Customer Reviews

The Fred Factor

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This short book focuses on a mailman Mark Sanborn met, a man named Fred. When the author first met Fred, Fred took an effort to get to know his new customer, and find ways to do a better job as a mailman. This book about the value of doing a better job, how to build relationships, and why we should take initiative. In short by going the extra mile we'll have a better life, and others will benefit.

It is a good book, and a short book. It is well written. The book is entertaining and at the same time makes many good points.

The first of four sections covers how the author met Fred the mailman, and how very quickly the author realized that Fred was a superstar mail carrier. The basics of what a "Fred" is are explored, and then the author mentions sightings of other "Freds."

The second section explains how you can become a Fred. Basically you need to build relationships with others so you know them well enough to then be able to be create, take initiative and make a difference.

The third section gives pointers on how you can help others grow into being Freds. The basic steps are to:

1) Find - how do you recognize a Fred

2) Reward - how should Freds be rewarded

3) Educate - how help people improve their Fredness

4) Demonstrate - model the correct behavior

The final section recounts the value and importance of being a Fred.

This is a book worth reading. It provides a good reminder and motivation to go the extra mile and do a better job.

Ever had a waiter ask, "Somethin' to drink?" while you look at your menu? How about a hotel clerk that says "Help you" like a question or a secretary who says "may I ask what this is in reference to?" when you try to call someone? The fact is, we hear so many monotone responses so often that "excuse me" "nice to meet you" and "have a nice day" seem to have no meaning at all. But then there's Fred, the guy who looks you in the eye, goes the extra mile, and adds a personal touch to the service he provides you. In today's ever-so-competitive markets, you'd think the personal touch approach would be second nature. The thing is, it's not, and this probably won't change. Sanborn isn't trying to teach clever people a shortcut--he's simply trying to remind us that genuine effort and a personal approach will never go out of style.

What I love about The Fred Factor is that it counters the notion that to succeed in business means somehow abandoning your values. Mark Sanborn makes a case that success in business, or life, for that matter, is a matter of embracing the values of service, caring, and doing the right thing. This is a book that should be standard issue for every employee of every company. Outstanding!

Remember the last time someone went out of their way for you without expecting any reward? Sure seems like that doesn't happen very often anymore. Seemed like that to the author too. So when one person performed his ordinary job in an extraordinary way, the author was moved and inspired. And if you take this book to heart, it should have the same impact on you.

Don't expect any revolutionary concepts or complex methodologies. The message and call to action are simple and conveyed in a easy and brief manner. The author leads you from inspiration to action. Along the way the reading is peppered with examples of people acting in a "Fred" like way - doing more than expected. And there are a many tips...reminders actually, as we should be doing this stuff already...that will help the converted to adopt a Fred-like attitude/philosophy/lifestyle.

It's easy for me to dismiss most of these cutesy self-help books as short-lived propaganda intended more to sell books than to add value to our lives. But this book...well...it caught me by surprise. I enjoyed it, I related to it and I was moved and inspired by it. And I recommend it.

This short book focuses on a mailman Mark Sanborn met, a man named Fred. When the author first met Fred, Fred took an effort to get to know his new customer, and find ways to do a better job as a mailman. This book about the value of doing a better job, how to build relationships, and why we should take initiative. In short by going the extra mile we'll have a better life, and others will benefit.

It is a good book, and a short book. It is well written. The book is entertaining and at the same time makes many good points.

The first of four sections covers how the author met Fred the mailman, and how very quickly the author realized that Fred was a superstar mail carrier. The basics of what a "Fred" is are explored, and then the author mentions sightings of other "Freds."

The second section explains how you can become a Fred. Basically you need to build relationships with others so you know them well enough to then be able to be create, take initiative and make a difference.

The third section gives pointers on how you can help others grow into being Freds. The basic steps are to:

1) Find - how do you recognize a Fred

2) Reward - how should Freds be rewarded

3) Educate - how help people improve their Fredness

4) Demonstrate - model the correct behavior

The final section recounts the value and importance of being a Fred.

This is a book worth reading. It provides a good reminder and motivation to go the extra mile and do a better job.

A short, accessible read, I finished The Fred Factor in an evening. Written by Mark Sanborn, the inspiration for this book is a real life postal worker named Fred who goes above and beyond his job of delivering mail, and serves the people on his delivery route with "genuine caring." Filled with practical advice on how each of us, no matter what our occupation, can become more "Fred-like," each chapter of the book outlines tangible steps a person can take to become more aware of how she can serve and encourage others, in both her personal and professional life. After reading the book, it is easy to see how simple (and not-so-simple) acts of kindness cause a positive ripple-effect in the lives of the people in which we come into contact.

I would give the book five stars, but feel the book could have benefited from additional real-life examples and illustrations of how we can be more like Fred.

This little book (5.5 X 8 inches) is inviting just by it's small size. It's not intimidating, like some management and leadership books can be. The writing is a mix of storytelling and advice, flowing from the attitudes, behavior, and effectiveness of Fred the Postman. Fred is just an ordinary postal carrier who performs in an extraordinary way.

Author Mark Sanborn, a well-respected motivational speaker, explores what Fred does, why he does it, and the impact that effort has on others. Throughout the book, Sanborn offers examples of people in all walks of life-regular people like you and me, showing how they go over and beyond the ordinary to make a difference in the lives of those around them. The lessons are both instructive and inspirational. The themes are so well interwoven that you hardly realize that you're being taught or inspired; it just sort of happens.

Much of the advice offered consists of the same material that we've heard from motivational speakers for decades. The phrases and morals will sound familiar as you move comfortably through the pages. The personal one-on-one sharing style that the author uses to convey his messages somehow makes the messages much easier to "get," absorb, and use.

The Fred Factor is great for individual reading and personal growth. It will also be valuable for years as a training tool. Employers no doubt will buy this book in large quantities to inoffensively encourage their employees to be Freds in their work, to reach out to others, to build relationships, to do the extra things, to make a difference. This book would make a great gift for young people about to go out and make their way in the world. When they commit to Fred behavior, they will open their lives to that much higher level of satisfaction that comes from serving others.

I have had my fill of character books that espouse life and workplace values only to fall short of applicable ideas. These sappy reads always leave you feeling inspired, but ignorant. Do not count The Fred Factor among that breed of shallow texts.

Drawing upon the ordinary experiences of an extraordinary postal worker, Sanborn imparts a plethora of life-changing, highly-impactful messages with a strong, but subtle, call to action. While The Fred Factor is warm, funny, and engaging, it cannot help but make the reader re-evaluate his/her approach to family, career, and life.

When Jack Nicholson's character told Helen Hunt's character in the Oscar winning film As Good As It Gets "You make me want to be a better man" he really meant, "You make me want to be a Fred."

This book is a great "how to" make a difference and impact people's lives every day. This is not a fiction book for you to just enjoy and read---although it is a good "read". It is a book which will inspire you to take action. It isn't a story about Fred. It is your story and the story of how you can create an extraordinary life for yourself and the people you touch. If you are a person of action and want to make a difference in people's lives, then read the book, embrace it's concepts and become a Fred yourself.

Lots of people learn good ideas about successful living and restate them for others, but not so many actually put them into practice in their own lives. Mark Sanborn lives his message. The Fred Factor is not just stories from an author. It is also life wisdom from a practitioner. Mark's personal and professional life, when viewed over two decades (as I have), are inspiring. He's the kind of guy you want living in your neighborhood and whose kids you want playing with your kids.

This book is filled with uplifting messages that anyone can apply.