It’s a fact that if one is active in social media, one can build an amazing and inspiring network. Recently, I “met” Terri Klass through my activity on Instagram and Twitter because we share an interest in exceptional leadership, and I invited her to appear on my Blog.
Terri is a leadership training consultant, coach, and speaker who partners with organizations to create cultures of empowerment and to develop future leadership. She believes that, regardless of position or title, everyone can be a leader. She delivers highly successful leadership workshops and is a speaker and author of articles about leadership and working with different generations in the workplace. Terri has a weekly Blog about leadership, where she shares challenges that leaders face daily. She is also the co-author of the book, “Energize Your Leadership.” Find Terri on Twitter @TerriKlass, on her website at www.terriklassconsulting.com, and on Facebook (TerriKlassConsulting), and LinkedIn (in/TerriKlass). Highlights of our conversation follow below.
QUESTION: What are three traits necessary for a good leader, and why?
TERRI KLASS: Here are my three traits for a good leader.
First: BE TRUSTWORTHY.
Whether we are a leader on a large global team or a leader in a small organization, our ability to be trusted will impact our performance and relationships. There’s no way around it. If we can’t be trusted, we will never be able to reach our potential and become influential. A great place to build trustworthiness is by:
• Following through on what you say you will do.
• Taking interest in each member.
• Being honest in a respectful way.
• Making yourself approachable.
• Owning our missteps and mistakes.
Second: KEEP AN OPEN MIND EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU ARE RIGHT.
As long as leaders are willing to consider new perspectives, they will continue to grow and evolve. Always thinking one is right is a sabotaging mantra. We need to allow our curiosity to drive our conversations. It may be difficult for some of us to include different perspectives or even weigh suggestions that seem far-fetched, but impactful leaders welcome lively discussions and an exchange of divergent opinions.
Third: BUILD A CULTURE OF RELATIONSHIPS.
Leaders recognize that they can’t accomplish great things without the help of others, and that means being appreciative, giving credit to others, and showing kindness. To continue to grow our leadership, we need to continually build vibrant and meaningful relationships. Not only do we need to delve more deeply into our team members’ interests, but we must also help make connections for others. By building networks for the leaders throughout our organizations, we are also cultivating our own leadership.
TWEET THIS: Not only do we need to delve more deeply into our team members’ interests, but we must also help make connections for others. –@TerriKlass #LeadershipTip #EmployeeExperience #EmployerBranding
QUESTION: How do you recommend employees who are forced to work in silos by their leadership teams overcome the silos and work together?
TERRI KLASS: To be a high performing team, it is essential for leaders to not only develop strong bonds within their teams but also cultivate connections with other teams. My philosophy on leadership is that we don’t need a title or a position to lead. We can lead from wherever we are. That means employees who feel they are working in silos have the ability to reach out to other departments and cultivate relationships on other teams. Employees can set up coffees or lunches with members of other teams to learn about one another. They also owe it to their team to stay open and flexible when working with different teams to create the best end product.
QUESTION: What’s your favorite leadership book and why?
TERRI KLASS: I have so many favorite leadership books, but one author that I love is Patrick Lencioni. His brilliant book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” has been a guidebook for a great deal of my training and coaching. I believe in these five critical elements to create high performing teams and leaders.
QUESTION: How can a President/CEO become an organization’s number one brand ambassador?
TERRI KLASS: To be a brand ambassador, CEO’s need to first believe in their organization’s vision and core values. They must be clear on the benefits of their products and services and how they make a difference in their customers’ lives. Then they have to empower their employees to see the bigger picture of their contributions. Employees need to see how their individual jobs contribute to the success of an organization. Employees can also be an organization’s greatest ambassadors so it is critical for a CEO to energize and excite their organization through positive storytelling about customer satisfaction.
TWEET THIS: Employees need to see how their individual jobs contribute to the success of an organization. –@TerriKlass #LeadershipTip #EmployeeExperience #EmployerBranding
QUESTION: Lastly, one of my favorite quotes about leadership is from author and consultant Mark Herbert (@NewParadigmer on Twitter): “Leadership is a gift, not a position. It doesn’t require you to be the smartest person in the room. It requires you to trust and be trusted – and block and tackle for others.” What does this quote mean to you?
TERRI KLASS: As I previously shared, trustworthiness is critical to a leader’s success and influence. In fact, the foundation of any relationship is trust, and without it, leaders cannot lead. Anyone can be a leader who takes action, holds himself or herself accountable, is trustworthy, and puts others first. We are not born leaders. Each of us can lead from wherever we are if that is our mission. To be impactful, we must remember that leadership is about developing trusting relationships and helping others reach their north star.
__________
My gratitude and appreciation to Terri for appearing on my Blog and sharing her leadership insights, and thanks, of course, to Instagram and Twitter for the introductions!
Image Credit: Terri Klass.
There is something unique to television called binge watching. Despite the amount of time to binge watch (which can be ten hours or more, depending on the series you binge watch), there is an important take-away from the attraction of binge watching for all marketers: FANS LIKE STORYTELLING.
According to the BBC, "Collins English Dictionary chose binge watch as its 2015 Word of the Year. Meaning to watch a large number of television programs (especially all the shows from one series) in succession, it reflects a marked change in viewing habits, due to subscription services like Netflix.”
According to Wikipedia, “Storytelling describes the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics, or embellishment…Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters, and narrative point of view.”
And, according to Harvey Deutschendorf (Twitter: @Theeiguy) in Fast Company, “To be effective, the audience must be able to relate to the story. Talking about an experience on a yacht would not be a good way for the CEO of an organization to connect with front line workers. This would likely have the opposite effect and distance the audience from him or her. Telling a heart-felt story about going fishing with a family member or a grandchild would be much more effective as this would be something many in the audience could identify with.”
TWEET THIS: To be effective, the audience must be able to relate to the story. ~@Theeiguy #brandstorytelling #brandtip
So, how do you tell your brand’s story? Consider the cultural phenomenon of Star Wars. George Lucas began the movie franchise with episodes four, five, and six. He then told the stories of episodes one, two, and three – which are an example of a “prequel,” a story, or in this case, movies, containing events that came before those of an existing work.
Consider the Walt Disney Company. Everyone knows how the company started, and to quote Walt, "It all started with a mouse." But what if there were more to the story?
Consider the television series Homeland on Showtime, which just concluded its seventh season. While there are rumors that the eighth season may be the show’s final season, I recently discovered two books that serve as prequels to the show. While the series has changed dramatically from the first three seasons, these two works of fiction offer some undisclosed background for the initial season.
TWEET THIS: When telling your brand’s story, did you start at the beginning or somewhere else in your brand’s lifecycle? ~@DebbieLaskeyMBA #brandstorytelling #brandtip
In what order have you told your brand’s story? Did you start at the beginning and strategically provide all the essential plot points and characters so that fans and customers can follow along? Or did you start somewhere in the middle of your brand’s lifecycle based on product or service successes or leadership successes? Either way, have you been completely clear so that your stakeholders can follow along every step of the story?
After I read the two Homeland books, I began to wonder about the value of prequels for all brands. Would a prequel be valuable for your brand? What if you created a prequel in the form of an e-book? Whatever you decide, storytelling may be a way for your brand to stand apart from the competition.
Click to read: “Three Branding Lessons from Binge Watching”
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2016/10/three-branding-lessons-from-binge.html
Click to read: “The Simple Science to Good Storytelling”
https://www.fastcompany.com/3025676/the-simple-science-to-good-storytelling
Image Credit: Debbie Laskey's library.
Are you ready for the Royal Wedding? Will you rise early on Saturday morning to watch the ceremony live?
As quickly as fans of the Royal Family are lining the streets of Windsor, brands are aligning themselves with what has been the most-talked about event of the year.
What has been the most memorable brand promotion? Here's a list of the brands that stand out by their promotions, celebratory announcements, or appropriate give-aways:
Disney Weddings, Orlando, Florida, USA - on its "Ever After Blog," shared tips about wedding dresses, lace, and tiaras, and also advertised its online brochure for hosting Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings and Honeymoons.
The London Eye, London, England - a lucky couple will win the chance to tie the knot in the air on the same day as the Royal Wedding.
Madame Tussauds Museum, London, England - created a life size version of the Royal couple for visitors to stand beside and take photos.
Golden Tours, London, England - in partnership with Madame Tussauds, offered a contest to win a bottle of Moet Pink Champagne and tickets to see the statues of Harry and Meghan at Madame Tussauds Museum.
Legoland, Windsor, England - this theme park created a mini version of the wedding venue with 39,960 Lego bricks. According to Rachel Thompson in Mashable, "It took 592 hours to build the replica of Windsor Castle, which happens to be just down the road from Legoland Windsor. The spectacle also features a teeny Ascot Landau carriage, made using 1,500 bricks. The carriage can be seen making its way down the mini Long Walk, which features two horses made from 200 bricks. Beyond the bridal party, there's along a crowd of 500 Lego people, made from an impressive 17,000 bricks, which aim to reflect the spectators who'll be showing up on the day to watch from a distance."
Amazon Handmade, online retailer - created a Geometric Wedding Ring Box.
Mills and Boon, book publisher, London, England - giving away a limited edition tea set plus a copy of Royals: Wed to the Prince! Also offered a Royal Wedding party pack that included wedding invitations, tiaras, wedding dress rating cards, and crowns.
Hallmark UK and Ireland - this British and Irish version of the American card company offered a bundle of Disney princesses due to the new Princess. Fans were asked to like or retweet to be eligible to win.
Virtue London, contemporary jeweler, London, England - offered a chance to win a gorgeous Royal stacking ring by sharing a detail - competition ran throughout week leading up to wedding with winner announced the day before the wedding.
Buckley London, celebrity fashion jeweler, London, England - offered a chance to win a stunning replica of Meghan's engagement ring, The Meghan Sparkle - to enter, simply follow or retweet - competition ended the day before the wedding.
Pink's Hot Dogs, Los Angeles, California, USA - offered a special hot dog including chili and two slices of bacon during the week leading up to the wedding.
Baskin Robbins, USA - shared a celebratory greeting with photo of a heart-shaped cake on Twitter with the message: When there’s one less eligible prince in the world, go for a slice of delicious ice cream cake.
Dunkin' Donuts, USA - offered a special Royal Love donut - delivered in New York City in a specially-themed coach, but not available in Southern California retail locations.
Walkers Shortbread cookies, England - offered a special tin with Harry's and Meghan's photo on the outside.
Hostess Royal Wedding Twinkies, England - Limited Edition of 10: bejeweled Twinkies packages were embellished with authentic crown jewels including sapphires, diamonds, and rubies.
Royal Mint, England - created a 5-pound coin with the likenesses of Prince Harry and his bride.
And lastly, AmazonFire, online - will show the wedding via live-streaming.
What other brands promoted the Royal Wedding in a unique or memorable manner? Chime in and share.
Years ago, when social media was new, brands were forced to alter their logos to fit into squares. This was because brands needed recognizable profile images for Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and more. However, as social platforms continue to evolve, the idea of altering a logo for events or themed occasions has taken center stage.
Recently, the Los Angeles Dodgers major league baseball team traveled to Mexico for the 2018 Mexico Series. From a marketing perspective, the most important news from this three-game series was that the Dodgers, who normally feature either a solid blue logo, or blue and white logo, or blue, white, and red logo SUDDENLY featured a green, white, and red logo – colors that comprise the Mexican flag. The altered logo was prominently featured on the Dodgers’ key social channels including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Once the series ended, the Dodgers’ red, white, and blue logo re-appeared throughout social media.
Has your brand ever done something similar? Have you altered your logo to promote an event or a cause? Have you added a ribbon, changed a key color, added wording, or something else that doesn’t adhere to your brand style guide?
If yes, how have your customers, fans, and prospects reacted? How has the media reacted? Have they supported the change? Have they responded? Have they even noticed? Or was the change so miniscule that no one noticed?
Perhaps, the take-away is that you should issue a press release before the altered logo is launched to explain the reason or reasons for the change and the time frame for the altered logo. Even if a huge following doesn’t catch (no pun intended) the altered logo, it will live on in your online press room.
Image Credit: Los Angeles Dodgers via Twitter.
Whenever I think about leadership and its impact on the employee experience, I think about Eric Jacobson. Today, I would like to welcome Eric back to my blog. We met through our work with MicroMentor in 2009, and since then, Eric has appeared on my blog three times as a featured guest and countless times with memorable quotes.
Eric has more than a quarter-century of experience in successfully leading employees and teams through periods of revenue growth, new product development, and re-engineering. He is an experienced mentor and coach and holds an MBA Degree from Keller Graduate School. His passion is helping individuals to become effective leaders at work, within organizations, and wherever they are called upon to lead and inspire.
Recently, Eric and I had a conversation about leadership and it’s impact on corporate culture, onboarding, and brand ambassadors; and highlights follow below. Links to previous Q&A posts featuring Eric are provided at the end of this post. For more about Eric, visit his Blog and follow him on Twitter @EricJacobsonKC.
[1] QUESTION: How do you define the differences between leadership and management?
ERIC JACOBSON: Leaders influence, motivate, inspire, and set direction for the individuals who follow them. Leaders typically take more risks than managers and focus on longer-term direction setting. They are frequently change agents and coaches. They ultimately set an organization’s mission and vision.
Managers are shorter-term focused, managing risk and managing tasks; focusing more on systems and structure. Managers typically establish and measure against goals within the direction set by their leaders.
Author Bob Kulhan’s clarification of the differences is valuable, as well. He said, "I'd suggest that the act of managing focuses strictly on strategic thinking at its most practical – on execution. Managing is taking care of logistical and practical details. The real problem arises when anyone confuses the managing of job-specific details with actual leadership. One does not need to be a visionary to qualify as a leader, but leadership does imply vision from a position of oversight.”
[2] QUESTION: How can a CEO/President define or set the direction for his or her company's culture?
ERIC JACOBSON: A company’s culture is its underlying values, traditions, beliefs, behaviors and attitudes that guide its practices and create its personality, character and work environment.
“Culture is all about how things are done in your company; and they reflect what is valued, rewarded, and celebrated and what is not,” explains Dave Carvajal author of the new book, Hire Smart From the Start.
If a company lacks clarity in its values and beliefs, for example, the CEO/President should define them. Additionally, as the authors of another new book, The CEO Next Door, explain, the leader should be intentional about his/her company culture and should:
• Consistently articulate and model the behavior he/she seeks in others.
• Put time and attention toward building and fostering company culture.
• Reflect culture in whom is hired, fired and promoted.
I’m particularly impressed with the culture of Southwest Airlines, which is defined by the theme, LIVE THE SOUTHWEST WAY, and its components:
Warrior Spirit
• Strive to be the best
• Display a sense of urgency
• Never give up
Servant’s Heart
• Follow The Golden Rule
• Treat others with respect
• Embrace our Southwest Family
Fun-LUVing Attitude
• Be a passionate Team Player
• Don’t take yourself too seriously
• Celebrate successes
These bulleted items clearly articulate values, traditions, beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes that guide Southwest’s practices that create its personality and character.
Further, a few years ago, I wrote about Southwest’s culture on my Leadership and Management Blog and still appreciate the following advice from Herb Kelleher, former CEO of Southwest Airlines: “One way we do culture differently is by making Southwest's culture everyone's responsibility. In fact, we ask everyone to 'own it.'" Kelleher also explained that Southwest includes a section related to culture on each employee's annual performance appraisal. This goes for every employee in the company, including the entire management team.
TWEET THIS:
One way we do culture differently is by making Southwest's culture everyone's responsibility. In fact, we ask everyone to own it. ~Herb Kelleher of @SouthwestAir via @EricJacobsonKC
[3] QUESTION: How can a President/CEO become the number one brand ambassador?
ERIC JACOBSON: Foremost, the President/CEO should embody the brand. Live and breathe it. Talk often about the brand and what it stands for. I believe Herb Kelleher, during his tenure as CEO of Southwest Airlines, was its number one brand manager and was a solid example for other leaders who strive to be their organization’s number one brand ambassador.
[4] QUESTION: How can the C-Suite care more about onboarding, which directly impacts corporate culture and employee engagement?
ERIC JACOBSON: In my experience, onboarding is sadly one of the most neglected activities in a company, yet it's critical to ensuring newly-hired talent will be productive, contented workers. Keep in mind, too, that onboarding is NOT orientation.
Some of the best onboarding advice I’ve read is from Roy Maurer, Online Manager/Editor, Talent Acquisition at the Society For Human Resource Management. He explained, “Before implementing a formal onboarding program, employers should answer some key questions to attain team and upper management buy-in, such as:
• When will onboarding start?
• How long will it last?
• What impression do you want new hires to walk away with at the end of the first day?
• What do new employees need to know about the culture and work environment?
• What role will HR play in the process? What about direct managers? Co-workers?
• What goals do you want to set for new employees?
• How will you gather feedback on the program and measure its success?
Once these questions have been answered, HR professionals and upper management can devise a plan of action to help new employees quickly assimilate company policies and workflow while getting fully acquainted with the organization's culture.”
Finally, if you lead an organization that uses employee ID badges, consider using a different color or a special designation on the badges for newly-hired employees for at least their first 30 days and ideally up to 60 days.
Imagine how welcoming it will be for your new hires when employees recognize your newly-hired employees' status via their special badges and then when your longer-term employees introduce themselves to the new employees in halls, on elevators, in your break room, in the parking lot, and at large group meetings. Some people call this a "Hello" culture. It's a culture that helps to quickly develop relationships. And, it's a culture that ensures your new hires feel welcome during their critical onboarding experience.
[5] QUESTION: What three tips would you give to a new leader?
ERIC JACOBSON: The time when you become a new leader is so critical. How you conduct yourself during that time will make or break you. There are lots of things to do and not do. Most important to do’s are:
1. Learn first what your new team members are doing right and don’t bad-mouth past leadership.
2. Don’t try to solve problems too quickly in your new role.
3. Get to know your team members by name and be overly visible within the organization, engaging team members in conversation and by listening intently.
An extra tip I like is from the book, The New Leaders 100-Day Action Plan, is to overinvest in early wins to build team confidence.
[6] QUESTION: Lastly, one of my favorite quotes about leadership is from Arnold Glasow, an American businessman often cited in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and other publications, “A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.” What does this quote mean to you?
ERIC JACOBSON: It means when things go wrong, the buck stops with the leader. The leader is ultimately responsible. And, when things go well, the leader should ensure those responsible for that success receive proper and appropriate recognition and accolades. When there is blame, the leader should be in the forefront. When credit is due, the leader should be in the background.
TWEET THIS:
When there is blame, the leader should be in the forefront. When credit is due, the leader should be in the background. ~@EricJacobsonKC #LeadershipTip
My thanks to Eric for once again appearing on my blog and sharing his amazing insights into effective leadership and successful employee experiences.
Lastly, check out the links to Eric's previous appearances on my blog.
Leadership Doesn't Have to Be Hard
May 3, 2016
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2016/05/leadership-doesnt-have-to-be-hard.html
The Importance of Mentorships
March 11, 2013
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-importance-of-mentorships.html
The Importance of Training, Customer Connections and Leadership
March 21, 2011
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2011/03/importance-of-training-customer.html
Image Credit: ImageQuote app.
It's time to feature one of my favorite leadership experts on my blog again. Mark Herbert and I met back in 2011 as a result of our social media activities, and I was immediately impressed by Mark's insights gained by more than 30 years of experience as an HR executive, author, and management consultant in a variety of organizational settings ranging from entrepreneurial to Fortune 100. Currently, Mark is Principal for New Paradigms, a management consulting firm in Oregon that helps companies embrace change to engage their employees. Check out the highlights of our conversation about leadership below.
[1] QUESTION: How do you differentiate between management and leadership?
MARK HERBERT: This the age-old question isn’t it? In the simplest terms, I see management as a role and leadership as a relationship. An organization can appoint you to a role as manager and give you authority to instruct me, set expectations, and make other decisions about staff and their work. It is best when we have provided you with an appropriate skills framework to make you effective in that role. Leadership as a relationship is when people place their trust in you. They follow your direction not because of the authority that you possess, but rather because of the trust that you have earned. In another way, I have often said that leadership is not something you can demand, it is a gift that others bestow upon you. It is also an awesome responsibility. The trust that comes with leadership is something to be cultivated and tended very carefully.
[2] QUESTION: On your website (http://www.newparadigmsllc.com), you welcome visitors with one of my favorite quotes, "Your culture is your brand." As a brand marketing professional, I applaud you for sharing that statement, but how do you define it?
MARK HERBERT: We often forget that the most important thing in relationships with our stakeholders is where our customer or stakeholder connects with our employees. That is where your brand “lives.” You can have a great product, wonderful marketing, and other tactics, but that human-to-human contact is what transcends a transaction and makes it a relationship. When an organization states one thing and acts in another, people look at the actions. Look at the impact of Uber’s culture on the Uber “brand.” As a polarity look at Richard Branson.
[3] QUESTION: You've written about something called a "leadership brand." What is it, and what are some examples of leadership brands?
MARK HERBERT: Leadership brand is another way of saying your leadership culture. First of all, it starts at the top of the organization. The leadership style demonstrated by top leadership is typically replicated throughout the organization. You get the behavior you reinforce. Leadership brands are also different, and one isn’t better or worse than the other. Steve Jobs was a brilliant man and a tough leader. He could be extremely difficult and demanding. Jack Welch led GE successfully with a style that would likely not be tolerated by many millennials today. Both those organizations enjoyed tremendous success in their times. An excellent example of leadership brand is described in Simon Sinek’s brilliant book, Why Leaders Eat Last, where he describes the leadership paradigm of the Navy Seals, arguably the elite of our U.S. Military. The key is defining your leadership brand either current or aspirational and demanding that it is the standard of performance.
[4] QUESTION: You've written extensively about why employees are disengaged, but if you could write the most-widely read personnel manual, what three activities would you include to create inspiring workplaces?
MARK HERBERT: At its most basic, I try to teach my clients to hire hard and manage easy. What I mean by that is, first of all, you hire people whose values and commitment to your “Why” are clear. When people face a values incongruency at any level with their role or company, engagement isn’t going to happen.
Second, I tell my clients they need to embrace Stephen M. Covey’s trust model. There are three distinct levels of trust: statutory, knowledge based, and identity based. Identity based trust is the goal. That is where you have alignment. It is a difficult hurdle to achieve. It doesn’t come with degrees or certifications. It comes from shared experiences.
Third, is hire the right leadership team. When I say leadership team, I mean from the C-suite to front line leaders. The best leaders possess the following in my experience:
• Technical Competence.
• Understanding and embracing the trust and congruency models.
• Emotional and Social Intelligence.
• Emotional Awareness.
• Emotional Balance.
You will notice that the “technical” skills are only one dimension, that isn’t accidental. People don’t trust and follow you for competence and intellect alone.
[5] QUESTION: You are responsible for one of my all-time favorite leadership quotes. "Leadership doesn't require you to be the smartest person in the room. It requires you to block and tackle for others." What led up to the quote?
MARK HERBERT: I have watched too many emerging leaders and entrepreneurs making the transition be overly concerned with being the “expert” on everything. Spending my early career in large companies taught me that there are many facets that make up a successful strategy. One person is typically incapable of mastering all of them. The best leaders recognize the elements that need to be represented in a complete strategy and they integrate them. They don’t try to be the first chair to use a musical analogy, they conduct the orchestra. I have watched people step up and do amazing things when they were given permission and freedom to make mistakes without fear of failing. The other is being sure that credit and success are in abundance rather than scarcity. Use recognition proactively rather than reactively.
My gratitude to Mark for sharing his timeless leadership insights. I invite you to check out Mark's previous guest appearances on the Debbie Laskey Blog at the links below:
Tips to Engage Your Workforce (June 1, 2011)
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2011/06/tips-to-engage-your-workforce.html
Workforce Engagement and Motivational Secrets (January 11, 2013)
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2013/01/workforce-engagement-and-motivational.html
Why Brand Advocacy Is Closely Tied to Employee Engagement (May 7, 2014)
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2014/05/why-brand-advocacy-is-closely-tied-to.html
Why Janitors May Be Your Best Brand Advocates (March 7, 2016)
http://debbielaskey.blogspot.com/2016/03/why-janitors-may-be-your-best-brand.html
[1] PLACE EMPHASIS ON CORPORATE CULTURE
A man went to a hospital in Texas because he wanted to meet a famous heart surgeon. As the man left the hospital, he met an elderly janitor who was mopping the floor. The man asked, “What do you do here at the hospital?” The elderly man replied, “Dr. DeBakey and I save lives together.” The elderly man explained that Dr. DeBakey had told all employees that hospital infections kill more patients than disease, so the elderly janitor was doing his part to keep the hospital clean.
TAKE-AWAY:
Have all the employees in your company jumped on the bandwagon to support each other and work toward the same goal?
My thanks to Mark Herbert (@NewParadigmer on Twitter) for sharing this story in his book, Managing Whole People, One Man's Journey.
[2] SHOW GRATITUDE FOR EMPLOYEES
In 1989, Gary Comer, the founder of Lands’ End, built a state-of-the-art gym for his employees. At the pool’s unveiling and once all employees had assembled near the pool, he asked them to look at the tiled wall near the pool, where the names of all employees had been added to the wall.
TAKE-AWAY:
How many companies show their gratitude for their employees in such a visible manner? Moreover, how many companies truly realize that, in order to create satisfied customers, they must FIRST create satisfied employees?
My thanks to Jeanne Bliss (@JeanneBliss on Twitter) for sharing this story in her book, I Love You More Than My Dog – Five Decisions That Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty in Good Times and Bad.
[3] UNDERSTAND THAT EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING STARTS EARLIER THAN YOU THINK
When your brand is Singapore Airlines, a cup of tea is much, much more than just a cup of tea during the interview process. A group of potential hires was led into a conference room and asked to wait. Hiring managers watched from an adjoining room through one-way glass. In the conference room, chairs were placed against the walls, but there was a table in the middle of the room with a tea pot and cups. The hiring managers wanted to see who would start conversations and serve tea to others, because those were the people who demonstrated a commitment to service that Singapore Airlines expects of its employees.
TAKE-AWAY:
When you place an advertisement for an open position, you begin the onboarding process. Applicants should realize that the process begins immediately. Employers and/or people within the personnel department should move forward through the process with respect for all applicants. That said, some businesses, based on their industries, will want to see how applicants act in appropriate scenarios.
My thanks to Marilyn Suttle and Lori Jo Vest (@MarilynSuttle and @LoriJoVest on Twitter) for sharing this story in their book, Who's Your Gladys, How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer Into Your Biggest Fan.
[4] KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS BETTER THAN YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES
In 1975, a customer walked into an Alaskan Nordstrom outpost and asked to return a set of worn-down tires. Even though Nordstrom did not sell the man the tires – and did not sell tires at all – Nordstrom honored the request. This story has become the standard for Nordstrom customer service.
TAKE-AWAY:
Consider the tire customer: Was he a regular customer at Nordstrom? How often did he shop there? How much did he spend? Was he a brand loyal Nordstrom shopper? Should Nordstrom have taken back the tires? And now, for your business, how well do you know your customers?
My thanks to Peter Fader (@faderp on Twitter) for sharing this story in his book, Customer Centricity, Focus on the Right Customers for Strategic Advantage.
[5] STAND APART FROM THE COMPETITION - FAR APART
When a brand loyal customer used Twitter and joked that he was on an airplane and would love to eat a steak, he was surprised beyond belief when he arrived at his destination. He was met by a man in a tuxedo holding a Morton's bag with a full dinner including a 24-ounce Porterhouse steak, an order of shrimp, a side of potatoes, one of Morton's famous rolls of bread, napkins, and silverware.
TAKE-AWAY:
While Peter Shankman thinks his large Twitter following was not the reason for this unbelievable story, the fact that he was a brand loyal customer was significant. How in tune is your brand with your customers’ behaviors? Do they use social media to engage with your brand? Do you use social media to engage with your customers? Think outside the box to stand apart from your competition, and you may end up far apart.
My thanks to Peter Shankman (@petershankman on Twitter) for sharing this story. Read the entire story (and it’s well worth it) at Peter's website at https://www.shankman.com/the-greatest-customer-service-story-ever-told-starring-mortons-steakhouse/.
[6] THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Since everyone experiences delays when traveling, there is no surprise that most people dislike flying. Along the same train of thought, most people probably don't think of airlines when asked to name their favorite brand. But here's a story that may change your mind. Recently, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant made a passenger's dream come true. The passenger had Down Syndrome, and when deplaning, the young girl passenger said it was her lifelong dream to be a flight attendant. The flight attendant made some phone calls within Southwest to get the passenger on another flight and have her work alongside her as an "assistant flight attendant," and two weeks later, on Friday, August 31, 2018, the two flew together on a flight from Sacramento to Seattle. The assistant flight attendant wore a red uniform and helped to greet passengers and also got to do a few other fun things - she even earned flight attendant wings for her service.
TAKE-AWAY:
To quote Bill Murphy of Inc magazine, "There's no revenue involved here for Southwest Airlines. There's nothing that will make investors swoon. There's no way that doing something like this for a passenger is in the flight attendant's job description. But at the same time, after hearing this story, how can you not feel a little bit better about Southwest Airlines? Even if you've never flown them? Or even if you've had a bad experience yourself on the airline sometime." Will you forget this story? I know I won't.
My thanks to Bill Murphy of Inc magazine for sharing this inspiring story. @BillMurphyJr on Twitter. (https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/southwest-airlines-flight-attendant-act-kindness-southwest-passenger-viral-good-news.html)
These six brand experiences have remained with me over the years. What are your most memorable brand experiences? I invite you to chime in and share.
