A few years ago I wanted to be the most successful business woman in Sweden. I had my map set in how to achieve it.

Somewhere along the line, the map faded, got wrinkled and finally thrifted away with the wind.

The path to where I am today took many turns – bumpy ones too.

It’s OK to be lost

Do you recognise the feeling of being lost after high school? After university too? In the middle of your life?

After high school I was lost. I didn’t know what to do with my life so I traveled the world and worked as a bartender until I finally found that University degree that suited me. I studied Business Management and I loved it. Because this particular degree I had found was dedicated to managing companies in the service industry. Service Management. A new concept of studies which launched with the most obvious sectors like hospitality, tourism and retail. Soon it was a hot hybrid for studies in health, logistics and production.

Service is about managing and exceeding expectations of people. We are all working with people in one way or the other. There is no boundary to the results you can achieve if you just realise; that business is not about numbers. It’s about people. Nothing trumps a card as much as a genuine smile. There is no amount of regulation or rules which can transform an employee into a service minded employee. Inspiration and motivation, inclusion and responsibility are things which motivates people – to motivate people.

Weather you are selling a service, a product or an idea – you can prosper from knowing and adopting the service mindset.

Finding new ways

I experienced it first hand when I went into business development with a global leader in Stainless Steel. Yes. Stainless Steel. Up until 2007 the industry was prosperous – but after the crisis, we had more and more difficulties staying above water. One of the initiatives which stopped us from sinking, was the implementation of Service Excellence. Improving the service in the front line, but also offering value added services like expertise or special technical tools. We were not anymore just selling a product. We were selling a service. A traditional manufacturing company had adopted the service mindset. And I helped them develop it.

But let’s come back to the hospitality industry and take a very common example when you are having lunch at a restaurant. Do you feel good when the waiter makes you feel like he cares about you? He smiles, he is attentive. You feel good right? He has a special talent. He does care about you. He understands and can connect with people. And he is willing to share something from himself to make your moment at his territory a little bit brighter. He then see’s that you are folding out your tourist map to find your way to the next destination in Brussels. He comes back to your table and asks if he can help you find your way. Or perhaps he even recommends you a few unique places which won’t be advertised by the tourist agencies.

When you have to pay the hospital a visit.. It is not “hospitality” as such. The actual Hospitality industry is defined as providing actual service like restaurants, hotels, tourism. And the hospital is part of the “health” industry. But why is it even called a hospital?

Origin of HOSPITAL: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin hospitale hospice, guest house, from neuter of Latin hospitalis of a guest, from hospit-, hospes

Well, even though you might be there for a doctor to save your life or just a simple check-up – it is not always “hospitable”. The receptionists treats you like an annoyance and you just wish she could give you a smile and you’d stop feeling so nervous about the appointment you are there for.

What is the extra cost to motivate your personnel to smile? To motivate them to give that extra touch, extra value and experience. Is it about hiring the right people who are more people oriented? Or is it about knowing how to build an organisation which motivates people?

Decrease the amount of lost souls

The percentage of high-school graduates who have felt like me, can be severely lower – if we would ‘only’ change education. There are many things lacking in our basic education today. But one of the most important elements missing is the part where the teacher teaches the student how to think for themselves and assess what they are good at. The part where the education system supports whatever trait the person has a skill-set for. Not everyone will work as a scientist or a doctor or a lawyer. We have artists, singers, dancers and many other types of traits. Why is art not considered as a basic subject to teach? Or part of the way to teach? (TED Talk must watch: Ken Robinson – How schools kills creativity)

Be brave

Being lost is not totally avoidable and can be rather liberating. What happens when we do get lost? Loosing your job for example. It is never easy to quit a job. Guilt, uncertainty and failure comes pouring all over us. But after some time, we find ourselves on a brighter path. More lights. More positive energy. I can’t think of anyone that I know who has ended up in a worse position. Every single one has been thankful for the bravery which came over them to take that hard decision to divert from the path.

Be brave. If you have ideas. Share them. Act upon them.

Be humble. The way to success is being convinced of your own competences and at the same time be willing to listen and learn. Continuously. Very much like Toyota’s ‘Kaizen‘ of continuos improvement. Be curious and re-invent yourself continuously. If you keep this principle at the heart of everything you do, you will always find the right path.

Be an entrepreneur

I went to the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day organised here in Brussels last week. It was a room full of great women with a common cause – to support women entrepreneurs. We discussed what actually defines an entrepreneur. Someone said it doesn’t count if you are a freelancer. You have to actually be creating jobs to call yourself an entrepreneur. Someone else told me that anyone working in a company and making his or her own way by taking risks, is an entrepreneur. I like that definition. Entrepreneur – The one who take risks.

So what happened to me? After a time-off I’m now working at the press department of the biggest political group in the European Parliament. (How that happened is yet another story).

In my job managing our Social Media, I have to find the best way to sell the ideas of the group. We have 220 members from 27 member states. Imagine the amount of ideas…

I am not in Sweden. I am not the most successful business woman. But I am in Brussels. And I am a service minded entrepreneur working in the European Parliament. I believe the mindset is what makes people successful. I’m taking risks, I am staying humble and continuously curious. And I hope to inspire others to do the same.

Be at TEDxBrussels 2014

On December 1, 2014 TEDxBrussels finds you at Bozar. The theme this year is “The Territory & The Map”. Above was just my interpretation of the theme. But at TEDxBrussels you will hear from inspiring speakers on a wide range of topics related to this topic. They have one thing in common, they are all entrepreneurs – in one way or another. Jen McCabe – a daring one who was abruptly thrown off her path but found herself starting up her own hardware company and is now a major tech investor. Paddy Ashdown, a spy with an insight to the shift of power happening now. Or how about tech-magician Vincent Bruneau?

29 speakers, 2000 Tedxsters.

On December 1, 2014 – you will be warmly welcomed to TEDxBrussels. “Bring your own compass and be prepared to throw your map away.”

Mina Legnered
Team Leader – Welcome Team
@MinaLegend
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