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The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary
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$ 14.07
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| Item Number |
6734 |
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Item Description...
Overview
A primer for better living, inspired and driven by the story of a hard-working postman, offers four important principles that can help create fresh energy and creativity, and especially to inspire enthusiasm for all facets of life in today's world.
Publishers Description
Seize the chance to be extraordinary.
Who has made the biggest difference in your life? Whose words and actions have uplifted and motivated you to excel? Chances are it was someone like Fred the postman--so outstanding in his service that Mark Sanborn realized this mail carrier could be an example for any person wanting to be extraordinary.
The “Fred factor” is summarized by four principles that will release fresh energy, enthusiasm, and creativity in your career and life:
• Make a Difference
• Build Relationships
• Create Value
• Reinvent Yourself
You, too, can apply The Fred Factor to enrich the lives of customers, co-workers, friends, and family members, as well as reach new levels of personal success yourself. Sanborn also shows how to discover and develop other “Freds.
Why not become a “Fred” yourself? You will turn the ordinary moments of life into extraordinary opportunities to make a difference in the world.
“The Fred Factor is a powerful, poignant parable of success. It’s about going the extra mile and always doing more than is expected. It is revolutionary, yet simple. It is life changing.”
--Brian Tracy, author of Focal Point and Goals: How to Get Everything You Want—Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible
Mark Sanborn is known internationally as a motivational speaker on leadership, team building, customer service, and mastering change. The president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio for leadership development, Mark gives nearly 100 presentations each year to some of the top names in business. He has authored four previous books and created numerous video and audio training programs.
Chapter One
The First Fred
Make each day your masterpiece.
--Joshua Wooden, father of John Wooden
I first met a "Fred" just after purchasing what I called a "new" old house. Built in 1928, the house was the first I'd owned and was located in a beautiful tree-lined area of Denver called Washington Park. Just days after I moved in, I heard a knock on my front door. When I opened it I saw a mailman standing on my porch.
"Good morning, Mr. Sanborn!" he said cheerfully. "My name is Fred, and I'm your postal carrier. I just stopped by to introduce myself--to welcome you to the neighborhood and find out a little bit about you and what you do for a living."
Fred was an ordinary-looking fellow of average height and build with a small mustache. While his physical appearance didn't convey anything out of the ordinary, his sincerity and warmth were noticeable immediately.
I was a bit startled. Like most of us, I had been receiving mail for years, but I had never had this kind of personal encounter with my postal carrier. I was impressed--nice touch.
"I'm a professional speaker. I don't have a real job," I replied jokingly.
"If you're a professional speaker, you must travel a lot," said Fred.
"Yes, I do. I travel anywhere from 160 to 200 days a year."
Nodding, Fred went on. "Well, if you'll just give me a copy of your schedule, I'll hold your mail and bundle it. I'll only deliver it on the days that you are at home to receive it."
I was amazed by Fred's conscientious offer, but I told him that such extra effort probably wasn't necessary. "Why don't you just leave the mail in the box on the side of the house?" I suggested. "I'll pick it up when I come back into town."
Fred frowned and shook his head. "Mr. Sanborn, burglars often watch for mail building up in a box. That tells them you're out of town. You might become the victim of a break-in." Fred was more worried about my mail than I was! But it made sense; he was the postal professional.
"Here's what I suggest, Mr. Sanborn," Fred continued. "I'll put mail in your box as long as I can get it to close. That way nobody will know you're gone. Whatever doesn't fit in the box, I'll put between the screen door and the front door. Nobody will see it there. And if that area becomes too full of mail, I'll just hold the rest of it for you until you come back into town."
At this point I started to wonder: Does this guy really work for the U.S. Postal Service? Maybe this neighborhood had its own private mail-delivery system. Still, because Fred's suggestions sounded like a terrific plan, I agreed to them.
Two weeks later I returned home from a trip. As I put the key in my-front door lock, I noticed my doormat was missing. Were thieves actually stealing doormats in Denver? Then I saw the mat in a corner of the porch, concealing something. I lifted the mat and found a note from--who else?--Fred! Reading his message, I learned what had happened. While I was gone, a different delivery service had misdelivered a package sent to me. The box had been left on somebody else's porch, five doors down the street. Noticing my box on the wrong porch, Fred had picked it up, carried it to my house, attached his note, and then tried to make the package less noticeable by placing it under the doormat.
Not only was Fred delivering the mail, he was now picking up the slack for UPS!
His actions made a huge impression on me. As a professional speaker, I am particularly adept at finding and pointing out what's "wrong" with customer service and business in general. Finding examples of what's "right" or even praiseworthy is much harder. Yet here was my postman, Fred, a gold-plated example of what personalized service looks like and a role model for anyone who wants to make a difference in his or her work.
I started using my experiences with Fred as illustrations in speeches and seminars that I presented across the United States. Everyone wanted to hear about Fred. Listeners in my audiences were enthralled, whether they worked in the service industry, at a manufacturing company, in high-tech, or in health care.
Back home in Denver, I occasionally had a chance to share with Fred how his work was inspiring others. I told him one story about a discouraged employee who received no recognition from her employers. She wrote to tell me that Fred's example had inspired her to "keep on keeping on" and continue doing what she knew in her heart was the right thing to do, regardless of recognition or reward.
I related to Fred the confession of a manager who had pulled me aside after one speech to tell me he never realized that his career goal all along was to be "a Fred." He believed that excellence and quality should be the goals of every person in any business or profession.
I was delighted to tell my postman that several companies had created a Fred Award to present to employees who demonstrated his trademark spirit of service, innovation, and commitment.
And one fan of Fred once sent him a box of homemade cookies in care of my address!
On the first Christmas after Fred became my postman, I wanted to thank him more formally for his exceptional service. I left a small gift in the mailbox for him. The next day I found an unusual letter in my box. The envelope had a stamp on it, but it wasn't canceled. That's when I noticed the return address; the letter was from Fred the Postman.
Fred knew it would be illegal to put an unpostmarked letter in the box, so even though he personally carried it from his house to my house, he had done the right thing by placing a stamp on the letter.
I opened the letter, which said in part, "Dear Mr. Sanborn, Thank you for remembering me at Christmas. I am flattered you talk about me in your speeches and seminars, and I hope I can continue to provide exceptional service. Sincerely, Fred the Postman."
Over the next ten years, I received consistently remarkable service from Fred. I could always tell which days he wasn't working my street by the way the mail was jammed into my box. When Fred was on the job, all items were neatly bundled.
But there was more. Fred also took a personal interest in me. One day while I was mowing the front lawn, a vehicle slowed in the street. The window went down and a familiar voice yelled, "Hello, Mr. Sanborn! How was your trip?"
It was Fred, off duty, driving around the neighborhood.
After observing his exemplary attitude and actions, I concluded that Fred--and the way he did his job--provides a perfect metaphor for high individual achievement and excellence in the twenty-first century. Fred--and the countless other Freds I've met, observed, or been served by in numerous professions--inspired me to write The Fred Factor. It contains the simple yet profound lessons all the Freds around the world have taught me.
Anyone can be a Fred! That includes you! The result will not just be extraordinary effort and success in your work. You'll find yourself living an extraordinary life as well. |
Item Specifications...
Pages 136
Dimensions: Length: 0.75" Width: 5.25" Height: 7.5"
Weight: 0.55 lbs.
Binding Hardcover
Release Date Apr 20, 2004
Publisher WaterBrook Press
ISBN 1578568323
EAN 9781578568321
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Availability 56 units.
Availability accurate as of May 26, 2012 05:32.
Usually ships within one to two business days from Johnson City, TN.
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About this Author/Artist Mark Sanborn is known internationally as a motivational speaker on leadership, team building, customer service, and mastering change. The president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio for leadership development, Mark gives nearly 100 presentations each year to some of the top names in business. He has authored four previous books and created numerous video and audio training programs.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | Service the "Fred" Way Oct 20, 2008 |
In the spirit of Ken Blanchard ("One Minute Manager" series and others) and John G. Miller ("QBQ: The Question Behind the Question"), Mark Sanborn has written a great little book about the ordinary, everyday people who choose to do the little extra things for and in service of others. Sanborn calls these extraordinary ordinary people "Freds," in honor of the mailman who first inspired him to notice, respect, and share with the world how special these people are and how common-sense and important it can be for each of us to strive to be a Fred.
The book is divided into four logical and sequential parts: What's a Fred?, Becoming a Fred, Developing Other Freds, and For the Love of Fred. In the first part, Sanborn introduced the four "Fred Principles," which were constantly reinforced throughout the rest of the book with quotes, real-life anecdotes, and thought-provoking insights and discussion. Sanborn, with his direct and easy-to-read writing style, clearly showed that the best thing about these principles - Everyone Makes a Difference; Success Is Built on Relationships; You Must Continually Create Value for Others, and It Doesn't Have to Cost A Penny; and You Can Reinvent Yourself Regularly - is that everybody is capable of living them with just a little focused effort and reflection. Another very powerful passage for me at the end of the book were Fred's answers to Sanborn's question, "Why do you do what you do?"
I would easily place this book near the top of my list of "must read" service, leadership, and character-refinement books. I highly encourage everyone to invest time within the pages of this little gem, and get inspired and motivated to become more `Fred-like.'
| | | | I want to be a FRED! Oct 9, 2008 |
| And after reading this book, who wouldn't want to be? Mark Sanborn writes that his postal carrier, by going above and beyond in Mark's eyes, truly inspired him. The book goes on to talk about how everyone can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Fred the mail carrier, achieves this without even knowing it! The book is well written and very thought provoking! I have also had the pleasure of hearing Mark speak in person. He sure has a WOW factor to his performance! Mark inspires an invitiation to greatness in work, home, and community. Making the world a better place. | | | | Are you a Fred? Sep 19, 2008 |
'The Fred Factor' is a motivational book which uses many examples of outstanding customer service as well as outstanding generosity the author has experienced in everyday life to provide models of how we can change the world in small, simple ways. I enjoyed reading the book and it urged me to improve the way I interact with people I encounter every day. I especially recommend the book to anyone who has a job involving customer service in any way, as the book is highly focused on dealing with customers and coworkers. My only criticism is for the author to focus less on the customer service aspect of being 'Fred-like' and to be more in-depth on how 'Fredness' can be applied to living life. However, I would recommend this book to anyone, regardless of employment, and believe it can change the way people view their everyday life. It is a very motivational read it is easy to understand and apply the suggestions in the book to anyone's life.
Another leadership fable that I love is Squawk!: How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results
Squawk!: How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results | | | | The Fred Factor Sep 6, 2008 |
| The Fred Factor is an absolute read for anyone anywhere. It not only motivates you as a leader but changes the way you think about your job. I have given it to workers who complain a lot or who constantly want praise for what they do. Fred does his job because he views it as a leader servant seeking to make the world a better place. So refreshing. We have a UPS driver that is retiring after 30 years (22 with us) and we will be presenting him with a copy of this book. He is our Fred. | | | | Positive Results From Fred Aug 23, 2008 |
In 2007, I had an organization that was struggling. As a HR professional, the company asked if I would conduct leadership training for the site. The class was small at only 4 participants so I was able to give them my full attention. As part of the curriculum, I included Mark Sanborn's book, The Fred Factor.
One of the participants was really enthused about the book. Weeks and months after the class, he would approach me during my visits to point our "Fred" related things that he had accomplished. Indeed, he bought the book for all of his managers and they formed a loosely knit "Fred" club.
My review and recommendations for this book boils down to this. Of the 4 participants, only one remains. That is the, as I call him, "Fred Head". Not only is he still gainfully employed, he was been promoted not once but twice!
I highly recommend this book. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of
Wingtips with Spurs | | | Write your own review about The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary
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