|
THIS WEEK
Care: The Missing Magic Ingredient in Business
ALSO IN THIS EDITION
Care: The Missing Magic Ingredient in Business
|
If you get on any marketing site or listen to any business-coaching firm, you would be excused for thinking that everyone is selling one magic pill for business success. Buy this system! Implement this process! Use this software! On and on – a cacophony of noise, where each person is spruiking their wares louder than the last.
I have no doubt that each system can make a difference, but in my experience, there is one thing that trumps all of the processes, systems & software on the market. One thing that if you do consistently well guarantees business success.
And that one thing? Caring. Genuine caring for your employees, your clients, your suppliers and your environment.
Unless you are in a business by yourself selling computer stuff to computers, at some point you will encounter other human beings. One of the fundamental human needs that drive our behaviour is the need to belong, to care and to be cared about. And yet, in business we put all caring away in a little box (marked only to be opened after hours).
But think about it. Which are the businesses that you, as a customer ,rave about? Are they the ones with the slickest forms, the funkiest software or the most perfect products? Or are they the businesses that go that little bit extra to understand your wants and needs, and find ways to fulfil both?
 The ones that get rave reviews are the businesses that treat you as if you have value – they want a long-term relationship with you and not a one-night-stand. They go out of their way to show you how much they appreciate you. They thank you. They ask for feedback. They make it easy to do business with them. They honour their word, do what they say they will when they say they will do it, and if they make a mistake, they apologise and fix it. In short ... they care.
If you look at employers that always have more applicants than vacancies, where turnover is an unknown word, and where people take pride in being more and more productive each day, the common thread is they care about their employees.
They understand that employees are not machines, but humans with emotions and lives that are complicated and need to be dealt with. They understand that caring means telling people when they are going off the rails, and not surprising them with the news when you are on the way to firing them.
They ask for input into decisions, and listen to what is said. They encourage honesty and mistakes without fear of punishment, as they know that mistakes are the foundations of success. They pay fairly, they look after the health of their employees and train people to take on new roles rather than saying, "congratulations – you are now a manager". In short ... they care.
When you look at businesses that have exceptional suppliers who deliver high quality products and services on time, every time, the common factor is, you guessed it, they care about their suppliers. They take the time to share with their suppliers the needs and wants of their customers. They help develop tailored solutions, appreciate good work and always pay on time. Once again ... they care.
Finally, when you look at the most successful long-term businesses, they are the ones that care about the impact they have on the environment around them. They operate from the philosophy that it is not all about the money, but on leaving the people and businesses they meet a little bit better for having worked with them. They take a long-term view, and are not seduced by short-term profits. They care about the legacy they leave.
So, the magic ingredient in business is as simple as caring. The next time you need to update a website, hire an employee or find a new supplier, stop for a moment and consider how you can include a healthy dose of care with your task.
Share
| HR Tip of the Week: But what if you really don't care |
 Have you ever got to the point with a team or with your job when you simply don't care anymore?
When the thought of processing one more invoice is only marginally more attractive than having root control procedure on your teeth without anaesthetic.
Where if your team turns up with a inter team conflict problem you want scream at them to "grow up and get a life". Where you have a weekend countdown timer on your taskbar and going home time is the best part of your day?
Business burnout is very real. For mild burnout, an extended holiday of more than 2 weeks in length may be enough to break your pattern. For entrenched burnout, more radical treatment is called for.
Each person has their own way out of burnout. Some simply need a new challenge to sink their teeth into. Some need to reconnect with their higher values. Some need to find ways to change their palette from beige to more colourful - rediscovering their passions and their preferences in the process. Some need to care for their bodies with massage or acupuncture treatments.
And some need to realise that they no longer fit in their job. That they have outgrown their past & need to step into their future which may involve finding a new role.
If you are burnt out, your first responsibility is self care - taking stock of where you are, what you need and then taking action to make it happen.
 A few of my long term readers commented that they loved reading about the businesses of the week. So for this week, we will look at one business that really cares about what it does.
Care can be expressed in many different forms - it can be simple touches that exceed a clients expectations, it can be support for staff when they are having a rough time, or it can be simply 100% care and devotion to their product or service.
Christine Cottrell from Perfect Espresso is the most passionate coffee lover I have met. She literally travels the world in search of the perfect cup of coffee. From the depths of Turkey to the madness of New York, you will find Christine tasting coffee, and chatting with coffee growers and baristas. She attends Barista Championships and judges coffees from London to Balmain.
Her business teaches trainee baristas (& home baristas) how to create the perfect crema, froth milk the right way, design cute latte art and troubleshoot the brew for optimum flavour.
If there is something to be known about coffee in the world, Christine knows it. She is meticulous to a fault - making sure every detail is quadruple checked and every process works smoothly.
Her books are information dense, beautiful to look at and brilliantly designed (and no, there are no affiliate fees payable for my thoughts on her books - I just love her work).
If you want to see care in print - then take a look at the Perfect Espresso range of books and training materials.
In this post I look at the deep need for connection and offer some home spun wisdom on how to make it easier for "blokes" to have hard conversations.
exuberantly yours
Ingrid
Heart Harmony
Legal stuff: This newsletter is intended as only a general guideline for Australian businesses. You should seek specific advice for your situation rather than relying only on this newsletter
Earnings disclaimer. Some of the content may include advertorial information, which means I may receive financial compensation for the products I recommend. But - unless I know and trust the product, I will not recommend it.
|
email
