Culture?

As I left the last organisation I worked for, which I spent many years in and one that I was deeply connected to, I have had the opportunity to spend more time thinking about what it is that makes organisations great.

I believe that at its core, a business must be built on a culture that truly values people and all the amazing skills and diversity that comes with that. A business where leaders are not afraid of being questioned and instead invite questions, conversation, and healthy debate. A business that is dogged about the customer experience and makes sure that every interaction is one that not only delivers on its promises consistently, but one that continually strives to build long term trusted relationships with customers. A business that is continuously learning, agile and innovative, which is able to stand the test of an ever-changing technological and business landscape.

I wanted to share with you three of my favourite quotes that truly encapsulates some of my beliefs about the importance of the right culture in organisations and the way we must treat our people and our customers every single day.

“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.”  – Mahatma Gandhi

It's a fairly common mistake that people think Mahatma is Gandhi's first name. His actual name is Mohandas and Mahatma was actually a symbolic title given to him which means 'great-souled' or 'venerable.'

Another quote I love is from Maya Angelou the American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. 

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." – Maya Angelou

And lastly from someone that I respect as one of the most incredible business leaders of our time. Focus, consistency, and follow-up can quite simply be described as Jack Welch's mantra. His focus on changing when necessary, openness to new ideas, relentless pursuit of excellence in customer service, quality, simplicity, the empowerment of employees, and the continual quest for competitive advantage are the hallmarks his leadership.

“There are only three measurements that tell you nearly everything you need to know about your organization's overall performance: employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and cash flow ...It goes without saying that no company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.” – Jack Welch

I wish you all the very best with your respective businesses and welcome your thoughts on this topic.

Ken