Read Part 1: Are you Running A Communist Business? Part 1Read Original article by Perry Marshall: http://bit.ly/18rssEIn Part 1 of this post, I discussed the issue of presenting your business in a honest light through marketing and advertising, without using propaganda and false hype. Today I want to bring the idea of propaganda into the workplace. In order to really drive the point home, I want to offer a direct quote from the original article:The name of the game in a communist government is information control, yet it is no different in a big corporation.Think about it:At a large company, is it OK to talk about religion?At a large company, is it OK to voice politically incorrect views?At a large company, is it OK to send emails that say what you REALLY think about the company's new product line or CEO?Of course not. There may be……unpleasant consequences for such things.So if you ever wanted to know what it's like to live in a communist country, you may already be working for one - except only 8 hours a day.Does this ring true for your businesses? Perhaps some of the businesses you have escaped from in the past?One thing I know about the pool industry is that there are a lot of smaller, family run businesses. This sort of insider propaganda probably would not apply to a “mom-and-pop” store, right?There are large corporations out there in the pool industry as well: retail chains, distributors, etc. How are they running their business?Obviously, each business will have their own policies, and I am certainly not about to try and correct them or even challenge them in the slightest. I do, however, want to call attention to the incredible opportunities awaiting companies who ask / allow a little bit of controversy into their businesses.Marshall touched down on religion and politics, which I am going to avoid like the plague (that is too much controversy for this girl!). But I want you to think about that last point: Is it OK for you and / or your employees to offer honest feedback on the business?In my opinion, employee feedback is one of the business world's most valuable, untapped, resources. Management doesn't typically spend as much time face-to-face with their customers as the sales staff on the floor does. Paperwork, schedules, ordering and many more important daily tasks will keep you off the floor and out of reach of your clientele to some extent. Your sales staff though...Have you ever done a survey of your sales staff to find out what the top three items people come to them asking about? Do you think that would be valuable information?Have you ever asked your staff what they think of the store layout, and if they have any ideas on how you can make it more accessible to your customers? Remember, the staff you have on the floor are privy to a wealth of information simply by being the person who gets to answer the questions like “where do you keep your filters / chlorine / pool noodles?” If you knew what your customers were asking for, you would know a) what is popular, b) what is hard to find and c) most importantly, what is popular that is hard to find.There are many other ways that you can improve your store, simply by asking your staff to tell you what they think could be done better. If you are willing to allow fresh ideas, your business will always be new and appealing.I'd love to hear your feedback, and learn ways that you have encouraged the sharing of fresh ideas within your business. Please, leave comments!
M, I completely agree.....all of our coworkers should have the enjoyment of making suggestions within our organizations and always have the satisfaction of being heard. The more a Real Team can do that, the more successful their business will be!
Comments