the Friday edition - the one with bad directions
I’m writing to you from England.
I’m in a car and have no idea where I am. You’ll be glad to know I’m not driving.
I mean, I can drive here, but the story of driving a manual car throughout Scotland and eventually London, Chevy Chase style, will have to wait for another day.
Today is about addresses. Don’t close out… it’s good.
At least four times during this trip in England, my driver or I have been given a postcode, such as M64 YU4, to find our way to a location.
To those reading this from the UK, you are probably thinking, “that’s all you need”. Everyone else, you are starting to have questions.
As a former employee of the US Postal Service, I have a few things to say about the USPS. Though for all its inefficiencies, it’s rather miraculous that a birthday card dropped in the tip of Rhode Island Monday will very likely make it the right person in San Diego, CA Wednesday.
That organization of numbers, names, and zip codes. (+4s) also meant we have a fantastic way for us to identify specific doors on or in a specific building fairly easily. While it’s not always perfect, it’s usually because someone has opted to hide their signage or the gps is knackered or it wasn’t meant to be found.
In England, I found that one postcode sometimes is one entire building. Or 2-3 buildings and there’s some way locals just know. Occasionally, it’s more, but there’s a little bit of “last one on the left”, or “Rose Cottage” that is needed. They are good with a post code and a little adventure.
It’s whimsical and somewhat delightful. When you are in the know. When you are not in the know, it’s a little more interesting.
How can I tie this back to business? Being in the know in business starts with Onboarding - think about those that may not yet be “in the know”.
Consider how you might check in with any team members or maybe even customers you’ve onboarded in the last 2-3 months and find out more about their experience. Is there a way to help future team members and clients find the delight in working with your team even earlier? We’ve AI drafted some sample questions for you.
🔹 3 Sample Questions for Employees 🔹
1. When you started, was there anything you had to “figure out” that you wish had just been explained clearly?
2. Were there any steps where you felt like you needed “local knowledge” to succeed—like a Rose Cottage that wasn’t on the map?
3. If you were designing the onboarding for someone in your role, what would you do differently or include?
Prompt you can send:
Hi! Thinking back to your first few weeks here—was there anything that felt confusing, incomplete, or assumed you already knew something you didn’t? I’d love your honest take so we can make things easier for the next person.
🔹 3 Sample Questions For Clients / Customers 🔹
1. Was there a moment where you felt unsure what the next step was, or where to go for support?
2. Did anything in our onboarding feel too vague or make you think, “I wish someone had just told me that”?
3. What’s one thing we could’ve done or shared early on that would’ve made working with us easier from the start?
Prompt you can send:
As someone who recently started working with us, I’d love your candid feedback—was there anything in the beginning that felt unclear, or that made you think, “oh, that’s a little confusing” or “I wish I knew that earlier”?
~
That's it - just learn, implement, and see how fast they can find their way.
No new tools this week - but we have a couple coming next edition. You’ll see some new classes and courses soon too - in addition to the 5-week hands-on workshop starting Monday.
Until next week,
Rebecca and the Advisory 9 team
*hopefully not a real postcode but also maybe the addy of the Crown Jewels? I’ll never know based on my navigation skills.
