Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
at 9:24am
A couple of weeks ago while getting a tour of Zappos (the online shoe and clothing company), Danica and I were placed on a throne in full glory! Oh, don’t worry. It’s nothing we did; they just treat everyone that way! Imagine if your company did that? I know I imagine what it would be like if my company did the same. Why does it seem so impossible? Why are companies like Zappos so rare?
What if I told you it wasn’t that hard? What if I told you it consisted of a few key elements that any company could implement? Would you? The concepts are really simple. I’m working at getting better myself! Here they are… Servant Leadership companies are 30% more profitable than their competitors. Here is the vision for getting started with this at your company.
1) Owners have Core Values that are tested against daily behavior.
2) Owners have created a clear and concise Vision that can be measured.
3) Employees are treated as owners who are trusted and held accountable to the vision and values of the company.
4) Owners inspect what they expect by testing employees’ daily behavior to the values of the company and create supporting systems of checks and balances.
5) Owners reward behavior that promotes Core Values and they celebrate victories along the way.
There you go! I’m perfecting the magic we have going on at Prophit. To create anything of meaning there must be a purpose and a vision. Start by creating an actionable vision statement. The important thing is to get started!
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: Create your long-term vision and purpose. Why are you here?
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
at 9:35am
Today is a big day! My quest to understand corporate culture has led me to Zappos. If you are unaware of the Zappos brand, learn about their products at zappos.com. Once you order from them, you will begin to understand customer service. Zappos got started selling shoes online. They have a 365-day return policy. All shipping is free. If the shoes don’t fit, go online and order another pair. They will send those generally next day air. The service is excellent and has gained national recognition. They have been number one on Forbes’ Best Places to Work list for three consecutive years.
I recently heard Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh (pronounced Shay) speak. He is a regular guy with a simple message: Chase the dream not the paper. His new book, Delivering Happiness, shares his ideas on corporate culture and creating WOW! He noted that we don’t know what will bring us happiness. We often think “as soon as I get that promotion” or “as soon as I lose 20 pounds” then life will be great. When we accomplish these things, we may not be happy because we are off to the next thing.
He pointed out that whatever you think you want comes down to one desire—happiness. It’s not the goals that make us happy, it’s a higher purpose. True happiness is only generated from knowing you are a part of something greater than yourself. He noted that all companies need to define their purpose. The simpler you can define it, the more income potential you can expect. Tony explained that only two years ago the Zappos purpose became Delivering Happiness. Because of this vision, a new profit center opened up. Today you can do the Zappos experience and attend their culture-building classes. Cool! Our company is meeting in a couple of weeks to begin defining our purpose. Why are we here? Figure that out and watch how engaged your employees will be!
Joe Kiedinger
ACTION PLAN: What’s your higher purpose?
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