It was past dinner time Wednesday night on my way up to Seattle and I was getting pretty hungry. I decided to look for a quick, easy access place I would enjoy. I was happily surprised to see one of those little restaurant exit signs that said, "lver's." lt was my first time to find a freestanding lver's Restaurant at an exit off of l-5. I've eaten at lver's on the waterfront in Seattle many times and have always enjoyed it.

The young lady at the front counter was enthusiastic, outgoing and quite helpful. Soon my mealwas at my table and I began to enjoy it. I like malt vinegar on my fish and chips. I picked up the bottle and turned it over to sprinkle a little on my fish. Nothing seemed to come out, so I hit the end. That didn't help. I hit the side, that didn't help either. For a minute I couldn't quite figure out what was going on, then I noticed the bottle was filled right to the top. There was no way for air to get in. lt was vapor-locked. I took the little plastic cap with the small hole off, and of course vinegar freely poured onto my fish, more than I really wanted. I put the little cap back on and tested it. The small drops came out easily, one drop at a time. A few minutes later the manager came around and asked, "How is everything?" I said, "This fish is really great. I do have one suggestion that might make some of your customers experience more enjoyable. May I mention it?" She said, "Well of course." I described what had happened. She said, "l've told my crew over and over not to fill those bottles all the way up to the top." I said, "l have a suggestion that might help them listen, get the point and change their behavior." "What's that?" she asked.

"Here's what I recommend. Get them all together with bottles that are filled all the way to the tip top and say 'We're going to have a little contest.' Hold up a $20 bill and say 'The person who can get the most out of the bottle in the next 5 seconds without removing the little plastic cap, I'm going to give a $20 bill."

Both she and I know that they won't be able to get anything out of the bottles. I said, "I guarantee that will dramatize the idea and you won't have to tellthem anymore." "Well I'm going to try that. I've got three children at home and I feel like l've got kids here. Of course there is one good thing abouthat, we're one big happy family." I said, "Well, that's wonderful. lf you'll try changing the way you're instructing, I think you'll get a better result."

That's the recommendation for all of us. lf you've told anyone more than once, certainly more than three times, how to do something, and they're still doing it in a way that is unacceptable, you need to rethink how you're communicating, how you're instructing. You need to practice Leadership Principle #9, Dramatize Your ldeas. One of the rules for dramatizing ideas is to make a contest out of it I promise that if you do, you'll reduce your frustrations, you'll improve performance, save time, serve your customers at a higher level and make more profit.

The best leaders use these principles unconsciously and every leader can develop their ability to dramatize their ideas. This makes your communication more enjoyable and your impact lasting.