Page 55 - The Apple Experience

Fear Destroys Culture

Fear inhibits leadership, destroys cultures, and ultimately leads to a poor

customer experience. One study found that in a recession only half of
employees in the United States took all their vacation time (in a country

where the average vacation is only two weeks). When employees were asked
10
why they didn’t take their vacation, many expressed the fear of becoming

targets in the next round of layoffs. These “fearful” employees come to work

tired, irritated, and uninspired because they haven’t had a chance to recharge

or explore new ideas. Expecting these employees to provide an exceptional

customer service is like asking the cast of Jersey Shore to go one day without

making fools of themselves. It’s not going to happen. Fear also leads to

something even more damaging to creating a customer-centered culture.
Scared employees are reluctant to speak up, and if they do not voice their

opinions, it’s nearly impossible to offer feedback. Feedback, as you’ll learn in

the next chapter, is a key ingredient in Apple’s secret sauce.

I love the Apple Store at FL’s Millenia Mall! Super helpful & great customer

service. —Deb S.

The Crazy Ones

When Steve Jobs returned to rescue Apple in 1997, he didn’t have any new

products to announce (the breakthroughs would begin the following year

with the introduction of the iMac). Instead, Jobs motivated his team by
creating a television ad—not for his customers, but for his employees. Jobs

wrote the words to The Crazy Ones because he wanted to remind employees

of Apple’s core values and beliefs. The words came from the bottom of

Steve’s soul. During the celebration of Steve’s life on October 19, 2011, at