The Empty Vase

I'm emptying the dishwasher, which I've taken as my job in our house because my wife hates emptying it. She loves to fill it, thank goodness, which means I don't have to do that part.

While I am unloading, I find the flower vase, and I ask, "Where does this go?"

Without looking up, she says, "Well, you could refill it."

I was solving the wrong problem with great confidence.

My question was not really about the vase. My question was about finishing my task with the least amount of thinking.

Her answer was about noticing what the room needs.

This is the sneaky part of marriage. You think you're in a logistics conversation when you're actually in a character development program.

Professional services trains a lot of us the same way. We become excellent "put-the-vase-away" people who are accurate and dependable. We get tasks done efficiently and reliably.

Client-perceived value lies in noticing what needs to happen before anyone has to ask.

The emotional difference between "the vase is put away" and "the vase is refilled" is the difference between "we're keeping up" and "we're cared for." That's the same invisible line your best clients are drawing about you.

Now I've got to go. "Flowers" just got added to my Saturday morning to-do list.

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I’m John, author of The Generosity Mindset. I show expert-service professionals how generosity creates the confidence, value, and relationships that grow a business. Want to know more? Check out my book or DM me to start a conversation.