What We’re Reading Now: The Fred Factor

PRD11RL_READING_FMark Sanborn wants you to be a “Fred” – that is, “continually creating new value for those you live and work with through dedication, passion and creativity.” As a professional speaker, international bestselling author, and noted authority on leadership, team building, customer service, and change, Sanborn has used the gospel of “Fred” to impact the way people interact with each other as they go through their day, a message clearly laid out in his renowned bestselling book, The Fred Factor.

So, who’s Fred?

In the first chapter of The Fred Factor we are introduced to Fred, the mailman. Sanborn recalls meeting Fred for the first time when, after purchasing a new house, he stopped by to introduce himself. Already impressed that his postal carrier would take the time to welcome him to the neighborhood, Sanborn was completely taken aback when Fred took a genuine interest in figuring out what he could do to ensure he provided the best service possible.

Sanborn describes his first interaction with Fred and the idea that would eventually become The Fred Factor like this:

“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.”

After listing a few more examples of how Fred went to great lengths to “make the ordinary extraordinary,” Sanborn then lays out “The Fred Principles”:

  • Everyone Makes A Difference
  • Success Is Built On Relationships
  • You Must Continually Create Value For Others
  • You Can Reinvent Yourself Regularly

These ideas, whether applied to your work or your daily life, are at the heart of The Fred Factor.

The book not only outlines how to become a “Fred,” it also shares how to develop other “Freds” around you. Sanborn says, “The purpose of this book is to help you think, act, and become Fred-like, to bring the same spirit of magnanimity to your work, relationships, and life as Fred did to his – not periodically, but persistently. You can learn to look at the world through Fred-colored glasses.”

Throughout the book, Sanborn offers up strategies and new perspectives to help transform the way you think about your daily interactions and gives real-life examples of the difference you can make when you’re committed to becoming a “Fred.” In fact, the last chapter, titled “The Fred Report Card,” helps guide your process of becoming a “Fred” and evaluate your progress along the way.

Overall, The Fred Factor is a light, but engaging read that will leave you feeling recharged about your job and your life. Fred discovered the “difference between the mundane and the magnificent.” And, Sanborn expertly put it into words that describe a better way to think about how we live our daily lives.

No comments yet.

Leave a Reply