I don’t think that most people get that there are only two functions in a company. You’re either serving customers, or you’re serving someone who serves customers. There aren’t any other roles in business, as far as I’m concerned. I want to talk to you about how to fulfill your responsibility of serving, particularly when it comes to your co-workers – your internal customers.

The Importance of Follow-up

I love me some basketball. (#Thunderup) Follow-up is like an alley-oop on the court. An alley-oop in basketball is an offensive play in which one player throws the ball near the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid-air, and puts it in the hoop before touching the ground.

If a co-worker reaches out to you for research or response (that is, throws you the ball near the customer’s point of need), you need to run with the task (with a sense of urgency) and put the ball in the bucket. You make that call, do the research, or whatever, and close the loop by letting your colleague know you’ve followed through.

It’s Bigger Than You