Page 97 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

THE WHY OF WORK

Step 2: Check It Out with Key Customers. Validate your identity or
firm brand with key customers. Does the identity you claim
cause customers to buy more from you? Apple’s “innovative
design” brand gets customers to pay a premium for the com-
pany’s smart phones. Disney’s “family entertainment” brings
people long distances to experience Disney theme parks.
Make sure that what you want to be known for is what your
target customer cares about. A telecommunication company
that pledged that customers would be able to hear a pin drop
over their phone lines found that most customers didn’t care
much about pins dropping as long as their calls were not
dropped.

Step 3: Make Sure That Organization Practices Inside Match the
Intended Brand or Identity. When the identity you are known for
by customers is reflected in practices inside your company,
employees have a line of sight between their daily work and
future customer value. We have found four actions that
weave external identity into internal action.
First, leadership behaviors should be consistent with
what the company as a whole is trying to communicate to
customers. We call this leadership brand. Employees should
be able to recognize in their leaders’ actions the customer
needs they are trying to meet. Leaders at Apple will act to
encourage innovation and design, while leaders at Walmart
will work to reduce costs and drive efficiency.
Second, craft top-down and across-the-aisle communica-
tion to share with everyone what you are trying to do. Repeat
your desired identity over and over in speeches, workshops,
and informal discussions, and capture it in symbols, slogans,
logos, and advertisements. Never forget that behavior will
communicate more convincingly than words and logos.

78