If you think I’m asking about THE VALUE OF YOUR BUSINESS, you are 100% wrong.
I’m talking about your PERSONAL BUSINESS VALUES! Let’s get on the same page people!
Business values (also called corporate values or core values) are the guiding principles and fundamental beliefs that help a group of people function together as a team and work toward a common business goal, and they are really important to establish for your business.
In short, your Values are the way you want your organization, departments, the people to believe in, live by, and perform each day. Values are what’s most dear to you in the functioning of your business. It represents how you expect your people to operate your business. Simple concept, but if people don’t know what’s important to you in YOUR business, they will do what important for them.. in YOUR business!. That’s NOT what you want!
Let me give you a great example. This is one of our real case studies. The new insight for me was the “boss” used an icon, a physical instrument, to build a business culture with Values in the center..and it worked! Remember, Values will create the culture of the businessl
Case Study: The Red Telephone:
Earl, an old school CEO, put a “red telephone” in his show room for use by any customer, anytime, that has any complaint/problem/issue that needs to be fixed. It works great as I, a customer, have used it twice.
When this red phone rings, day or night, 24/7, Earl picks it up even if he’s in Timbuktu -He always picks up the red telephone and solves the customer’s concern.
This customer tool sends the clearest message to all customers that they are #1. For the 150 employees, Earl “walks the talk”, and so should they!
When the Value of the customer satisfaction is so demonstratively entrenched in the business culture, it was amazing that each of the 150 employees adopt that same behaviors in the their day to day work ethic. Every employee behaved EXACTLY the same way. By the way, Earl’s company wins most of the customer satisfaction awards from the auto manufacture, and employee turnover was zippo.
Here is the takeaway. When a “boss” is living the Values of People First, (including people and customers), the impact, not only on customer service, but employee engagement and performance will rock your roof. See Arthur Blanks new book, GOOD COMPANY for a full belly on the power of Values.
In addition, these happy customers created an army of “promotors” growing Earl’s business, PLUS the employee engagement scores were north of 87. The highest I’ve ever seen in 30 years of business analysis.
Your lesson for today is to get your own “Red Telephone.”
Stanley Labovitz, J.D., CEO
SurveyTelligence, Inc.
2640 Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1716
West Palm Beach, FL. 33404
1-508-400-4094
Author: Back From The Brink
