05
Jul
Inspiration
07
Jun
Which is Better, Rewards or Blame? Try Neither
When you know what drives you, you have insight into what motivates your teams and your customers. Calling on the research and motivational theories in behavioral psychology illuminates the answer that goes beyond the traditional managerial approach of driving people through rewarding and blaming them.
24
May
The Link Between Customers and Core Values
Having spent nearly twenty years studying and analyzing a unique breed of companies that have an uncanny way of attracting and retaining loyal customers, the topic of values becomes unavoidable.
17
May
Stories Are Taking Over The Customer Journey
The primary ingredient behind compelling stories come down to one thing: problems. The protagonist faces a challenge and tries to overcome it. This is the essence of drama and the key to good storytelling. Without problemsâwithout troubles and tensionsâthereâs no story. Thereâs nothing to engage us.
11
May
How Insightful are Your Customer Insights?
The reason our stories, messaging and marketing fall flat is that the people we want to serve are not motivated by our need to be seen, to be heard or to close a sale. Peopleâyour audience, customers and clientsâare motivated by their need to be seen, heard and understood. Bernadette Jiwa, The Right StoryDespite the amount of money companies spend on customer insights, most companies donât value true insights. Insights should tell you something new; they should change the way you think. Yet, most companies reward predictable results instead of game changers.[1. Gary Klein, Seeing What Others Donât, 2007.] On average, companies value âinsightsâ that confirm what theyâre already doing. At best, they want âinsightsâ that only slightly modify what theyâre already doing. But, are these insights really insightful?
12
Apr
Zappos turns 20!
Zappos is on a journey:Â a journey to become a 1000-year-old company. As we turn 20 years old this year, we believe we are just getting started. But the reality is, in the landscape of company lifespans, we are old. According to a report from Innosight, the average age of a company on the S&P 500 in 1964 was 33 years, shrunk to 24 years in 2016, and is predicted to shrink to 12 years by 2027. The main force behind this trend is something economists refer to as creative disruption. Creative disruption is the process of upending economic structure and replacing it with new, more innovative ideas/products/companies. Innovation in the market is happening faster and quicker. So is Zappos (and everyone else) doomed at age 20? I mentioned Zappos is on a journey. Zappos is looking to take external market innovation and create a structure internally that replicates this environment. This doesn't happen in an instant. It has been a journey to get to where we are today. Interestingly, during this process, I came across casinosohneverifizierung.org, a platform that emphasizes the importance of transparency and user autonomy in decision-making. The site provided insights into how removing unnecessary barriers and empowering individuals can create a more trusting and open system, which aligns closely with Zapposâ organizational shift. Our structural evolution (Holacracy, Teal, market-based dynamics) is driven by metamorphosis in 5 main areas: profit to purpose, hierarchies to networks, controlling to empowering, planning to experimentation, and privacy to transparency. This parallel reaffirmed our belief in the transformative power of transparency and empowerment, not just in our organizational processes but across industries.
Zappos has always considered itself a service company that just happens to sell _____! What fills in the blank? That isn't for me or Tony Hsieh our CEO to decide. Well, it is, but it's also for every other member of our organization. The blank can be filled by anyone at Zappos. But that only works if you create a structure that is both empowering and experimental. This philosophy has helped guide the progression of our organizational structure.
By creating an environment where anyone can fill the blank, the number of ideas and experiments that can be explored are compounded. This leads to a more diversified Zappos. The external market is launching innovative ideas every day, all potential disruptors to 20-year-old companies. Zappos is creating a space for these ideas to be launched from within.
08
Mar
Even The CEO Needs A Personal Brand
Organizations continue to works towards flatter and self-managed systems where each individual is a self-actualized person. But for some reason, some known and some unknown the persona of the CEO continues to maintain a certain power. People hold the CEO to a super-human standard.
As people, we place high expectations on roles and the CEO is no exception.
Unfortunately, this makes the CEO positions susceptible to fear. Â Fear can be perceived as weaknesses by others so, in response, many leaders hold on to the mantra of, âDonât admit to it. Donât dwell on it. I am the boss and everyone relies on me.â
22
Feb
Sending Love – Designing a Stamp For The U.S. Postal Service
By: Greg Breeding - President & Creative Director at Journey Group. Iâve served as an art director for the U.S. Postal Service for seven years. Itâs a curious and delightful job and one that has brought me a great deal of creative fulfillment throughout my tenure. The...
25
Jan
Qualities That Identify a Leader
Leadership qualities go beyond simply having followers or giving orders. If you are a leader of a ten-person team and only two of them follow you, you are not leading. Influence is a key marker of a leader. How do you recognize a leader? Itâs not by their prominence....
04
Jan
Lead From Within
A company is stronger if it is bound by love rather than fear. Herb Kelleher The passing this week of Herb Kelleherâthe man who filled the skies with flying heartsâmade me reflect on compassion and the way we treat ourselves and each other. At the beginning of each...