Tweet

Make It Personal

Written by: Rob Rush

Article Overview: How I learned to loosen the reins, take my own medicine and ensure that my employees and customers develop an emotional bond with my company. The author, a small business owner, describes how he was able to take the consulting principles that his firm expounds upon to external clients and turn them within to help his own company grow stronger. The lesson, as always, is that engaged, empowered employees will help a company grow more than any infusion of capital. The article is written in the first person.

Make It Personal

It seems everyone these days is talking about the experience economy and seeking ways to become more customer-centric. Innovation is the coin of the realm, as evidenced by the multitude of books, conferences, and newly-minted gurus on the subject. We’re all searching for breakthrough ideas that will wow customers and lead to profitable growth. I’m CEO of LRA Worldwide, a rapidly-growing consulting and research firm. Our focus is on helping companies design and deliver better customer experiences, so I’d like to think I know a little bit about the subject.

As our company has grown steadily over the past decade, I’ve found I can no longer touch every client or remain involved in each project. As somewhat of a control freak, that prospect is a bit scary to me. I had a sense, however, that our continued growth would rest on my ability to surround myself with future leaders and employees who could be as emotionally engaged with my business as I am, and do right by our clients. But how? I decided to take some of our own medicine by adopting the advice we dispense to our clients…and picking up some pointers from some great organizations worth emulating.

I’ve made a habit of studying the companies and brands that seem to really connect with their customers…and those that don’t. Whether it’s a Southwest Airlines, Costco, or In-N-Out Burger, each of these customer champions blends their “secret sauce” with a large dose of highly engaged employees that are truly happy with their work and proud of their company. And that matters. Engaged employees are more friendly, resourceful, knowledgeable, and responsive. Put simply, they do what it takes to get the job done, serve the customer and….care. In studying these “champions” - all operating in commodity-type industries where a competitive advantage might seem fleeting - I realized that at the core of their business models, raving fans, and stunning financials, is invariably an amazing, industrious workforce.

Where does this engagement come from? Well, I know it’s difficult to get right, as there are very few exemplary companies that spring to mind when you think about customer service champions in corporate America. My study points to four common themes done very well: creating a clear and worthy vision for the business; hiring the “right” talent that can deliver on that vision; communicating continuously how the company is performing..and why; and, finally, creating a culture of accountability and recognition. Doesn’t sound very innovative, but sometimes success (and innovation) are as simple as doing the basics extraordinarily well, no matter what.

These four common themes were apparent to me as I studied other companies, more elusive as I figured out how to grow my own. A clear prerequisite for growth, however, required seeking help steering the ship. Last year I established a Leadership Team at LRA comprised of ten senior executives. Initially, I was nervous about sharing my fears and the company’s financial performance with the group…but thought of those “champions” that valued communication and transparency above all. With a heightened level of insight into our company’s past and present performance, our leadership team was emboldened to shape its future. We worked hard to articulate a mission and vision that our employees could truly embrace, in part by ensuring that those very employees had a hand in shaping the words.

As we neared the 100 employee mark, we hired a dedicated Human Resources executive to help us identify and recruit candidates with the optimal blend of will and skill, with an emphasis on the former over the latter. Simply put, we overvalue attitude and passion, undervalue a specific, tangible job skill. With a better understanding of the type of individual that will flourish at my company, the likelihood of us trying to cram a square peg in a round hole is lower. Again, lesson learned from the “champions.”

In the employee engagement research our company conducts for clients, time and again internal communication emerges as a weakness and a dissatisfier, and we are not shy about pushing our clients to address such issues. Again – time to heed the lessons of my “champions” and take a dose of our own counsel. To that end, we’ve created a lively, informative monthly internal newsletter, hold informal Friday Lunch-and-Learn sessions, and constantly disseminate company news, both good and bad. I’ve learned that you just cannot over-communicate. Finally, establishing clear business objectives for managers and employees minimizes misunderstandings and disappointments, period! Being accountable is a core value for us. And the more people take responsibility for and deliver on their objectives, the more we all have to cheer about. Who doesn’t want to be recognized as a winner?

By taking the advice and counsel we offer our clients and heeding the lessons learned from the “champions” that I admire most, I was able to “make it personal,” loosen my grip on the reins, help my company to grow…and glance into the future to see its true potential. While this growth will surely benefit my balance sheet, it will have the greatest impact on our clients, the experience they pass on to their customers, and the resulting benefit to their bottom line. Hey – it is all personal…but you have to be able to take it to the bank!

Related Articles
  Business Credit Cards versus Personal Credit Cards
  Top 10 Ways to Avoid Identity Theft
  What is Personal Branding?
  Personal vs. Business Finances
  Some are naturals, but everyone can get better

Article Tags:



Related Forum Posts
Re: Quote of the Day - "The only people witho - Thanks for sharing this Evan, there are some very powerful quotes in there, I particularly like this one:- You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make. Forget your past. Who are you now? Who have you decided you really are now? Don't think about who you have been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully. regards, Mal.
List of a few legitimate online business - Well My main methods to make money so far are adsense,affiliate marketing and freelancing and I think these are some more sites that can help me to make some more money.Your reviews are welcome: ::linkworth dot com>This site is awesome and offer lots of ways to make money. ::mturk dot com>complete simple mini task and get paid ::microworkers dot com>complete simple mini task and get paid ::shorttask dot com>complete simple mini task and get paid ::istockphoto dot com>sell stock photos ::eHow dot com>Make money writing ::Bukisa>Make money writing ::Associate Content>Make money writing ::Triond>Make money writing ::fiverr dot com>$5 freelancing job ::cpalead dot com>make money by completing offer ::peerfly>make money by completing offer
Re: Twitter vs Facebook - I know this is a naive question but i'm really not sure: What do you tweet ? Business? promote your business? Personal? Are there things you can't do? ALSO :Is there a rule book? Is there a success formula using twitter?
Re: Best Internet Marketing Strategies - Personal development and knowledge are important but as Mat says without action nothing will happen. So don't spend so long learning that you fail to follow through, rather learn as you go along but do something everyday towards achieving your goal. MichelleJ
Re: New Year - New Resolutions? - Business goal: To not procrastinate and to take action on my plans. Personal goal: To be more physically active as sitting on the computer all day isn't good for you.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

How To Be A Management Legend

Motivation Mistakes

What is Discretionary Cash Flow

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.