Great leaders know that everyone wants to be a part of creating the vision. Keep your team involved and motivated by asking these three questions. 1. âHow are things going?â [Managers] do not talk to their subordinates about their problems, but they know how to make the...
Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships. Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleTaking a sociological perspective, Barbara Misztal explains in her book Trust in Modern Societies that trust has three social implications: 1) it makes social life more predictable; 2) it creates a sense of community; and, 3) it allows people to work together. Without trust, social interactions are unpredictable, community building is thwarted, and people are unable to collaborate effectively. Businesses aggressively strive to establish trust with their customers but frequently neglect the need to cultivate trust in their workplaces. In their myopia, they create hostile work environments with a âme versus youâ mentality, where employees feel the constant need to watch their backs. In this space, loyalty, creativity, and innovation are sure to die.
As the year comes to a close, we want to say a special thank you to Brian Beitler and Mckeel Hagerty for their contributions to the Cult Branding blog. We also want to thank Tom Grimes, Marcus Thornton, and Tony Hsieh for many great discussions...
âThe strength of the team is each member. The strength of each member is the team.â Phil Jackson A healthy workplace boosts morale, lowers turnover, decreases absenteeism, and increases productivity. With the holidays upon us on and the finish line in sight, it is important to...
A brand becomes stronger when you narrow the focus. Al Ries and Laura Ries, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding. Keeping a brand on course is one of the most critical and difficult challenges executives face. A narrow brand focus will help keep your brand aligned with your...
Breaking down silos can spark innovation in unexpected ways. Gillian Tett, The Silo Effect Youâve seen it before: team members thinking about themselves more than the team; Every man and woman for themselves; a business composed of silos rather than being a cohesive organization. Silos create inefficiency, waste...
Dominant organizations occupy positions of ultimate profitability. Â They do this by providing their customers what they want, even before their customers know they want it. Â Whenever Apple unveils their latest iGadget, they already have legions of excited customers eager to buy. How do they do that?...
THE BIG IDEA: Here are four ways to delight your best customers and make them feel like a VIP.