In the 1980s, Xerox was looking for ways to boost the productivity of its field service staff. Anthropologist Julian Orr was hired to travel with a group of tech reps and observe how they did their jobs. What Orr saw was that the tech reps spent more time with each other than with customers. They often would gather in common areas and swap stories from the field. Orr noted that although it appeared they were …
Audrey Hepburn was an iconic movie star who rose to stardom in the 1950s. For her performance in Roman Holiday in 1953, she won an Oscar, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award for a single performance. The same year she also won a Tony Award for Ondine. To this day, she is one of the few women to win all major entertainment awards. By the 1960s she was on the path to becoming …
Every company formulates strategies to operate the business. These strategies help run their product, marketing, sales and delivery activities. In order to build functional strategies, an all-encompassing Core Strategy is needed that provides direction and aligns efforts across the organisation. The lack of a Core Story can show up in different ways across the business. Marketing – efforts in marketing do not deliver results due to campaigns that are misaligned (an easy indicator is the …
Patagonia, the outdoor wear company, thinks that all employees must believe in the products they sell to customers. Since its inception in 1973, there is a standing policy of letting employees go surfing. Located near the beach in California, the policy allows for people to leave the office when there is perfect surf (or any other outdoor activity). If the swell is up, it’s not unusual for wetsuits and towels hanging around the office building. …
The currency of any leader is a combination of trust, results and relationships. How well these elements are communicated determines their success. A great way to build trust is to be truthful and share stories about yourself. Personal stories have the power to connect with audiences. When people know how you faced adversities and how you overcame them, it gives them an insight into the human side of you. John Chambers, former Chairman and CEO …
