The Wisest Person Makes the Best Cup of Tea

Consider the humble cup of tea. What makes it taste great, and what can go wrong? If you don’t take sugar and you’re served a cup with three lumps in, you’ll leave it on the table (if you don’t spit it all over the sofa). How about if you notice the cup is dirty as you’re taking your first drink? There are a number of reasons the wisest person makes the best cup of tea:

· Consideration for others – the wisest people consider what other people need, and then deliver it. When making a cup of tea you don’t give milk and sugar to someone who does without.

· Attention to detail – making sure everything is clean and tidy for your cup of tea. The wisest people take this to another level, not just considering the must have details, but considering how they can provide extra. No dirty cups here, but also a consideration of what type of cup would be best for the tea.

· See the bigger picture – are you making one pot, or tea for a whole group? You need to know where you fit in and how this affects what you’re doing. The wisest people see the picture beyond themselves and look out further.

· Genuine enjoyment – needless to say, if you hate making tea you probably won’t care about the other things! The wisest people choose to do what they love which makes them even better.

What does this have to do with you? Everything! If you're not providing a service that people need, and indeed anticipating ones they don't yet know they need, you will find it difficult to become the trusted advisor who is able to generate follow on work and referrals. Equally, if you don’t enjoy the area you work in, there will be less motivation to get things right for your clients, and work will seem that much more difficult.

So the next time you're drinking a cup of tea, think about your clients. Are you giving them what they need? Have you considered where you fit in their world? Are you serving up the best they could want? How could you make your 'cup of tea' taste even better?