There are countless iterations of the “Gift of the Goose.” It's our job to offer it regularly.

Whenever a goose flies out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. The lesson? It’s harder to do something alone than together.

Nowhere is this more apparent than when an employee arrives at Datamax new to this industry. Take Jerry MacLaren and Tisa Sudduth, who recently joined our Tyler team as Business Process Consultants, digesting the likes of DIR pricing, copier device models, proposal documents, and CRM data all at once.
One iteration of the Gift of the Goose? Solutions Specialist Robert Baker taking these two under his proverbial wings; being across the sales bullpen to readily answer questions, provide demos, and offer support by any means necessary as they train to fly.

“My mantra is: I love to watch new employees grow and be successful… however I can accommodate that,” Robert said. “(East Texas Area Sales Manager) Josh Sims likes to call me his Swiss Army Knife, because I’ve served in a lot of different areas over the years. My job is to make sure everybody else can do their job to be successful. I tell the reps all the time: 'You’re the superhero. I’m just the sidekick. I’m the resource.'”

Encouragement serves as great inspiration. One of the best ways we know how to incite inspiration is to introduce the Gift of the Goose at every opportunity. Cheering each other on ignites our passion for doing exceptional work. Then, we embody Datamax Philosophy #3, “a sense of urgency dedicated to providing consistent and professional solutions to customer needs.”

But it often begins with cheering each other on. 

What is the Gift of the Goose?

Inspired by the book “Gung-Ho” by Ken Blanchard, The Gift simply means cheering each other on. “It’s how you make the mission come alive.” In the book, the narrator learns more about this concept by observing nature. So as she stands in a marsh, eager to learn the true “Gift of the Goose,” she watches geese fly overhead, honking ceaselessly as a means to cheer each other on.

But after a few minutes, she questions the validity of ceaseless cheering and encouragement.

“If you’re constantly congratulating people, doesn’t it become false?”

The response? “Not as long as it’s TRUE Congratulations, it doesn’t.”

What is a TRUE Gift?

• T imely - Don't delay a congratulatory message!
• R esponsive - Respond positively anytime you see a teammate succeed!
• U nconditional - No strings attached!
• E nthusiastic - Go full Gung Ho in your praise!

What does the Gift look like?

There’s a perfect example right in East Texas. Hear from one of those new Business Process Consultants on the matter.

“With all the knowledge he has on everything, Robert doesn’t throw it at you and hope you understand. He explains it in words you can understand without making you feel incompetent. As a new employee, it’s more encouraging than maybe he realizes to have that level of support,” Tisa said.