As I thought about my topic for today, a specific quote or phrase came to my mind “Same Soup Different Bowl.”

It can also be translated as Same Bowl Different Soup, which describes an everyday, mundane situation.

I can tell you that it was profound when I first heard this quote or phrase being relayed to me from one of my youngest Nephews.  It was profound that a ten or eleven-year-old was repeating this wisdom.  At my age, I had never heard it, yet when asked where he received it, he said, “His Dad say’s it all the time.”

Therefore, one can deduce or infer that children do listen.

Today, the phrase “Same Soup, Different Bowl” has allowed me to see various life pictures through a lens that others may not see.

After hearing the words “Same Soup, Different Bowl” it was a time in my life when those specific words never really stuck with me after hearing them.  I’d like to think subconsciously that maybe because I try not to live a dull life, those words didn’t apply.

In other words, I’m always doing something versus sitting still.

However, this week, my unconscious mind allowed those words to resurface, and they do apply in certain situations.

I’m sure you and I have all heard the phrase; it was a Kodak moment.  That was mine well over ten years ago, when visiting my brother-in-law and asking his son how he was doing.

Without any hesitation, he said, “Same Soup-Different Bowl.”

Sometimes, we are drawn to look back at our past to find things or visual clues as we reflect and connect to a situation.

Those words “Same Soup-Different Bowl” were so clear this past week as I received an opportunity to witness a gentleman in action for roughly three hours.

For those three hours, I watched him skillfully interact with each customer and handle his business as a manager. It was interesting that in most cases, the customer had a different requirement being addressed.

I also had an opportunity to take notes and sit still, which is rarely the case. It was almost as if I was playing the “Undercover Boss”; however, I wasn’t the Boss.

Although I had not planned to wait three hours to see the Area Manager, I took advantage of watching how customer service works at a rental car facility.

To be transparent, I was at the rental car facility to drop off my business cards.  The day prior, I had spoken to the same person I was watching for three hours and his supervisor.

I asked them if I could spend one hour helping them do better and they took me up on my offer.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have any of my business cards,  so I returned the next day with my business cards in hand.  Little did I know when I arrived the next day, I found out that the Area Manager was meeting in the same facility with various managers in the area.

I was told it would only be thirty minutes and I could meet him if I wanted to wait.  This is how my thirty minutes turned into three hours as I waited patiently for a ten-minute conversation.

During that time, I could better assess the organization by watching how customers rotate in and out of the facility.

I started off drinking the coffee that I had brought in and quickly realized what I had witnessed the day before was the “Same Soup-Different Bowl” scenario.   However, I saw how one person handled his business while others were in a meeting.  Because of what I had witnessed during the three hours of waiting for the Area Manager to finish his session, I felt it was my duty to do something special.  This young man made such an impression on me by his actions that I later wrote a letter to his Area Manager highlighting his performance.  I also explained what I witnessed and how valuable he was to the organization in that letter.

This was the first and only letter I had ever written regarding excellent customer service to any organization.

In addition, I do plenty of Pro Bono work in the community, using my leadership talents. I wanted to do something for this organization, so I returned the next day with my business cards.

The fact that I would meet his Area Manager was even better.

As it turned out, it was worth the three hours of my time waiting and observing.

Although I have not heard back from the Area Manager, it was an excellent training opportunity to prepare content for my pending visit.

Sometimes things don’t happen as they are supposed to, and sometimes they do.

In my situation, I now have a title or theme, “Same Soup-Different Bowl,” and will take it to another level.

Sometimes, we have to step outside of our comfort zones.  In my situation, I stepped outside asking if I could help; ironically, not having my business cards and having to return the next day was an opportunity to assess the situation.

What I learned in those three hours helped me shape my appreciation for those in the customer service area who deal with various situations daily.

From this experience, I aim to create a message that will resonate with top leadership.

Yes, I plan to take it a step further.

Who would have thought the words of a ten-year-old would be instrumental in my thoughts this week?

I’ll close and tell you this.  I was asked by the same manager the day prior why I wanted to give back.  My answer was through a quote from Zig Ziglar “If you help enough people get what they want, they will help you get what you want.”

If you want to achieve your goals, help others achieve theirs.

What’s your story today in helping others achieve their goals?