Doug Cartland's Four-Minute Leadership Advisory
Doug Cartland, Inc.
03/26/2013

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I rolled into Tupelo, Mississippi about 7:30 at night in my rented jet-black Dodge Charger. (Cool! If you have a choice, go cool.) I was famished after a day of long, but productive meetings and a ninety-minute drive.

 

I pulled into a Cracker Barrel...love me some roast beef and mashed potatoes, and it usually comes quick. I wanted quick.

 

Turns out, one of their grills was down so they were pacing the seating so as not to overwhelm the one working grill. Thus, I had about a fifteen-minute wait. Like all good Americans these days I was fiddling with my phone when one of the hostesses piped up.

 

"What do you do, Mr. Doug?" she asked with a big ol' irresistible smile. She knew my name from taking it for my table-watch. In the south, you're often Mr. or Miss. Whatever Your First Name Happens To Be. Thus I was "Mr. Doug."

 

"I help companies become more profitable by improving their leadership and management skills," said I. "Just came from Alabama and I have work here the next couple of days."

 

"Oh wow, that's so interesting," the chatty middle-aged woman answered back. "We just went through some training here. We read a book...oh...let me go get it for you I want you to see it."

 

And she scampered off.

 

Meanwhile, the other hostess eavesdropping said, "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you. You looked like you were busy with your phone."

 

I laughed hard. I think that's the first time I've ever been apologized to for someone not talking to me.

 

"Really, it's fine," I chuckled. "I appreciate your concern, but I was just flipping around on it a little. No big deal."

 

"What are you reading?" I had a book tucked under my arm. I'm presently reading Her, a hauntingly strange memoir by Christa Parravani, and showed it to her.

 

Suddenly, we were interrupted.

 

"I'm a diabetic," the large, bald senior man fired at young hostess number two. "I have to eat promptly, I heard you say a grill was down. How long will it be?"

 

The hostess smiled real big and in her melting southern drawl said, "Maybe fifteen minutes, sir."

 

"Maybe?" he shot back.

 

"Yes sir," said she. "It's hard to know exactly, but that should be close."

 

"Well, we need to go somewhere else then." And he spun on his heel, gruffed his wife by the arm and stalked off.

 

The girl was taken aback, but did not lose her composure. She felt bad and looked at me a bit perplexed. I looked at her as if to say, "No big deal."

 

Suddenly, the other hostess was back with her book. It looked fairly interesting, though I cannot for the life of me remember the title or author. I made a mental note, but, well, we know what happens to those sometimes.

 

She enthusiastically paged through it with me...and then it was time for me to be seated.

 

Next night, I wandered over to an Outback Steakhouse just down the road from my hotel.

 

There was about a ten-minute wait there.

 

I had my book faithfully tucked under my arm again and had sat waiting for just a smidge when the hostess came up to me.

 

"Would you like a nice, quiet table so you can read your book?" I looked up at this young woman's ear to ear smile.

 

"That would be really nice," I said.

 

"Stand up," she sweetly commanded. "Look over into that corner. Do you like that one?"

 

I peered over the separation wall and myriads of tables to the corner she was suggesting like I was reconnoitering a battlefield.

 

"That would be perfect," said I.

 

"Follow me," she smiled again.

 

Three hostesses, three smiles, three personalities, three people making me feel right at home, though I was seven hundred miles away.

 

Southern hospitality?

 

Nah. Just excellent customer service.
I'd love to hear from you. Reply to this email and let me know your thoughts. 

 

Doug

 

Doug Cartland, President
Doug Cartland, Inc.

 

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