Fast Food..5 Star Service Tap Into Employee Strengths to Be A Better Manager Now
Think of your favorite companies and what they do for you. I like Chick-fil-A. It’s one of the few fast food restaurants that delivers Ritz Carlton service. Their explanation is, “For the past 66 years, we have built a foundational commitment to service – service to our customers, service to our franchised Restaurant Operators and their Team Members, and service to our communities. This begins in the restaurant – one customer at a time. We firmly believe in treating every person who comes through our doors with honor, dignity, and respect. We teach it to everyone who comes to work at Chick-fil-A, and it’s something that they take with them throughout their careers…” I believe them. I have experienced their friendly service no matter where I travel.
[Next article in the series: Creating a Workforce Part 3b: Tap Into Employee Strengths to Be A Better Manager Now (Practical Thoughts)]
Nordstrom, as another example, is a company known for high-class customer service. How is the Nordstrom brand built? It is constructed by the sales people who work there. That exceptional service is a reflection of good people and engage management.
Somewhere in the Nordstrom process the people get the message of 5 star service and then act upon it. Their manager/employee dynamic can drive the brand but it could also derail it.
A few years ago, Southwest Airlines CEO, Herb Kelleher made the comment that the people, not the bottom line, were sacred at Southwest.” He proved it during a serious recession in which no one was furloughed. In his book, Good to Great Jim Collins describes the “great” philosophy of a genuine leader, “I don't know where we should take this company, but I do know that if I start
with the right people, ask them the right questions, and engage them in vigorous debate, we will find a way to make this company
great.”
People and how they are engaged by their leadership is what “makes the difference”. I coach senior level executives and here is what we do first. We help them get clarity about a vision for life and profession that “inspires” and connects them to purpose. Critical to the coaching process is the need to connect to meaning. Jim Collins continues, “When [what you are deeply passionate about, what you can be best in the world at and what drives your economic engine] come together, not only does your work move toward greatness, but so does your life. For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work. Perhaps, then, you might gain that rare tranquility that comes from knowing that you’ve had a hand in creating something of intrinsic excellence that makes a contribution. Indeed, you might even gain that deepest of all satisfactions: knowing that your short time here on this earth has been well spent, and that it mattered.”
Coming Next… Creating a Workforce That Willingly, Wholeheartedly and Happily Chooses Effectiveness (Part 3b)
Creating a Workforce That Willingly, Wholeheartedly and Happily Chooses Effectiveness (Part 1)
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Think of your favorite companies and what they do for you. I like Chick-fil-A. It’s one of the few fast food restaurants that delivers Ritz Carlton service. Their explanation is, “For the past 66 years, we have built a foundational commitment to service – service to our customers, service to our franchised Restaurant Operators and their Team Members, and service to our communities. This begins in the restaurant – one customer at a time. We firmly believe in treating every person who comes through our doors with honor, dignity, and respect. We teach it to everyone who comes to work at Chick-fil-A, and it’s something that they take with them throughout their careers…” I believe them. I have experienced their friendly service no matter where I travel.
[Next article in the series: Creating a Workforce Part 3b: Tap Into Employee Strengths to Be A Better Manager Now (Practical Thoughts)]
Nordstrom, as another example, is a company known for high-class customer service. How is the Nordstrom brand built? It is constructed by the sales people who work there. That exceptional service is a reflection of good people and engage management.
Somewhere in the Nordstrom process the people get the message of 5 star service and then act upon it. Their manager/employee dynamic can drive the brand but it could also derail it.
A few years ago, Southwest Airlines CEO, Herb Kelleher made the comment that the people, not the bottom line, were sacred at Southwest.” He proved it during a serious recession in which no one was furloughed. In his book, Good to Great Jim Collins describes the “great” philosophy of a genuine leader, “I don't know where we should take this company, but I do know that if I start
with the right people, ask them the right questions, and engage them in vigorous debate, we will find a way to make this company
great.”
People and how they are engaged by their leadership is what “makes the difference”. I coach senior level executives and here is what we do first. We help them get clarity about a vision for life and profession that “inspires” and connects them to purpose. Critical to the coaching process is the need to connect to meaning. Jim Collins continues, “When [what you are deeply passionate about, what you can be best in the world at and what drives your economic engine] come together, not only does your work move toward greatness, but so does your life. For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work. Perhaps, then, you might gain that rare tranquility that comes from knowing that you’ve had a hand in creating something of intrinsic excellence that makes a contribution. Indeed, you might even gain that deepest of all satisfactions: knowing that your short time here on this earth has been well spent, and that it mattered.”
Coming Next… Creating a Workforce That Willingly, Wholeheartedly and Happily Chooses Effectiveness (Part 3b)
Creating a Workforce That Willingly, Wholeheartedly and Happily Chooses Effectiveness (Part 1)
Other Related Articles
"Highly Productive, Stress Reducing" Approach to Organizational Development
Adopting and Adapting to the Virtual Workforce by Mark Miller, Emergenetics (Part 1)
Adopting & Adapting to the Virtual Workforce (Part 2) by Mark Miller, Emergenetics
7 Steps to Make Your Meetings Count
Achievement Through Performance Advancements
A Collaborative Workforce Starts with Collaborative Leadership
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