In Danny Meyer’s book on the “transforming hospitality of business”, Meyer uses an illustration of a light bulb with the goal to attract as many moths as possible:
“Now what if you learned that 49% of the reason moths were attracted to a bulb was for the quality of its light (brightness being the task of the bulb) and 51 percent of the attraction was to the warmth projected by the bulb (heat being connected with the feeling of the bulb).
It’s remarkable to me how many businesses shine brightly when it comes to acing the tasks but emanate all the warmth of a cool fluorescent light. That explains how a flawless four-star restaurant can actually attract fewer loyal fans than a two- and three-star place with soul.
In business, I want to be overcome with moths....." 1
As church leaders and members, we need to reflect on this illustration. We must be a scintillating string of one-hundred-watt light bulbs whose product is the sum of 51 percent feeling and 49 percent task.
If we do, we will realize that very often we focus so much on the tasks (brightness) that we are oftentimes simply "blinding" people who we should be attracting with "warmth" or the feeling that we engender in people in our encounters with them.
In the church, I want to be overcome with moths
1 Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business Danny Meyer: Harper Collins 2006
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1 comment:
Great series of posts, Ron. It is clear that caring warmth is one of the greatest ways to evangelize, influence and heal. I like the book you reference. There is no organization more attuned to customer satisfaction than the food industry. Setting the table is a great metaphor for the table at church.
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