By Deb Boelkes
Compass Anna Maria SoundIf you’ve read any of my books or spent even just a little time reading my blog posts, you know I am a big believer in the philosophy that life is too short not to love what you do every day. But how many people do you know who feel stuck in a dead-end job, or in a toxic situation, claiming they have no way out?
Well, in my humble opinion, that’s no way to live. There is always a better way to spend your days if you set your mind to it. If you find yourself in a no-win situation, perhaps it’s time to reset your compass to paradise.
It's amazing how many people I meet who, when asked what they do for a living or how they feel about where they work, tell me it’s just ho-hum. They are hoping something better will come along. But biding one’s time, waiting and hoping, can be a drudgingly slow, less-than-fulfilling process.
If you want something better, then seek it out. While you may not find paradise right away, you stand a much better chance of getting there if you at least set your compass in that direction and stay open to outcomes while searching for that paradise.
I wrote my first book, The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create Best Place to Work Culture, all because of people who told me they had never experienced a great place to work. In fact, they couldn’t even imagine what a great place to work could possibly be like. So, The WOW Factor Workplace shined a big spotlight on the very workplaces where employees told me, “Deb, you really must interview my boss [or CEO, or VP, or whoever]. I just love them. I would never want to work anywhere else.”
Whenever I hear a praise like that, I know it’s going to be a WOW.
While interviewing those executives, it was easy to see why people loved working there. These organizations are full of team members who enjoy being together and feel their contributions are both meaningful and appreciated. And because the staff are happy and fulfilled, their customers usually are as well.
To this day, I keep my eye open for such workplaces—and it’s amazing where I find them. Just recently I stumbled upon one example—a casual, fun, and upbeat boutique hotel called the Compass by Magaritaville in Bradenton, Florida. I was attracted to their website while searching for boutique hotels near Anna Maria Island. Located next to the Anna Maria Island Bridge and overlooking the Safe Harbor Marina, the Compass by Magaritaville seemed like the perfect venue for an enjoyable and relaxing stopover while passing through on our way home from a conference in south Florida.
From my initial online booking experience to the cheerful emails sent to us prior to our stay—like the one from General Manager Beth, which started “Your Adventure Awaits”—to the warm and exuberant greetings conveyed by every employee during our stay, each encounter made us feel oh-so special.
Now, I must admit that—because of what I do for a living—I tend to review webpages on business sites that most potential customers would never bother with, like the Careers pages. I do this because I want to see how the business treats people who may be looking for a job. My contention is that if a company doesn’t treat potential employees extraordinarily well during the courtship phase, customers aren’t likely to have an extraordinary experience once the employee is on board.
So, I was delighted to see this headline on the Compass Careers page:
LIFE'S GOOD ON OUR BOAT
The page went on to say, “Visiting Compass Anna Maria Sound is fun — so you can only imagine what it’s like to work here. It’s a warm, inviting place where people of all walks of life come together to create paradise. We look for genuine smiles and a true and sincere desire to make someone else's day - if you possess both we'd love to hear from you. Visit our Careers website to take a look at our open positions and let us know if you think you’d be a good fit.”
Doesn’t that pique your interest? It did mine.
Having now stayed there, I can confirm firsthand that the place exudes what their Careers page insinuates. Every employee we encountered—from the front desk clerks and housekeeping room attendants to the breakfast room and bar services team—was super friendly, enthusiastic, and warmly welcoming. As a result, we now look forward to returning. By the way, if you plan to stay there, try to upgrade to a room overlooking the marina. The view while sitting on your own private veranda is worth going a bit out of your way for a stay.
Bottomline: My hat is off to the heartfelt leaders at Compass by Magaritaville for doing what it takes—at every touchpoint—to help every guest reset their compass to paradise. Life truly is good on your boat. Thank you for a WOW factor stay.
Now, if you feel stuck in a dead-end job and you think you have no way out, think again. Perhaps you just need to reset your compass for paradise. Ask yourself, what might paradise look like?
If you can’t imagine a workplace that feels like paradise, then take a little time-out to read The WOW Factor Workplace and keep your eyes open for my upcoming book—due out this fall—Strong Suit: Leadership Success Secrets from Women on Top. In Strong Suit, you will find a chapter entitled Be Open to Outcomes which is chockfull of examples of successful, happy, and fulfilled executives who found their dream organizations while they thought they were headed elsewhere.
Magic happens when you are open to outcomes, not tied to them. You just might find your own paradise is only a step or two away. Given today’s worker-centric job market, there has never been a better time to reset your compass to paradise. Your adventure awaits.