George Santayana, US philosopher, poet (1863-1952)
For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.
Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, a stranger.
Franklin P Jones, US journalist, humorist (1908-1980)
I can take any amount of criticism, so long as it is unqualified praise.
Noel Coward, British actor, playwright, composer (1899-1973)
We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter.
Denis Diderot, French philosopher (1713-1784)
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
Albert Einstein, German physicist (1879-1955)
Too many of us take pleasure in discouraging people by pointing out their mistakes and getting excited about their failures rather than focusing on their strengths and getting excited about their possibilities.
John C Maxwell, US clergyman, author (b. 1947)
People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives.
J Michael Straczynski, US science fiction author, producer (b. 1954)
Evaluation of performance, merit rating, or annual review nourishes short-term performance, annihilates long-term planning, builds fear, demolishes teamwork, nourishes rivalry and politics. It leaves people bitter, crushed, battered, desolate, despondent, rejected, feeling inferior, some even depressed, unfit for work for weeks after receipt of rating, unable to comprehend why they are inferior.
W Edwards Deming, US statistician, author (1900-1993)
Don’t find fault, find a remedy.
Henry Ford, US automobile manufacturer, engineer (1863-1947)
Curiosity
When a finger points at the moon the imbecile looks at the finger.
Zen koan
Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous mind.
Samuel Johnson, British poet, critic, lexicographer (1709-1784)
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvellous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.
Albert Einstein, German physicist (1979-1955)
I roamed the countryside searching for the answers to things I did not understand. Why shells existed on the tops of mountains along with the imprints of coral and plant and seaweed usually found in the sea. Why the thunder lasts a longer time than that which causes it and why immediately on its creation the lightning becomes visible to the eye while thunder requires time to travel. How the various circles of water form around the spot which has been struck by a stone and why a bird sustains itself in the air. These questions and other strange phenomena engaged my thought throughout my life.
Leonardo da Vinci, Italian painter, sculptor, architect, engineer (1452-1519)
Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.
Augustine, Latin scholar, high priest (354-430 AD)
We keep moving forward, opening up new doors, and doing new things, because we are curious – and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
Walt Disney, US artist, film producer (1901-1966)
Change pace. Go to work next Thursday and declare it a miniature golf day. Showing a training film this afternoon? Order popcorn for every participant. Curiosity has a lot to do with looking at the world through slightly cockeyed glasses.
Tom Peters, US management author, presenter (b. 1942)
I like to think that I walk through life with my eyebrows continually raised.
Warren Bennis, US academic, management author (b. 1925)
Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.
William Ward, British author, theologian (1812-1882)
Complacency is the enemy of curiosity.
Charles Handy, Irish management consultant, author (b. 1924)
Customers
It is not the employer who pays your wages. Employers only handle money. It is the customer who pays your wages.
Henry Ford, US automobile manufacturer, engineer (1863-1947)
Companies can’t give job security, only customers can.
Jack Welch, US executive, utility chief (b. 1935)
Consumers are statistics. Customers are people.
Stanley Marcus, US retail executive (1905-2002)
To please people is a great step towards persuading them.
Philip Dormer Stanhope, British statesman (1694-1774)
In the age of email, supercomputer power on the desktop, the Internet, and the raucous global village, attentiveness – a token of human kindness – is the greatest gift we can give someone.
Tom Peters, US management author, presenter (b. 1942)
It is not your client’s or prospect’s job to remember you. It is your responsibility to make sure that they do not have the chance to forget you.
Patricia Fripp, British/US management consultant, speech coach (b. 1945)
No matter what strategy leaders inside the organisation devise, what customers see is at the front line.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter, US academic, management author (b. 1943)
The customer is a rear-view mirror, not a guide to the future.
George Colony, US research head
Don’t just ask what your customers want. Think ahead of them, and create what they didn’t know they wanted.
David Williams, British author, presenter (b. 1950)
Good will, like a good name, is got by many actions and lost by one.
Francis Jeffrey, British literary critic, judge (1773-1850)
An untreated complaint is like an untreated wound; it festers and gets worse.
Geoff Burch, British management author, presenter (b. 1951)
The next time you face a customer who has every right to be upset, say something like this: ‘I don’t blame you for feeling as you do. If I were you, I’d feel exactly the same way. What would you like me to do?’ These are magical, healing words, and you’ll be surprised how reasonable people become when they believe you are on their side.