The Fred Factor Summary & Notes
The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary. By Mark Sanborn.
The Fred Factor was written by Mark Sanborn. His book provides four principles that will release fresh energy, enthusiasm and creativity in your career and life. Learn to apply these principles to enrich the lives of customers, co-workers, friends and family members. You can learn to reach new levels of personal success yourself. Everyone has had somebody who has made an influence in their lives or who has truly motivated them. Or maybe you could be the extraordinary person to somebody else.
After reading this motivational and inspiring book about how an ordinary mailman made an impact on so many others’ lives is amazing. Reflecting on those who have made a difference in my life, I have to mention my husband as one. He has been a wonderful husband and father and someone who is supportive and always full of encouragement. My son also gave me an opportunity to have a successful and rewarding career by encouraging and supporting me and believing in my abilities.
What’s a Fred - it’s making each day your masterpiece. Mark Sanborn first met Fred after purchasing a new, older home in Denver. The mailman, Fred, stopped at his door after he moved in to introduce himself and find out some information about Mark. Fred was very pleasant and seemed very sincere. Mark informed Fred he was a public speaker and traveled a lot. Fred offered to take care of Mark’s mail and hold onto it while he was gone. Mark was surprised by his generosity and wondered if this guy really worked for the U.S. Postal Service! Fred would follow-up with UPS packages that had been left for him at a neighbor’s door and make sure Mark received them. Mark was impressed. Finding examples of what’s right or even praiseworthy is sometimes hard to come by, but Fred was a role model for doing things right. Mark started to use Fred’s passion for his career and his life in his speeches. Mark informed Fred he was going to use his sincerity, service and commitment in his public speaking seminars.
Excellence in quality should be the goal in any business or profession. After giving numerous speeches and seminars about Fred’s extraordinary passion, many companies started giving a “Fred Award” to employees committed to doing well and performing excellent service. Mark gave Fred a Christmas present for being such a thoughtful person and Fred thanked him personally with a letter and also thanking him for using him as a role model. Fred and the countless other Freds he has met inspired Mark to write the Fred Factor. Anyone can be a Fred and that includes you. The result will lead to extraordinary effort in your work and you will find yourself living an extraordinary life.
Whatever you are be a good one. Truth is transferrable and these ideas apply to your life and work. These four principles apply to any person in any profession, in any situation or at any time.
Principle No. 1 - Everyone makes a difference no matter how large or small an organization is. Any individual can still make a difference and you can make a difference. A mediocre employer can hinder exceptional performance by choosing to ignore it or not adequately recognizing or encouraging it. Or an excellent employer can train employees to achieve exceptional performance and then reward them. Ultimately, only the employee can choose to do his or her job in an extraordinary way regardless of the circumstances. Be an employee who adds instead of taking away from customers or colleagues. Perform your work in an extraordinary way and lighten someone else’s burden instead of adding to it. Nobody can prevent you from choosing to be exceptional and knowing what kind of difference you make.
Most people have a passion for significance. As in Fred’s case, others might have seen delivering mail as monotonous but Fred saw it as an opportunity make the lives of his customers more enjoyable. Fred understood this and he is proof that there are no insignificant or ordinary jobs when they’re performed by significant and extraordinary people. Work gives us dignity but it is only half the equation. People give work dignity. There are no unimportant jobs, rather people who feel unimportant doing their jobs. There are cab drivers more inspired about how they perform their work than some upper level managers who seem to have lost any drive for excellence. Position never determines performance and, ultimately, performance determines position in life. It is based on results rather than intentions and doing what others only talk about. The more valuable you are to others, the more value you create in your work or your interactions with others. The more value will eventually flow toward you. Faithfully doing your best independent of the support, acknowledgement or reward of others is a key determinant in a fulfilling career.
Principle No. 2 - Success is built on relationships. The service Mark received from his postman, Fred, was superior for many reasons. The biggest reason was his relationship with him - unlike any other before or since. He stood above the crowd. Service becomes personalized when a relationship exists between the provider and the customer. Fred took time to get to know Mark and used that to provide better service. Relationship building is the most important objective because the quality of the relationship determines the quality of the product or service. Leaders succeed when they realize their employees are human. Technology succeeds when it recognizes that its users are human. Fred succeeded when he recognized his work involved interacting with human beings.
Principle No. 3 - Continuously create value for others without it costing a penny. Many people complain they don’t have enough money, the necessary training or the right opportunities. Some believe they lack resources to perform at a higher level. Fred wore a blue uniform and carried a bag full of mail - that was it. His imagination allowed him to create value for his customers and he didn’t need an extra dollar to do it. He just fought harder and more creatively than other postal carriers and utilized his ability to create value for customers without spending more money to do so. Replace money with imagination and outthink your competition rather than to outspend them. Victims of downsizing who lose their jobs should quit worrying with the intent to refocus their attention from being employed to being employable. A high school or college graduate should expect to be unemployed a few times during their career - but it will be brief as long as they are employable. Being employable means having a skill set that makes you desirable to any employer regardless of industry or location. The critical skill is the ability to create value for customers and colleagues without spending money to do so. Replace money with imagination and substitute creativity for capital. The faster you try to solve a problem with money, the less likely it will be the best solution. The challenge is to outthink rather than to outspend the competition. Promotions will be given to the best person. Fred was the kind of employee whose work and service was a joy for him and he gave gratification to his customers.
Principle No. 4 - Reinvent yourself regularly. Fred brought originality to a mailbox and reinvented himself and his work. If you feel you’ve done everything you can do for personal excellence but you are still wavering, think about Fred. If he brought that kind of commitment, you can do as much or more to reinvent your work and rejuvenate your efforts. Wake up each morning with a clean slate no matter what job you hold or what industry or where you live. Make your life anything you choose it to be. That’s what Sanborn calls the Fred Factor.
A Fred sighting is a special moment in someone’s life when someone is born. A special opportunity when you see that it fulfills a mission or greatness. When something as little as taking responsibility for doing a simple job to help someone out without expecting anything in return. This is a Fred. Potential Freds are everywhere but there are a lot less exceptions to the rule. There are many Fred types. A funny Fred who takes some risks to make someone’s experience more pleasurable and having some fun with it. An accountable Fred who provides an act of service and unintentionally receives a business opportunity from the act. A generous Fred - a stranger who loans you a few dollars when you are stuck in a situation with just your word you will repay them; a Fred who states things like this can happen to anyone. Someone who didn’t know you but understood the risk of being of service regardless of payback. A generous Fred who knew it was about giving rather than just what you get because it is the right thing to do. Being helpful is more fun than being helped. Are you ready to be a Fred.
Becoming a Fred. We all wish we lived in a world surrounded by Freds. Some of us work with co-workers who are anti-Freds. If you want to make a Fred, be a Fred yourself. It is easier to be a Fred than not to be a Fred. Becoming a Fred is having a passion for significance as everyone wants to account for what they do each day. The most unhappiest are those who go to a job they hate. Convert your job into one you love. Do the job you have by doing it differently. You choose. Enjoyment or misery - feeling good about your work or bad about it. Having the most fun doing your best work is at the top of the list to make you a happy person. Do the right thing for the right reason. If your motive is to receive praise then you will be disappointed. When reward or recognition come it will be icing on the cake. Excellence, wisdom and dedication are all parts of a Fred’s world. Chose the right role models as it fuels ongoing quality efforts.
Everyone makes a difference. You change the world everyday whether you intend to or not. You can change a customer or a co-worker by doing the smallest thing. Make a positive difference by paying attention to others. Know more, notice more and ask yourself what kind of difference did you make. Practice acts of being extraordinary regularly. Setting an example influences others.
Don’t just sit on an idea, make it happen. Identify an opportunity to make a difference. Target the people to whom you will make a difference. The most important people in our lives should be a target - customers, family and friends or bosses and teammates. Instantly earn their attention. Enrich lives of friends and strangers. Be the difference. A little thought and reflection will allow you to see the value and enrichment for others. It can’t be delegated, it’s up to you.
Success is built on relationships, one relationship at a time. Strong relationships create loyalty and the basis for partnerships. Relationship is built on the time you put into the relationship. Know what you do affects someone. It takes about as much time to be a nice guy as it does to be a jerk. Take time to focus on the relational aspect for those who we depend on for success. The seven b’s of relationship building include:
1) Being real. The most inspiring thing about Fred was his uniqueness, being himself. Trust is built from believing that people are who they represent themselves to be.
2) Be interested not just interesting. It is flattering to get to know a person. It increases the value of service to them.
3) Be a better listener. Exchange information to a client to increase the value of what you can provide to them.
4) Be empathetic. The need to be understood. Many don’t care or make the effort to get to know someone. Be kind.
5) Be honest. Say what you’ll do and do what you say. Don’t state expectations you can’t fill. Be a person of your word - that’s integrity.
6) Be helpful. Little things make a big difference. Holding a door open is a Fred factor.
7) Be prompt. Being prompt and efficient is a great value.
Continually create value for others. Turn ideas into great value. The key to greatness is making everything as good as it could be. Freds create value by the things they do. Be valuable to others. Tell the truth. In the marketplace we tend to hear what we want to hear instead of the truth. Honesty is the best way to get rich. Practice personality power by extending yourself to others genuinely and enthusiastically. Attract value through artistry - a unique signature or packaging design for goods or services. It stands out as something of great value and well presented. Meet needs in advance as power of anticipation. Add good things by incorporating something extra to your customers’ services. Add enthusiasm and enjoyment to make someone’s day.
Subtract the bad stuff by reducing or eliminating them. What constitutes bad stuff for most of us is waiting. No one likes to wait even though it creates patience. It is refreshing to see those who don’t make others wait. Any defects should be corrected. Freds strive to deliver something perfect. One of the most powerful things to do is to solve a problem you didn’t create. The world loves problem solvers.
Establish positive feelings in others when they are irritated and frustrated. Freds work hard to minimize frustration for others. Subtract as much misinformation as you can. Freds get rid of misinformation and do everything they can to find the right information. Simplify and eliminate red tape. Use your knowledge and expertise to assist someone when you can. Another superb created value. Improve to make something better and multiply existing value. Adopt this simple strategy and others will notice. Freds are always looking for ways to improve the quality of their work. Surprise and entertain others as a thoughtful gesture. Go work some magic and change the ordinary moments of your day into extraordinary.
Reinvent yourself regularly. Perform your job the way you live your life. Awake each day with a way to reinvent yourself. You can begin today to be who you want to be. Daily actions big and small can create a new version of yourself. Grow yourself, grow your value. Think about what you do and why you do it and led by compelling reasons. Be driven to do something you want to do, not what you should do. Having a goal to become more Fredlike in your work will stir your motivation. Make personal connections with others and you will have a positive effect on them.
Capitalize on your life experiences and use them productively. Ask yourself what are the most important things you’ve learned in your past. Continue to develop those in your life and capture and capitalize on those ideas. Write down good ideas as they come to you and act on them and improve on the best. Seek out what the best people are doing and then adapt and apply. The key is to adapt and take good ideas from every source and apply them. Become innovative.
Turning the ordinary into the extraordinary happens one act at a time. Just one thing a day, home or at work, and your life will be a record book of the extraordinary. Reinvent yourself one day at a time - anyone can do this - and build on this simple practice. Enrich a relationship to get the right, positive kind of attention. Over time, the one a day will turn yours and others into an extraordinary day.
There will always be people accomplishing more than you. Compare and compete against yourself. Reinvention is positive change and a baseline for where you want to go. Keep track, not score. Continually look for ways to take your game to the next level. Make a significant impression on how you impress others.
Develop other Freds by populating a business with Fredlike employees. Developing Freds should be critical for every business. Uninspired people barely do any work. The customer doesn’t have a relationship with the organization. Their relationship is with the employees who share their passion about their jobs. Employees feel exceptional when they do exceptional work. Develop Freds with: “F” for find, “R” for recognize, “E” for educate and “D” for demonstrate. Simple, yes; easy, no.
Finding Freds is having the ability to recognize talent. Some Freds are born and some are made. Over time some will learn to be more Fredlike. The more Fredlike the more successful you will be. There are basic ways to seek out Freds and one is to let them find you. Your business needs to be a Fred magnet - a place that draws inspiring people. A place where employees are recognized, encouraged and rewarded - the factors most want to seek. You must have Freds on board to find additional Freds.
Discovering dormant Freds is uncovering their talent. Pay attention and watch for people who do things with a flare. Identify a potential Fred in an interview and hire Freds. You want a team of Freds led by a Fred who all need the same values and principles. Discover the Freds, attract them and hire them.
Be rewarding and thank someone for doing what they have done. A simple acknowledgement of someone’s work raises dignity in his work and his value in what he did. The smallest gestures makes the world a better place whether in the workplace in your personal life. Reward Freds for their intentions in taking chances to do the right thing by acknowledgement, not punishment. When people feel their contributions are unappreciated they will stop trying and innovation dies. Implement your reward strategy. Be specific in making sure your team members know they are creating an important contribution or have the ability to do so. This applies increased motivation and enthusiasm. Create an award and have fun sharing contributions. Recognize the contribution, reinforce its positive effects on your business and repeat. Sincere praise for trying is one of the best rewards.
Educate your employees. The more informed they are the more they will learn. If only taught to do the ordinary, a person will only do the ordinary. Have fun and make work exciting. Provide a Freducation by teaching people ways to think and perform. If something didn’t work, consider what happened. Identify with a specific idea behind an example and adapt the example, improve it and apply it. Teach miracle working that you can pull off from others. There is nothing like a crisis to get someone to perform above and beyond. But don’t wait for crisis, start now. Teach the Fred factor on a daily basis.
Pull don’t push as you can’t force someone to be a Fred. Invite people to join you by pulling them with your own behavior by your own example. Teach what you know, but reproduce who you are. Demonstrate what you can do for essential Freds by inspiring with examples of your life. Set examples and inspire your employees, customers or friends. Inspire but don’t intimidate. Involve others in purposeful acts of Fredness. Initiate, don’t wait for the right moment or opportunity. Take an opportunity and take action immediately. Be the spark that sets others on fire. Those who do best, teach best. Go spread Fred.
Reflect back and recognize the Freds in your life. Who have been the Freds that have made the biggest impact in your life. Acknowledge Freds for their contributions and let them know how much you have appreciated them. Make sure they know they are valued and appreciated. Pay back someone who inspired you. Pay it forward. Using the Fred factor won’t solve the world but you will have the ability to show others the extraordinary.
So what is Fred doing today. Fred received a recognition from his employer. The U.S. Postal Service recently recognized the love of Fred at a formal ceremony and Mark spoke about how Fred inspired him to write this book and conduct seminars about Fred’s passion in his work and life as an extraordinary person. A Denver television station was there along with the local press. Another individual Fred left an impression on was a single mother who also had Fred as her mailman. She attended the ceremony and shared what an impact he had on her life when he provided encouraging words during a difficult time with her daughter. Fred provided the perspective she needed to feel better about herself.
Fred wasn’t rich or famous so why is Fred a Fred and why did he do what he did. He was simply purposeful in what motivated his life. If you do good in life and you will feel good. You have to feel good about yourself each day. Being of service is the gratifying thing to do. Fred felt a personal commitment to do the best he could do. A noble effort combined with heart. Care for those who you serve and as well as those that serve you. Treat customers and others as friends. The impact you have on others is rewarding and overwhelming. A feeling it is the right thing to do.
Live the golden rule. Choose to give people a few less things in life to worry about. Treat others as you want to be treated. Look to each day as a new day and make each day better than the last. Set goals on days off. Sleep patterns at night aren’t as good when your day has been wasted. Practice the art of extraordinary to make the most of each day.
Measure what you treasure as a positive reminder to keep you focused. Awareness is about holding Fred for your own behavior. Reinvent yourself regularly. Establish an agenda and have a plan to do those things that are important. An agenda moves from awareness to intention. Tasks add value to your day or work. Keep a positive attitude and act like Fred because you want to. A positive attitude looks for the best, not the worst. It is what you can do, not what you must do. Be hopeful, not pessimistic.
Intention without action is only a dream. It is not what we want to do or plan, but what we actually do that makes a difference - the actions you take each day. Evaluate what you accomplish and achieve the accomplishments you had hoped for. Go back to awareness, agenda and attitude for improvement. Efforts make a positive difference to others even though you may never find out about it. Trying to do your best is adding to the lives of others. Build relationships and create value. Reinvent yourself through innovation and passionate commitment.
The Fred Factor is based on the Fred spirit of an extraordinary postal carrier. Fred’s story. We remember those who lived to serve others and what they contributed. The most important of all is love of others and the generosity of spirit of action to do things for others. Learn to do the right thing whether you want to or not. Commitment to treat a person with dignity and kindness no matter how you feel about someone. And doing so with someone negative is a hard thing to do. The more you care about others the more you treat them with dignity.
The what and the how of the Fred Factor is caring about people and customers. Let your compassion for others and your career sustain and guide you. What makes any act extraordinary is doing it with heart and doing it with love. Passion in your work and life can turn ordinary into extraordinary.
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