The 10 foot rule

There's nothing quite like a "rags to riches" story to foster the belief that the so-called "American Dream" is alive and well.  And there is perhaps no better "rags to riches" story than that of Sam Walton, the American businessman who founded both Walmart and Sam's Club and who was at one time the richest individual in America.  Both Walton and his stores started from humble beginnings, and the store chain would eventually become one of the largest corporations (by revenue) and largest employers in the world.  Not too bad!

Walton used to talk about something that he called the "Ten Foot Rule".  He described the rule by saying, "I want you to promise that whenever you come within 10 feet of a customer, you will look him in the eye, greet him and ask him if you can help him."  Walton's rule has since been adopted by a number of organizations in the hospitality and service industry.

The Walt Disney Company has taken the "Ten Foot Rule" a proverbial step further.  Any time that a Disney "cast member" (the employees at Disney's theme parks are called "cast members") comes near a "guest" (the visitors to Disney's theme parks are called "guests"), cast members are supposed to remember the Seven Service Guidelines:

1. Make eye contact and smile
2. Greet and welcome each and every guest
3. Seek out guest contact
4. Provide immediate service recovery
5. Display appropriate body language at all times
6. Preserve the "magical" guest experience
7. Thank each and every guest.

How hard is it to use the "10 Foot Rule"?  It doesn't seem that difficult, so I decided to give it a try this past week while walking around our hospital.  I made a conscious effort to make eye contact, smile, and say hello to every individual who was within 10 feet of me while I was walking down our main concourse.  Not everyone replied in kind - there were a number of individuals who were looking down at their cell phones.  Some of these individuals looked up at me when I greeted them, while others continued on their way without acknowledging me.  Several other individuals smiled back at me.  It was a very gratifying experience for me.

There are a number of companies who have now adopted something called the "Ten and Five Foot Rule", also known by some companies as the "Zone of Hospitality."  Basically, employees should make eye contact and smile at everyone within 10 feet of them, and they should greet and ask the customer if they need any assistance if they are within 5 feet of them. 

I would take this one step further.  The "Zone of Hospitality" should not just apply to customers, patients, visitors, or guests.  We should apply the "Ten and Five Foot Rule" to fellow employees!  Imagine what effect it would have on the overall culture of an organization, if everyone was friendly and smiled at each other!  Rather than looking down at our cell phones, we should be greeting each other, smiling at each other, and saying "Good morning" or "How are you today?" 

It's important to recognize that the "Ten Foot Rule" takes a conscious and deliberate effort.  It's very easy to fall back into our own "personal space" and avoid making eye contact with people who pass us by.  But imagine how much better it would be if we put forth the effort.  What a wonderful and magical experience that would be...