scenario, right? Like there is an outcome here where you volunteer to help, you do your constraints, you ask, you set a time frame, but then you're kind of locked in to this scenario where, hey, I am going to help, I am going to do this act of service, and now I'm starting to realize this was not a good idea, right, like the whole. You know how do you eat the elephant one bite at a time. I got to eat this whole elephant, right? Like, yeah, you could find yourself in a situation where the assumption is much smaller than the actual act itself.

Speaker 2: 24:52

Yeah, I 100% agree with you. Like people will take advantage of this. And that is where I think it's so important that you set that constraint up front, to be like, hey, I've got my own task but I can help for the rest of this afternoon. Like, why don't we sit together and I can attempt to help you and hopefully it goes well. But at least at the end of the afternoon you're like OK, great, well, and hopefully it goes well, but at least at the end of the afternoon you're like okay, great, well.

Speaker 2: 25:12

You know, I'm sorry we couldn't work through it today. I'm sorry I really got to jump back to my task tomorrow so I can't help you anymore with this. But you know, maybe we can talk about how to make some time for it next week or something like that. And so, like that is kind of protecting you in a way too, because you're going to help them until the end of time, because I I mean you and I know we worked with someone that it's like every single time they had an issue, they came and grabbed bruce or clark and said, hey, can you help me through this? And then you ended up sitting at their computer on the keyboard doing the work for them, instead of them just doing something you talked about last week no, and that and that's I mean.

Speaker 1: 25:49

that's exactly where my mind went, the fear right Like, oh no, I've done a good deed and now I'm locked in to to repeated good deeds for forever and for all time. So there, I think there does have to be some care and attention. It's not just constraints, asking and timeframe, but there needs to be consideration. What are you getting into?

Speaker 2: 26:10

Absolutely. And it's so funny because, as I was reading this, this kind of came to mind for me as well because of the situation I just talked about. Because folks, that's a real thing, that happened to Bruce and I in a previous workplace. We were the helper for all these people and it's hard to just do your own work. But two of the last points they give are you need to check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Speaker 2: 26:32

I didn't say that in the book, but I'm adding this on ad lib it's you need to make sure you're serving voluntarily, you're not feeling forced into always helping them with things like.

Speaker 2: 26:42

You need to make sure this is out of the goodness of your heart, because you actually want to show them appreciation, and your attitude is something you need to keep in check because they can turn negative real quick.

Speaker 2: 26:54

And if you are just doing something because you feel like you're tied to it and it's like really negatively draining on you, you need to stop because likely that's going to turn the whole thing sour and you're going to become resentful towards this person and it's not going to be showing them appreciation at all, like it's just going to make the situation really, really bad.

Speaker 2: 27:11

So two of the things they talk about is like just make sure you're not doing it because you feel like you need to show them appreciation. Make sure you actually want to show them appreciation. So don't just volunteer because you're like, well, it's the right thing to do. I guess I have to help this person out this time. It's like you need to actually feel like you're like this person Great, I really appreciate their hard work. They always do so good with this, like I can help them with something as well, because they helped me with something in the past. So you have to do it in a positive mind state, not in a negative mind state or feeling like you have to do it to show them appreciation.

Speaker 1: 27:45

Hey Clark.

Speaker 2: 27:46

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 27:48

I need help. You know I got a lot going on on. I don't think I can help you this week. Wow, you didn't even hear me out. You didn't even hear my ask.

Speaker 2: 27:59

Shut me down it's because you know I'm just having a really hard time keeping up with my own tasks. I don't think I'm going to be able to help you successfully this week.

Speaker 1: 28:10

You know what? Hey, I hear you and it does sound like you're having a hard time. Maybe I could help you, Clark.

Speaker 2: 28:19

I'd really appreciate that, but last time you crashed my whole computer and I almost jumped right out the window next to us, so I'm going to pass.

Speaker 1: 28:26

Well, if you didn't install 2012 R2 and just did 2012, like I told you to, none of this would have happened. But you know what? Thank you, clark. Thank you.

Speaker 2: 28:40

This is an example of how it can get sour real quick when you threaten you know jumping out of the physical building because you want to stay away from this person. You threatened that you bet I did Because I know how you work and I away from this person. You threatened that you bet I did Because I know how you work and I'm not into it.

Speaker 1: 28:57

I just want to make sure that the listeners know I would never make anyone do that, okay.

Speaker 2: 29:02

Never. I'm not going to say it happened IRL, but maybe it happened. No, I'm just kidding that did not happen IRL. Everybody's safe, everybody's fine. Bruce creates a positive workplace environment, I promise.

Speaker 1: 29:17

Well, I mean, the good news is the window was fairly cheap to replace, so you know like some things might've happened but the window you know, way less expensive than.

Speaker 2: 29:28

I thought it was going to be. In one glass mug shattered over someone else's head, like that. It's replaceable.

Speaker 1: 29:35

You know, it's just 20 bucks, it's fine you know, and and and, really they should have seen it coming. They should have seen it coming that's all I'm gonna say.

Speaker 2: 29:43

They looked you right in the eyes when they said I deleted that deal. I told you three times already. They knew what was coming.

Speaker 1: 29:51

Some might say it was an act of service to receive the glass mug over the head. So you know, it just depends on your perspective.

Speaker 2: 29:59

You made me think of something. If someone looks at you and they say with you know, bloodshot eyes, just take me out, that would be the greatest service you could provide is to chuck me out this window, just so I never have to work another day in this God forsaken corporation. That is not an act of service. If it gets to that level.

Speaker 1: 30:19

If it gets to that level, you need to go to HR like, fast, okay, so what if the act of service is actually an insurance scheme, right? So it's like, hey, I need you to, you know, accidentally bump me down the stairs. It doesn't end my life, but just give me, you know, some maiming so that I can get 3X the payout at work. I mean, what do you?

Speaker 2: 30:45

say to that Clark, Follow the guidelines that we've talked about today. You say, hey, you know what. All my stuff is covered, All my story points. I completed every single one of them, so I got time check.

Speaker 1: 30:56

Then you say well, how do you want me to do that?

Speaker 2: 30:57

You want me to throw you down the stairs, you want me to trip you down the stairs. So I'm asking how would you like me to do this? Then I also want to clarify I need to leave at four today. So if we're going to do this, can we schedule a time from three to four? So I'm being specific with my time and I was very specific around. Hey, you know what? I don't really know how you want me to trip you. Do you mind if we reenact it together? So that way I know exactly how you want me to do this. So I'm doing it, your way, doing it my way.

Speaker 1: 31:25

I love this.

Speaker 2: 31:31

This is great. What a fantastic example. And then something that's so important up front is that you say and I really do expect 40% of whatever you make from this insurance scheme to go right into my pocket. Is that okay with you? So I asked up front. I set the constraints, I set the expectation of what I'm going to expect. We rehearsed it together, so I'm doing it your way and I'm serving voluntarily. I'm really excited about this opportunity to make you feel appreciated in the workplace.

Speaker 1: 31:53

Don't put this in JIRA. That's the only additional, you know, comment I have on this is, if you log it in JIRA, the whole thing falls apart. So you know, that's. That's the caveat. But I think this is a fantastic example. Really nails everything you've you've taught me about today.

Speaker 2: 32:10

There's one final point that it talks about is complete. What you start and I think the example you just brought up is the perfect example it's saying when you get to three o'clock and you're holding onto them, you're saying you're ready to do this, and they look at you and say I'm having second guesses, maybe we shouldn't do this. You finish what you started, what you committed to. You throw them down those stairs.

Speaker 1: 32:29

Look, them square in the eye.

Speaker 2: 32:32

You're doing them a service. Really. That's what it's all about.

Speaker 1: 32:37

Make sure you know when they start to shake and the tear rolls down their eye. Please don't Clark, I've changed my mind Say no, this is an act of service. Then you push.

Speaker 2: 32:54

You will feel appreciated when I do this for you, and then you shove them down the stairs.

Speaker 1: 33:04

Oh, I'm crying.

Speaker 2: 33:06

Oh my gosh, I have a tear rolling down my oh my gosh.

Speaker 1: 33:10

Well, I don't think the book could come close to that. You know, I would argue that's probably much better than whatever's in that book you read.

Speaker 2: 33:18

They had examples on there, but it was nothing like this. Like this is a real-world scenario. This is what actually happens out there, people.

Speaker 1: 33:26

I knew it. I knew we were better. We were writing a book once, like everything we do. It got 20 pages in. But I think we could do an acts of appreciation book of our own. Six acts of appreciation. Just one-up them and show them who's boss.

Speaker 2: 33:47

We'll add our own and we don't really know what that next one is going to be, but we'll come up with it. By the time we get get through 20 pages we'll decide whether we're going to quit again or whether we're going to keep persevering. But no, I think like it's funny because we brought up that terrible example. But I think it does like cover all the grounds. It's like your stuff is covered. I asked before I helped I was very specific on my time how much time I was willing to give what I kind of expected from being a part of this. I assumed that I was like, okay, I don't really know how you want to do this, so like, show me exactly how you'd want it to be done and I'm going to do it your way and I'm voluntarily going to do it. I'm happy to help you, so my attitude is in the right place. And then I followed through. I followed through, we got the insurance claim and I got my 40%. Everybody's happy at the end of the day.

Speaker 1: 34:37

I think that the real sad truth real talk Clark the real sad truth about this whole thing and this example is it's so much more memorable than any nonsensical example Like more memorable than any nonsensical example like oh, sally needed help with her TPS report. You're going to forget that the second you get off that page. But I guarantee you, if you've made it this far in the pod, anytime you think about acts of service for the rest of your life you're going to think about that dude falling down the stairs and be like you know what, I know what constraints I need to set here.

Speaker 2: 35:10

Constraints Ask Timeline, do it their way oh, I'm just sitting here dying because it's so true. It's like I'm just saying it's a good example. I know, okay, I know this is this is going to be a sensitive topic, but I'm going to say it anyway compliance training, like sexual harassment, workplace, all that is very real, so I'm not making light of that. It's a real thing. Do it?

Speaker 2: 35:36

don't make light if you were given, like actual real world, the most ridiculous story ever, like the Coldplay concert thing of sexual harassment at work, but like if you got that as the example, like you would remember and it would stick in your brain, you would remember Dang, that's a good example of it, I mean like you're right, like you don't have to make light on.

Speaker 1: 36:01

Well, I mean, you, you know getting getting pushed on these stairs for an insurance scam. Obviously, you know it's a, it's a plot from a coen brothers movie, but like, yeah, it's, it's funny, it's slightly, it's slightly deranged. I mean there are real examples of all of these things, specifically like the harassment, trainings and the you know, the embezzlement and bribery. Like they should bring in real stuff like that, because you would connect so much more with the material, because one, like I've said a million times in this podcast, true crime is where it's at. People love it and they hold on to it and they retain it and they listen to it and remember it forever and they tell all their friends about these weird creepy murders where people show up in barrels. It's just how the human mind works. You make it gruesome, you make it gory, you make it grotesque. People gonna set in and they're gonna listen. So I don't know, I'm just maybe. Maybe we pivot, maybe we do our own book. That is the like extreme guide to to corporate survival. Extreme, oh, the extreme corporate survival guide.

Speaker 1: 37:05

And it's all just like the most ridiculous over-the-top examples out there. You know I'm kind of thinking.

Speaker 2: 37:12

we put it back on the corporations and we create our own product, which is the untraditional compliance training product of the future, and we just sell this to corporations to be like listen, retention of the information in those compliance trainings everyone's just checking a box Retention's maybe 5%. Our retention for throwing people down the stairs as you're staring them in the eyes, the Coldplay concerts people are going to remember 95% of that because it's hyper-relevant and it is absolutely something that's extremely ridiculous. That's going to stick in your brain. I think this could be huge. We can make billions.

Speaker 1: 37:50

I'm going to roll back the tape and not share any of this because I don't want the audience to steal these great ideas from themselves. I agree.

Speaker 2: 37:57

Yeah, definitely don't take this and make it a product that we're going to see next year at all of our corporations.

Speaker 1: 38:02

Yeah, definitely don't take this and make it a product that we're going to see next year at all of our corporations. I swear, if you do it, I will be so upset at you I'll throw you down the stairs without asking.

Speaker 2: 38:09

Same here. You definitely won't feel appreciated as I'm throwing you down the stairs.

Speaker 1: 38:12

It's not for insurance reasons, just saying that out loud, agreed.

Speaker 2: 38:17

Not at all. So, yeah, I mean I think that wraps up. I do service and I thought it was. It was really good.

Speaker 2: 38:24

Like every single one of these, I can say this at the beginning I know we were like, are we really going to learn a lot?

Speaker 2: 38:29

I think every single one of these, I'm like, yeah, I mean, I can totally see how I can improve how I work with others and how I show them appreciation. That's not in my own way, but it's in their way. That's not in my own way, but it's in their way. And so I hope you know everybody that's listening to this is also finding these useful and like these small tips. I know you know I've converted you into a believer since you're sharing it within your actual corporation right now, but I hope everybody's kind of taking these tips into play because if you are an access service person, if you can share this with other people and people can learn how to do it the proper way, you're just going to be in a more positive workplace where everyone is actually showing that they appreciate others and you're going to be happier to go to work every day. You're going to be more productive. It's going to be great for everybody.

Speaker 1: 39:08

Like no, no fooling, no fooling right now. Okay, clark, none, I'm not fooling. Not, I'm not fooling either. I'm legit using this in my my week to week now, and we're not even through the whole course. So props to you for taking this material and making it consumable, making it relevant for someone like me who doesn't believe in anything, has no soul. You've brought back the light in my eye, that little sparkle that says I've changed my mind. Please don't throw me down these stairs, but it's too late. And for that, clark, again I must thank you.

Speaker 2: 39:44

Of course and you know it's funny because I am actually taking all the credit. Actually, it was my wife who, in her workplace, she read this and it felt like it made her better and she's like you know what you guys need to talk about this. It's like I think all your listeners would get the value that I'm getting from doing this. And I totally believe it now, because usually I kind of steer clear from these types of things because I'm just like, yeah, whatever, it's just another one of these things. Hokey pokey, you drink the Kool-Aid, you do the training, you got to pay for something at the end, like I'm not interested, but this one has actually been really, really good. So, yeah, I'm really happy. You know you're kind of feeling the same and hopefully all of our listeners are as well.

Speaker 2: 40:20

We still have two more. We got tangible gifts, which I think is going to be really really interesting, because teaser, it is the least chosen appreciation language, believe it or not. And then we also have appropriate physical touch at the very end, which I think people are going to change their mind on how cringy this is in the workplace. And then we'll wrap up. We got a lot of stuff to talk about the end from some of the like spinoff discussions we've had on, like well, yeah, how do you find out what they are? What are you know? Are they heavily skewed based on your type of job or compensation you have? And is it really different between, like you know, in-person work versus remote work? And the book actually talks about, like, how you make this applicable in a remote workplace too. So I think we got a few more episodes of this to hopefully bring and close the whole entire circle of how this can all work very well in the workplace.

Speaker 1: 41:09

I'm I'm ready to close it. This has been great, clark, super. Thanks to you for for putting in all the effort here and making this happen. Hey, shout outs to our listeners. If you've been keeping up with this series, we'd love to know what you think, right? This is the first time we've done a series of this length and of this depth of research. So do you love it? Do you hate it? Do you want more of it? How do you rate it? Please, let us know. The way you can do that is by joining the Discord.

Speaker 1: 41:34

Go into the show notes. There is I actually found this out, clark so the link now that we have ads back on the show. It puts links to the ads above our own link. No, thanks, thanks, formatting. Look for the All the Things. Link in your show notes. That will get you access to our Discord, our website, our store, but most importantly is the Discord. Get in there, join the conversation or lurk. We do not judge. We welcome all and let us know what you think about the series so far. I'm very curious. It's done wonders for me and I hope it's doing the same for you. You got anything else for the people, clark? I got nothing. You heard it there first. He has nothing. Nada, zip, zilch Zero, and with that I think we'll call it an episode. Thanks as always for your listenership. Remember to go out there and spin the wheel. I'm Bruce.

Speaker 2: 42:34

And I'm Clark and I'm in a fishbowl.

Speaker 1: 42:38

When you said that it literally cut out half of what you said. So bless you for it. We will see you. You all are on mute, which Clark will also be in a minute. We will see you next week.