Vault of VOIDS!

As you check out the title of this month’s Inspiring Innovations LEARNING MOMENTS Podcast: Vault of VOIDS!... I will bet you have never seen those two unique words used “connectively” before! Right?

Well this month I try to place necessary attention on the extra-curricular quality-driven services/product VOIDS that are not stressed nor given timely attention in the workplace and/or by employees. So as a result… these VOIDS tend to find their way into unimportant vaults that take away their opportunity to be recognized as SPECIAL!

It is hard to explain the Podcast’s goal in this short intro… but the discussed examples hopefully bring home a special LEARNING MOMENT. 

 Enjoy the listen. 

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello again and welcome to the February of 2026 Inspiring Innovations Learning Moments podcast. As always, this is your discussionist host, Marv Pickla. And this month we're going to move into a topic area that will kind of require everybody to think a little bit harder, especially in that first part. Okay, and then even harder as I try and finish up the discussion. But we'll talk about in a second. But before we get right into this month's topic, I want to share some real cool news. Remember, at the community college I teach at, we introduced ACC Talks, our version of TED Talks. Now, for those that don't know, TED Talks are like in-person virtual or virtual professional development sessions, usually about an hour, and and professionals share specific information about what they do and how they did it in some projects or whatever, but they're cool. They're very, very inspiring. But our talks are that same way. They're community-minded here in northern Michigan. And I grab northern Michigan-based speakers most of the time, and we do it three times a year, and we've had over 12 of them over the years. So I guess what I want to tell you is that a small brewery up in Mackinac City has started their own TED Talks, but they call them Tap Talks. Okay, a brewery, all right? And they contacted me and asked if I, as Mr. Inspiring Innovations, would be one of their presenters. Well, there's no way I could say no, and let me just report that it was a great time and opportunity. I got to share some information on the many innovations I've built that could easily be replicated in a rural Michigan area. I met a a great bunch of people, and who knows what I might be able to help them with down the road. So, you know, you you just never know when something that you took part in is replicated in another area and they're doing good. All right, and I'll keep you posted on this, you know, situation and what happens after that. But but going on to this month's topic, we're gonna talk about personal and professional vaults of voids. Okay, let me say it again. Personal and professional vaults, like vaults, empty rooms of voids. And the best way to describe what I'm trying to talk about by personal and professional vaults of voids is probably just through examples. So, first, think about jobs in the service industry. And as you think more specifically about working with people, what kinds of service voids can you think of and identify with as part of those jobs? Think about people who only do what's in the job description. And aren't there a few voids that they could be doing instead of just exactly what's in the job description? Think about cleaning up their their area, you know, their customer areas, and or maybe giving customers a little more attention or the product as a sample. Or maybe connecting with them about other service providers that you trust, making suggestions maybe on other products or services that might help them with their voids. Think about it. Think about service industry vaults of voids. Next, consider what vaults of voids exist when working between youth and adults. Okay? Youth and adults. Should you use the same customer service approach for both? Absolutely not. Do you need to almost rehearse what you say and how you say it just to make sure that there's not a void in how you're getting your message across? Now, in a way, this may sound real commonsensical, but how many employees that you know of really practice to make themselves better in how they present information to different age groups? Today, that kind of vault of voids in that area has just grown and continues to grow. Think hard about no two customers being the same, no matter ages or ethnics or gender, whatever. The products and services that you provide may not change, but your style, your words, your patience, and use of technology may be totally different with each person that you work with. And if you don't do it right, think of the voids that you create for them and around them. Am I making sense about vaults of voids in the workplace? Okay, let me give you a recent personal experience that that I think drove me to talk about this learning moment. Not so long ago, a young lady who was part of the group I was working with on a training activity asked me the following question. I work at a medical office and I am the check-in person, and that's all I get to do. Truly, I'm bored to death and want to help with with the patients, but I haven't been promoted or even asked yet. Should I just say stay quiet and take it? Well, although her question did not directly fit into our training plan for the day, it was a great opportunity to make some important job retention points. So I answered her question with a series of questions. If you're bored, is your work area always clean and neat all over the place? Think about it. Is the patient waiting area complete with all the appropriate business flyers and service brochures? Do they look good? Are they set up conveniently? On the absolute business front, are the files and the phone messages and office materials all in the right places? Would you say your bosses would comment and say, Man, I wish my house looked this organized about you and about how your workplace arrangement looks. And from the questions we discussed, the fact that there are always voids in workplaces that could be done, but are not always recognized or prioritized, but that if completed by you, you raise your employee status with the business owner or the organization. Does that example help? Every workplace, every job has a vault of voids. Are they critical? Probably not. But does addressing them separate you, your company, your organization from just being regular to maybe being exceptional? Think about it. Okay, one more discussion item. What about the vault of voids with regard to expectations of the business world or as an employer? I believe that if creatively approached, a vault of voids could easily be instrumental in pushing innovation and non-traditional opportunities for everybody in the workplace. If these voids are identified, what great timing to say, hey everybody, what are we going to do about it? What are we going to do about it? Okay? And then you get a chance to step forward. The void challenge could be operationally simple to improve, or be just an adjustment, maybe in service delivery. But fixing these kinds of voids or gaps in products or service is always, always an important point and should not be avoided, but instead become kind of that research and development, continuous improvement, action. All right? I know that's a lot. And I guess I I better conclude this once learning moment for today. But I hope you understand what my intent regarding addressing everyone's vaults, avoids, and how a negative issue can and should become maybe an innovative growth option. Hey, thanks one more time for listening this month, and we'll get right back at it next month.