First published 6 July 2020 on Your Best Year Starts Here with Nigel Risner.
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Nigel turned up still in the middle of his birthday celebrations, with a new idea he'd been working on for six or seven weeks. Keeping it REAL. We got through three of the four letters before we ran out of time. And no, I didn't know what the L stood for either.
R is relevant. Plenty of people keep talking about how things used to be and when it'll all go back to normal. Nigel reckons there's no going back to the workplace, only going back to a place of work, wherever that turns out to be. He was supposed to be in Spain that day in front of 500 people, and wishing he was doesn't change a thing. Later on he squeezed retention into the R as well, because staying relevant is how you hang on to your best customers and your best staff.
E is enthusiastic. Nigel says he's enthusiastic 23/7, with one hour a day in what he calls hyena mode. When he feels that coming he moves calls rather than turn up flat. I said it's the same as walking out on stage. If your energy's low, half the room's asleep and the other half has gone for a coffee. People tell me I'm the same bloke off stage as on it. Just with the volume turned down a bit.
Not that far down, mind. After a few rainy days stuck indoors at my new place, the neighbours nearly came round to check I was okay. They hadn't seen me. They hadn't heard me either.
A is action. Nigel's online assessment tool needed 180 things doing, and instead of a spreadsheet he was sent two tasks a day, with no more until he'd got those right. Task one was print your name. He even threw done beats perfect at me in the middle of it. Then a form came back with his surname spelt I-S-N-E-R, and he hadn't checked it.
The short version
- Stop waiting for things to go back to normal. Work with what's in front of you now.
- Staying relevant is how you keep your best customers and your best people.
- If your energy's on the floor, move the call. People remember your face and your energy.
- Check each small step as you go. Even your own name on the form.
There'll be no going back to the workplace. There'll be what's called going back to a place of work.
Nigel Risner
Well, I am. The only difference is I've turned the volume down a little bit.
Neil Martin
