Inspect What You Expect

Johno Harris Johno.Harris@aspen-waite.co.uk

What is the most important factor for success?

Speak to the “experts” and everyone tells a different story and has a different idea about what is essential for success.

Some people focus on systems and processes, others would say without sales there is nothing, and yet others would advocate the importance of strong marketing and branding.

Personally, I feel all the above are important, and every business will require an input from each of these areas to some degree, but the essence of success in any business will be how the people who work there are treated and cared for. Happy people are industrious and ingenious. Happy people look for solutions and are always innovating.

Some people feel it is important to be able to measure happiness, but should happiness really be measured like other business KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators)? Happiness could be seen because of how KPIs are achieved. Happy people will generally know what their KPIs are and will focus on these because through achievement they are spreading the happiness within the team.

What makes people happy then? Feeling an integral part of a team usually makes people happy. Involving your team in discussions and decisions can be a really good way of ensuring your people are involved and valued. When we plan a company promotion or perhaps a summer promotional BBQ to invite clients and client prospects, we all get involved and its great fun.

If you are in management then why not ask advice from those who report to you? People generally love to help others.

Create informal discussions from time to time if your business model allows for it. If not, then arrange after work get togethers to find out what makes your colleagues tick and to let them know what makes you tick when not at work. Who knows what you may find in common? One of my colleagues ended up giving me a juicer he was getting rid of and it is probably the most used piece of equipment in our kitchen, now we always exchange juicing recipes! Extend the happiness. Once you have a happy and productive team then apply all the same criteria to your clients and see how it goes. If you have clients who do nothing but complain, then take some time out and assess the complaints as a team, perhaps ask those team members who are not involved to act as “Devils Advocates” and critically look at your performance in relation to said complaints. If they are justified, then it is time to make changes to your client servicing system. If unjustified, time to make changes to your client base.

In summary, people love to be valued and involved. Get this right and everything else should become much easier.

Essential tip before you go:

“Always Inspect what You Expect”.

When involving others in plans and actions, never assume things will happen just because people are enthusiastic, always follow-up on promises yourself, that way you have more to celebrate.