My family and I were traveling this past week and stopped for dinner at a chain restaurant well known to interstate travelers. The customer service we received made me question my expectations of the wait staff when we dine out.

Our order was taken promptly. Our glasses were never empty. Our food was delivered after a reasonable wait and we were asked several times if we needed anything else.

So what was the problem? Personality. Or more specifically, the lack thereof.

Our waitress was polite but had very little personality. Like wet cardboard. You know the type. The kind of person who does their job adequately but you still question their motivation for being there. Barely holding things together. No engagement, just quick questions and little eye contact.

I realized I usually equate ”no personality” with “poor service”, even if all my needs are met. Probably not fair, but once you experience service that raises the bar, it’s hard to accept less. You start to expect exceptional service. Especially if you have kids, an engaging waiter can make all the difference between enjoying your meal and regretting having ventured out.

I wonder in my own business where I’m providing just adequate service while my clients are expecting more. Who have they dealt with before that raised the bar? How can I raise the bar even higher?

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Jolt! by Phil Cooke is a well-written overview of some basic personal and professional development approaches. If you have read many self-improvement or business development books, there’s not a lot of new information to be gained. Instead of jolting your worldview, you’ll just be gently prodded, which is also useful for growth. If personal and professional development books aren’t your normal fare, then Jolt! will serve as a broad introduction to topics as varied as expanding your life’s purpose, focusing on what you’re doing and where you’re going, changing habits, being creative, handling failure and how to leave a legacy. However, several chapters into the book the reader will quickly realize the advice is a mile wide and an inch deep. Several chapters have great advice, but lack actual action steps. An example is the chapter on overcoming fear and insecurity where the reader is encouraged to “start thinking realistically”.

As a media producer, Cooke uses many references to Hollywood throughout the book to back up his assertions about change and how to go about not being overwhelmed with personal growth. Sometimes the examples seem to serve as more of a reminder to the reader of his credentials than of providing real insight into how to handle change.

While the book will keep the reader engaged because it doesn’t bog you down with specifics, Cooke does seem to be muddling his insights on personal and business growth, as well as psychology and spirituality.  These areas are intertwined in our lives, but some of the transitions between these subjects in the book are not as smooth as they could be. For example, in the chapter on eliminating destructive distractions, several pages are devoted to discussing technology and the pace of life. The next three pages are spent discussing how to let go of past distractions through forgiveness. The detailed information on forgiveness seems out of place beside some of the other sparsely described methods for handling constant change.

In the book’s closing, Cooke encourages readers to reread the chapters that apply most to the challenging moments in their lives. My recommendation is to read this book for a great overview of personal growth topics and then to find more detailed resources for the specific areas where you are facing challenges.