What is Respect?

This is an abused and often misunderstood word. Often people confuse respect with conformity. Allow me to explain - too often than not when people say they respect you what they mean is the like how much to conform to their ideals and ways of doing things - they do not really accept you they in fact only appreciate the efforts you are making to please them so it is a selfish statement depending on how it is used and by whom.

What is respect then - in its simple terms it is acceptance of others and yet before a person can accept others they must be willing to make peace with and accept themselves. Allow me to use some examples:

• Did you know in many Asian cultures it is customary to use the family name first and the given name second?
• Did you know historically in European cultures the middle name was not given to you at birth but was bestowed on you based on an attribute you were thought to personify at your baptism?
• Did you know in Indian culture you tribal name was given to you after your ceremony of passing and accepted into the tribe and that to many native American is an insulting term many prefer instead to be called first people?
• Did you know that in African culture many people (like Irish clans, first people and so many others) are divided into tribes and that like European have some that are considered Royal or Noble lineage?

Now let me ask some other questions:

Do you show enough respect to learn basic words in the native languages of others if nothing else at least how to properly say the name of then country?

• Germany - Deutschland
• Brazil - Brasil
• Japan - nihon or nippon
• China - zhōng guó
• Spain - España

Well you get the idea - so here is the million dollar question - are you truly treating people with or respecting them or rather are you merely telling them conform to my expectations of you because I am selfish, opinionated, narrow and close minded to attempt to understand you?

Additionally if you make no effort to understand and respect them why are you shocked when no one reciprocates and respects you?

I will close with these thoughts:

• Respect - to hold in esteem or honor, to show regard or consideration for, to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with, to relate or have reference to.
• Conformity - compliance or acquiescence and action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc

Are you accepting them and working to understand who they are and what makes them unique and special or are you instead attempting to make others you you with accept yours as the only true and correct way or thinking, living, acting and existing?

So how does this apply to business?

• As a business owner are you listening to and accepting what your clients and customers are telling you they need or are you attempting to force them to conform you your expectations and ways of doing things then ending up disappointed when they show you neither respect or loyalty?
• Does your business exist to provide a service to your clients and customers or do you believe your clients and customers exist to service you?

In short - do you respect them?

• What do you think?

Big Mistakes

Was listening to PRI and BBC Radio about state of the economy. Heard many things but the one that catch me off guard was Saab is shutting down. I thought to myself first Saturn now Saab.

Saturn because they could not figure out how to turn a profit in that division and Saab because no one would buy it. I thought to myself what happened and where did they possibly go wrong. It occurred to me as with most big business the confuse standardization with uniformity and in tight times they focus on the bottom line instead of innovation and customer service and in good they do not reinvest in company instead the try to maximize profits by lowering expenses and paying large bonuses.

Lets start with standardization - it is not always or simply saving money by using the same parts in everything - it is taking the best practice processes that adapting those that work in other businesses while retaining your unique characteristics.Sometimes that means using different parts but adopting the processes to assemble effectively. Nature does better when there is a diverse ecosystem so does business although limiting that is what most people do to make it easy to manage.

Lets look at innovation - how involved are the employees in the production and manufacturing and design process? How involved are the customers and clients in the design process? What about bonus structure - is it based solely on company monitary performance with no validation customer service and satisfaction levels having no impact on executive salary and do you take teh money during good times and reinvest in maintaing and upgrading infrastructure or do you spend it on excessive bonuses and large compensation?

Next lets look at company structure - is the company set up so that the focus is on producing products and services to meet and or exceed the customer's expectation or is it designed to perpetuate a system of processes that maintain the status quo?

I have other thoughts but would like to know what you think?

I want it all and I want it now

• Give me money - you owe me
• Have sex with me - I want and need it
• Hire me - you owe me a living
• Treat me special - I am better than you
• Entertain me or I will not play
• Do for me because I do not want to do myself
• I would rather steal from then earn your business
• You exist so serve me - I have no obligation to serve you
• Do as I say not as I do - I know what is best for you
• I cannot do that work - it is beneath me

So much of society these day is based on entitlement. People wanting things they have not earned. The whole healthcare debate is a prime example of this. I will not be political rather I will explain it with a question - if the programs and reforms are so good for us then should not the people crafting the legistlation be themselves willing to enroll ihemselves and their family into the program and prop their seperate system.

I am all for helping others and making sure that people are provided for and I am not even going to get into choice, rather I am speaking of a time old leadership principles.

How many of you remember:

• Never ask people to do anything you are not willing to do yourself.
• Never think you are any better than anyone else.
• Lead by example.
• Any work you do is a reflection on you regardless of what it is

So, what is the point of this post - a few simple questions:

• When did we become so insecure and exploitative?
• What happened to the dignity of work?
• What happened to the concept of integrity?
• When did appearance become more important than substance?
• When did pride become the norm?
• What happened to service before self?
• Why when people are successful or achieve some feat do the seek to tear them down, find flaws or in some manner destroy them instead of asking how did they do that and what lessons can I learn from them?

What is Customer Service?

Any thoughts of why this is and must be a core focus of your business – any business?

Why did the economy collapse?

There are many schools of thought as to what happened and why

• Banks Failures
• Job loss
• Lower consumerism 

Yet, I believe these to nothing to touch the root causes of the failure which I believe can be summed up simply 

• Misunderstanding of the purpose of business 

Business exists to supply a need to their client or customer and as a result of doing this makes money. At some point the focus changed to profit and the customer service (human) part of the equation was removed and the focus went from the client to the company and then from the company to the executives. Executives forgot just because you make it does not mean people will buy it. They forgot that a product or service must solve a known need. They forgot that when you over stimulate consumption at some point the system will again seek equilibrium. 

Allow me to use a crude but effect example - as an adult with no spouse or children why do I need 2-3 automobiles as one adult its not like I can drive all three of then at one time. While gas use would remain the same all of the other related costs, maintenance, insurance, etc would all increase as a result.

Lets take the same thinking and flip it on its ear – say you are a C level employee (executive) and you lay off 10% of your workforce to hit some arbitrary goal instead of focusing on sustainable profitability. Prior to layoff company is in the red – now it is in the black. You get your bonus and next quarter have to bring those people back on staff - - did you earn that bonus? If you are not willing to pay the janitor a bonus and share in the success of the company do you in fact deserve one? Is there really any difference between a CEO and a janitor – are the not both employees (especially if CEO did not start company)?

So what is a CEO?


Think about this – he will say that in order to stay in business they have to help their customer – I thought that was apart of a viable business model?






What drives business?

The bottom line is this - that people do no do business with companies, businesses or instituations that are not predictible and that they cannot trust?

Business and life lesson from an Orchestra

Most people today enjoy listening to music, albeit singers, bands or a full orchestra. To me in orchestral music we can learn much about how to run an effective business. So what is an orchestra? 

An orchestra - an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string, brass, woodwind sections, and possibly a percussion section as well. The term orchestra derives from the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus. The orchestra grew by accretion throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but changed very little in composition during the course of the twentieth century. 

In a growing business concern either through employees or contractors you as the owners work to create an organization to accomplish the mission of servicing your customers and/or clients. An orchestra performs a work of music for their audience (customers/clients). So, what lessons are here? 

• A conductor – leads the orchestra in performance and rehearsals, determining as the leader the musical works being performed as well as the tempo (speed and rhythm) at which the work will be performed.
• An orchestra exists to perform music – not engineering, law, auto repair – they are focused.
• An musician plays from common sheet music
• Each instrument in the organization has a unique sound and make no effort to serve in other rolls albeit vocal, winds, wood wind, string, percussion (does not pretent to be what isit not)
• Each instrument has its own strengths and limitations
• Each instrument works to compliment the others in the orchestra
• All orchestra members practice to ensure a professional performance
• Each musician learns to master their instrument before joining the orchestra
• Each musician follows the first chair, section leader and ultimately the conductor
• Each musician learns to read sheet music if only by sight and follow what it dictates
• Each musician understands the importance of keeping their commitments
• No member works to outshine the group unless the music calls for is and only when asked to do so
• Each member agrees to the uniform of the organization
• Even when performing in unison the musicians play within the range octaves of their instruments – i.e. c is still c but in the octave of their instrument
• Each member musician is treated with respect
• Each musician maintains and respects the instruments (equipment)
• Each musician understands the importance of self control
• The success of the orchestra is based on who well each section gel and work together – the failure of a single section is a failure of the whole 
  
• The fun is when all of the hard work comes together for a successful and well received performance
  

Are there any lessons you would like to add?

A Hundred Twitters- A Thousand (Chris Brogan)

True intellegence is knowing when to talk, when to listen and when to share. 

Today Chris' post hits on many salient ponts including the application of demographics contained information as it relates to business and it potential real time applications for business and so many other things when one truly understands the implications Twitter has. So instead of sharing my thoughts on business allow me to share Chris Brogan's

• A Hundred Twitters- A Thousand
  

The Secrets of #Business Success

For years I have read many books on how to run and build a successful business. Some books say write a business plan, others talk about elaborate systems of control, even others speak of marketing.  All of these are good but they do not speak to the core issues. 

There is a saying the more things change the more they stay the same. Fact is what is takes to run and grow a business has not ever changed. Before discussing how to create a successful business let me explain simple why businesses fail.  I will start with a simple truth – a business runs at an imbalance – that is it spends less money than it generates in revenue. An unsuccessful business spends more than it makes in revenue (to grow) or spends exactly what it makes. It really is that simple and that is why a business fails. 

Some will tell you either grow or die and that to some extent is true however it is not the growth that is important rather it is the type of growth – is it natural and sustainable and balanced based on true business needs (like the cycle of nature) or is it forced, cabalistic an hostile in nature like (like a predator in an ecosystem with a limited source of food). The first can be maintained it is controlled the latter if left unchecked (i.e. driven by greed) will lead to the demise of an already fragile ecosystem and the eventual death of the business and all associated with it. 

The underlying principles that determine the sustainability and success of your business have not changed since the beginning of time. 

• Respect
• Honesty
• Trust 

Without these three (3) basic ingredients a business will fail 

• Respect – seeing and understanding the value, contribution and importance of all things (people, facilities, equipment, contractors, suppliers, employees, clients, customers, etc) involved in the enterprise and maintaining or working to enhance or at a minimum maintain them.
• Honesty – understanding your core values and strengths and providing a full disclosure to all involved so that they can made an educated determination as to your value and ability as well as remove any doubt regarding your being able to execute the terms of the agreement and knowing that if you cannot you will tell them
• Trust – the obvious result of doing the first two.    

When these characteristics are in place people can them rely on you to and trust you with their wellbeing because fact is in business you are hired to solve a problem and you do not do business with people you do not trust long term. 

Sure a book will give you all of this great theory

• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• Business Ethics
• Organizational Behavior
• Financial Accounting
• Managerial
• Accounting
• Sales and Marketing
• Human Resources
• Cash Accounting
• Accrual Accounting
• Leveraging
• Business Ethnics
• Supply and Demand
• Strategic Planning
• Business and Contract Law
• Information Mapping
• Manufacturing and Production
• Operations Management
• Statistics
• Technology and Information Systems 

And a host of other theories but as is always the case in the reality and truth of what is required is simple we as people make it complicated.

• Add value
• Do your best
• Solve Problems
• Keep your word
• Service before Self
• Spend less than you Earn 

If I have left anything off feel free to add

Business Lessons – a few thoughts on Customer Service

This is almost a lost art – Service the customer. In a service business this is truly how you make money and yet so many forget that in a product business if it is how you make money and keep customers. 

What is customer service – simply it is seeing what the customer needs and then dedicating yourself and/or your business to meeting and/or exceeding that need.  Worded differently it is having a customer (not self or business) centered approach. Currently our culture teaches self comes first service/others second. The notion of putting others first in order to have your needs meant is almost a foreign concept. Take advantage of and exploit others is the rule of the day because this is truely the quickest way to get ahead short term. A classic example of this is the wall street case on trial where the individual basically stole $50 billion from people he even called friends. 

To perform customer service well requires two qualities – a sense of confidence in self and job and a desire to help others. So what can customer service get you as a business – a loyal customer who appreciates the value you bring and added service they receive with the purchase of their product or services. Additionally it requires competence and an informed knowledge of and about your product or service. 

• Customer service is not – listening to what a person say and then using their weakness to exploit them by selling them something that is more expensive that they do not need in order to get over on them leaving them with buyers regret 
  
• Customer service is – listening to what the customer wants and then using that information to anticipate their needs both present and future and offering a product or a solution which is cost effective solution. 
  

So often people forget that we are paid to solve problems real or perceived. Let me give you an example of poor customer service using a real world example - there is a company whose sells internet appliances that states clearly on their site they do not offer technical support. How can you sell something and not be willing to answer questions about it? How can you take a person's money and say - know what I have no further obligation to you - call someone else who cares? I will not place the name of the company but I will post a direct quote from their website:

"XYZ (a real company) does not provide Technical Support for the items listed below via chat, email or telephone. Please contact the manufacturer of the equipment or work with your network administrator for assistance on these issues.

• VPN access or technical support
• VoIP / Video conferencing
• Remote Access applications
• Gaming system set-up or configuration
• Online gaming"

So if XYZ is the manufacturer of the equipment what is the message?

Here are the questions:

• Is customer/client satisfaction a part of your customer value proposition?
  
• Without customer/client satisfaction how long can a business prosper, thrive and grow?
  

The art of compromise

As a consultant you must remember that you cannot be right all of the time and rarely if ever will you be able to do things your way. In fact you must do things the way that the client wants – period because your role is to service their need, not for them to service yours.

Let me use an example – suppose you are designing a security system. The ideal system will cost $20K but the budget including labor is $15K. What you must do is work with the client to give them what they want within the constraints provided while working to make sure any key potential security gaps are closed as much as possible under the limitations provided.

Sure you could push for what you want and the full $20K system but if you were smart you would design the system such that you left room for it to expand to the ideal system with only the installation of new cameras and the configuration of the DVR and multiplexer if coax or the IP cameras and recording software if network based. The mistake so many make is thinking my way is the only way and if I do not do this they are wrong and it cannot work – they think in absolutes which causes them to crash and burn. Have seen many companies blow past me in revenue then go back the other way. Sure you can make quick money, sure you can do it all your way, sure you can be right all of the time, but rest assured you will be out of business soon enough with that attitude.

Business Tip: What characteristics should you look for when selecting a service provider?

• Customer focused – they should be concerned with how they can help you achieve your goals not on pushing their own solution on you and forcing you to adjust to them
• Focus – They should be committed to providing you the best possible solution to your problems
• Integrity – they should be good to their word
• Technical expertise/experience – they should have in house or access to the knowledge and resources to resolve your problems
• References – Their portfolio of clients should substantiate their claims
• Loyalty - You want to know that the company will stand with and by you in both good and bad times, especially bad
• Partnership - You want to know the company views you as an extension of who they are not another firm to be exploited for your money to get stuff you do not need
• Confidentiality - You want to know that while they may discuss issues that you company data and information is protected
• Predictably - You need to know that you can count on their actions and words to aligned and that they are consistent