This Book By Sam Silverstein Has Some Excellent Nuggets For You And Me.

How setting non-negotiables can help you do what you have never done before

Ever shopped from Costco or REI? These are brands that offer high quality merchandise and stand behind their products. Returning products to these retail giants at any time and for any reason is the most hassle-free — no questions asked, they will take your items back. These companies have a non-negotiable that customer satisfaction is paramount. As I have witnessed, they wholeheartedly support this claim with their actions. They want their customers to be satisfied forever! These retailers have their beliefs and actions aligned and therefore, are constantly moving forward. It’s no wonder that I feel assured about their products’ quality and will remain a loyal customer.

If you commit to living your beliefs so that what you say you believe is what you really believe, your actions will align with your words — and when that happens you will constantly progress towards the destination that makes sense for you.

In a previous article, I had described my initial learnings from the book Non-Negotiable. I had described the steps needed to define non-negotiables and my experience from doing so. I encourage you to check it out:

I recently made time to finish reading this book, and the learning has been impactful. The author does a deep dive into how businesses and professionals can elevate themselves by defining and following their non-negotiables as follows.

Commit to living your non-negotiables.

The author says that when your actions and beliefs align, you literally can’t fail in life or business.

I like the example he uses of SmallBank which bought out some branches of BigBank. BigBank, due to its internal rules and regulations, had unintentionally made it very hard for its staff to follow a customer-first approach to service. “Keep our customers happy”, had become only a business motto which they didn’t really commit to. Like BigBank, SmallBank too had a non-negotiable of being a customer centric business. In addition, their operations, rules and regulations were all carefully created with this non-negotiable in mind. Therefore, when SmallBank took over those branches, they reinstated this commitment and reassured their new customers of quality service. The example also describes how SmallBank was able to retain a customer whom they had inherited from a BigBank branch. This customer was fed up with how the quality of service had deteriorated each time the branch was sold. She entered the now SmallBank branch and said, “I am done with you all. I am going to change banks.” But that didn’t happen. With the rules now being customer-centric, the bank teller was able to empathize with her, swiftly resolve her grievances, reassure her with her sincerity, and today, she is one of SmallBank’s best customers.

Remember the examples of Costco and REI described above? They are also a testament to the success one may witness by living this rule.

Your resolve will be tested, and you will grow stronger.

Each time your non-negotiables are tested and you stay the course, you will grow stronger, and move closer to creating the culture and life you’re seeking.

The author describes his own experience of having his non-negotiables tested during the sale of a warehouse owned by his family. The purchaser tried to bully the author by demanding a steep discount on the price printed in the contract for repairs and upkeep. The author’s non-negotiable was to do what’s right. Notice what happens here. The author didn’t throw away the agreement or increase the selling price. He wasn’t looking to make more on the deal but neither was he willing to settle for less than was agreed upon. In line with that, he made his stance clear to the buyer, and with some deft handling of the situation, closed the deal.

In our lives, we have to make difficult choices on multiple occasions. Some will cost us time, money or both. The question that the author repeatedly asks is whether we are willing to lose a little money in the short term to live by our non-negotiables so we can really benefit in the long term? Because living by our non-negotiables is what gives us total control over our lives and helps us make good decisions.

Your non-negotiables define your credibility.

There are times in our lives when we knew what the right thing to do was, and yet did something else. Maybe we thought we could get away with it, maybe we used the perceived outcome to justify the decision in our minds. Either way, it most likely cost us our credibility.

Defining our non-negotiables is the very act of regaining credibility. When we have credibility either in our family, department, or organization as a whole, it is a testament to our non-negotiables.

Remember, your non-negotiables are displayed from your actions and through your words. If you state a belief, mission, or non-negotiable and then don’t live it, your credibility is immediately diminished and your strength is eroded.

Having finished this book,…

The first half of this book helped me understand the “why and how” of defining non-negotiables, while part 2 has provided me with some excellent examples and thoughts to reflect upon. Part 1 helped me identify and define my first non-negotiable while the second half has enabled me to go deeper and understand their true value. As my mindset and perspective change for the better, I notice the joy and satisfaction these incremental improvements bring to my activities. I am excited to see how they will positively affect my actions and my results in the long-term.

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