One of the major business themes in the world today is differentiation. The challenge is that anyone can copy the products we sell or the services we offer. They can mimic our design. How do we separate our restaurant, clothing store, dry-cleaner, coffee shop, etc. from the crowd?
Years ago I was the president of IHRSA, the International Health and Racquet Sports Association. Thousands of clubs from around the world were part of it. Each month I had to write an article that was sent around the world. On one trip, Debbie Lee, my Marketing Director, and I were presenting in Japan. The experience was incredible. The hospitality and friendliness of the Japanese people was beyond anything either of us had ever experienced. Everywhere people were exceptional. In the airport the agents spent over 30 minutes correcting a problem with our tickets for a flight into Australia. They even apologized for taking so long, and they weren’t even the cause of the problem. In the airport restaurant, the welcome and service we received were so personal, that we both had to smile.
As we were preparing to taxi, Debbie pointed something out to me. The baggage handlers on the tarmac had all lined up and as the plane moved they all bowed to the passengers.
Why am I telling you this? It’s because the culture of Japan was so exceptional that it made a lasting imprint on both of us. So here’s my question, if an entire country can have such a culture, what stops a business from doing the same?
Creating a culture inside a business is easy because it simply happens. It’s very easy to define…it’s the way we do things around here. When we hire a new employee, that person simply looks around and mimics everyone else. The question is: what does that individual see?
Creating the right culture in a business takes work and constant surveillance. It starts with determining what the current culture is and facing it without defending it. If your organization is already known for its exceptional products and services and the growth of your business proves it, then work to make things even stronger; find better ways of enhancing your customers’ experience.
If you’re not thriving, look at everything you do from the hiring process through the training through how you evaluate performance. Get feedback from your customers and face the truth not by getting angry, but by searching for ways to improve.
Creating the right culture takes time and it flows from the leaders on down to the front line staff. You see, the culture of a business is one of the last truly defining means of separating one business from another.
Start the process and be relentless to create the culture that can make your business stand out.