Experiencing Linchpins

I recently returned from a holiday on Fraser Island. During my time on the island I managed to read Linchpin: Are you indispensable? by Seth Godin. The book describes those people who choose to become linchpins, people who want to make a difference, stand out, provide a unique experience, and more. I strongly recommend you read this book, and if you are not already, hop on the Seth Godin mailing list.

At any rate, I returned from Fraser Island on Virgin Blue and continued on to Melbourne. During this short period I started to identify those people who were linchpins, and those who most certainly were not.

What was interesting was arriving in Melbourne and being directed to baggage carousel #2 by the Virgin Blue staff. This carousel was overflowing with bags, and as a result no new bags were being delivered. After 10 minutes our flight, DJ860, was directed over the intercom to head to baggage carousel #1 due to the hold up on #2. So fifty-odd folk head over there. No luck. Another 10 minutes and we are directed to #3, where our bags are waiting for us. 

The Virgin Blue staff are presumably overworked and underpaid. Yet none of the staff, numbering twenty-odd, cared enough to check the tags on either end of the conveyor belt or on #1, #2, or #3. As a result we, the customers, were left waiting needlessly for bags for 20 minutes when we could have been on our way in 5. No linchpins there.

To contrast this example I experienced a number of linchpins on Fraser Island at the fantastic Kingfisher Bay Resort

Linchpins are easy to spot, as they are so few and far between and the interactions with these folk was refreshing – they want to make a difference! Are you a linchpin?

Read the book. You'll get what I am on about. You will begin to identify the linchpins in society too. 

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