The Quisenblog

There is a famous story about President John F. Kennedy’s first visit to NASA’s headquarters back in 1961. While touring the facility, the President’s entourage reportedly came upon a man mopping the floor in one of the hallways. The President stopped to chat with the man, shook his hand, and asked what he did at NASA. The janitor proudly addressed the young President by saying, “Sir, I’m helping to put a man on the moon!”

This story illustrates the idea that everyone at NASA, regardless of his or her position, was in their own way contributing toward the ultimate mission of the organization. Is the same true in your company?

As managers, too often we’re tempted to treat team members or departments as “cogs in a bigger machine,” rather than allow them to share in the mission of the company (what we refer to as your “Brand Vision”). Too often our “greater purpose” never makes it beyond our executive suite (or worse, out of our own heads). By allowing everyone in the organization to take ownership of the Brand Vision and bring their own special “mojo” to it, it makes it much more likely the customers and prospects we deal with on a daily basis, regardless of where in the operation they reside, will see us as we intend them to.

The first step in building this camaraderie and getting buy-in from everyone in the organization is to share how your Brand Vision was arrived at, what it means to your customer, and why it is meaningful, unique and true. Then, turn your employees and departments loose in determining how they can contribute to the expression of the Brand Vision, and ultimately, how they can surprise and delight customers through fulfillment of the Brand Vision.

A few well-known examples that come to mind of companies that give their team members freedom in expressing the organization’s Brand Vision in their own unique way are Zappos (”Beyond-Exceptional Customer Service”) and Starbucks (”Welcoming”). A specific example of how one employee’s actions can elevate an entire organization comes from this previous post we had on Southwest Airlines.

Is knowing the mission of the organization is to put a man on the moon going to affect how a janitor mops a floor? Who knows. But just the fact that he felt a part of that mission surely paid benefits to NASA in some form, probably in a way that NASA management couldn’t have imagined.

The same can be true for just about any forward-thinking organization. Allowing employees and departments to determine for themselves how they can meaningfully bring the organization’s Brand Vision to life in their day-to-day dealings will unleash a collective creativity that will be inspiring to witness. Rewarding ideas and initiatives developed by staff, and sharing successes with all in your organization, are excellent ways management can perpetuate the growth and consistency of the Brand Vision.

Posted by Mickey

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Mickey On Clients, On Customers, Ramblings, customer experience brand vision, empower employees, janitor, john F. Kennedy, NASA, Southwest, surprise, zappos

You’re not in the business of selling a product or service. You’re in the business of creating stories. The stories of customers who do business with you. Stories they can take with them and remember the next time your name is mentioned.

Long after the purchase is over and the reason they decided to buy your product, use your service or shop your establishment is long forgotten, one thing won’t be forgotten: the story. How did they feel when they did business with you? Was it an experience that stood out for them? Was there something there that made them feel special? That made them feel like you got them?

The thing is, stories happen whether you intend them to or not (we can all recall disappointing stories, right?). So why not think ahead and see if there’s something you can do to create a story that is not only unique, but will have the customer talking about it in her circle for days, months or years afterward.

Here’s an example of helping to create a memorable story:

It is a video of a flight attendant named David who works for Southwest Airlines. He was able to take that boiler-plate boarding announcement we all try to ignore on every flight, and turn it into an opportunity for engagement with the airline, and a story that will be remembered by passengers and passed on to others.

If you want confirmation that this created a memorable story, just check how often this video was viewed on YouTube. Or, simply just check out the burned out businessmen in the front rows joyfully participating in the rhythm section.

Southwest didn’t script David. Nor did they tell him he had to do this. But here’s what the airline’s execs did do: they understood that their real business wasn’t the airline business. It was the hospitality business. They might not be able to control departure and landing times, weather delays, FAA requirements and the surly TSA folks who make you take off your shoes and dump out your shampoo. About the only control the airline does have is what it does to engage passengers while they’re held captive in a metal tube 35,000 feet in the air. As such, they hire the most outgoing, entertaining, people-loving folks they can find, teach them a little about running an airliner, then set them loose to surprise and delight.

And create stories.

Posted by Mickey

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Mickey On Customers, Ramblings advertising, customer service, marketing, selling, Southwest, Spokane