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February 09, 2006
If you want to create customer evangelists, first create employee evangelists
This note illustrates the adage: Employees tend to quit their bosses, not their companies.
(From the Beyond Robson blog.)
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Holy smokes! Talk about putting your unemployment check where your mouth is.
I only wish the one time I had quit a job (without another one lined up)I would have left so dramatic an epitaph.
Ben,
After all the years of continuous exhortation for managers to create the kind of workplace that encourages "employee evangelism."
I know that in one of the buisnesses I managed there was such a good relationship between myself and the rest of the management team, that the employees truly went about not only doing their jobs but beyond that to giving our customers far beyond even what they asked for.
Nobody could touch in sales and growth in our niche.
The customer is central to the life stream of the business and the employee is just as much a customer as the people that we send our sales teams after and that the marketing people try to target. In a blog intitled "the silent customer" I addressed this issue as it relates to customer service.
But hey, a picture is worth a thousnad words. No customers no business. No employees no customers. This seems to be a pretty forward equation that the managers who can't see beyound thye ledger and the metrics sheet can understand.
As awsome as that sign was it was also tragic and provided a sad commentary on busines.
its a great posting !!! Reminds of the Roger Waterman -GSB video. "people managment first" that creates customer wealth !!
All I have to say is "ouch!" Good discovery here Ben! It's one of those rare posts where as any manager of people, even the coldest of souls, must say "geez, I hope I'm never on the receiving end of one of these." It's all the more powerful because it deosn't even sound vindictive just very diappointed the standard wasn't higher.
I don’t defend the boss here: to have angered your staff to that extent is not a good thing. But, if an employee speaks of trust, he or she should be able to offer it. In this case, having the dignity to trust that a private complaint—the proper way of quitting—would have been acted upon. If ‘Scott’ doesn’t change, then let his business fail and let bad word of mouth get to him. But at least the employee can walk away from the situation with his or her head held high, rather than having debased him or herself to the level of the boss. I see a lose–lose here, and proof that like attracts like.
I can't agree with you more.
I think we tend to focus too much on vision, mission, "year of the customer" war cries, CSMM ratings etc. but then I have always found it falls flat on the ground when you have indifferent employees. They make or break this credo.
I think the biggest challenge is also not when you are a small company as you can have a bunch of aligned, customer focussed employees. As you get bigger the "law of averages" catches up with you. Hence, it is important for CEOs, managers not take their eye of this ball ever!
Bravo.
My last employer - an IT company - had an amazing group of phenomenal staff. Not only were they exceptional at their trade, they were super productive, loyal, 140% customer focussed and were truly honest and vivacious people.
After dealing with his revolting temper, standover bullying, lying, abusiveness and sexual harrassment (yes, even in this day and age) we all confronted him with our needs. He changed, but returned to his ways withn the month.
Long story short, he lost all but one staff member within 6 weeks of that initial meeting.
I often wonder if he ever looks back and thinks "Shit, it might be ME".
Thanks for this.
Beckie, that reminds me of the line from Pulp Fiction:
"Well yeah. I was just sitting here, eating my muffin, drinking my coffee, when I had what alcoholics refer to as a moment of clarity."
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pulp_Fiction
When do bad bosses have their moment of clarity?
