Walk the talk

It’s pretty easy these days to be cynical about what motivates company actions, but once in a while you hear a story that restores your faith.

A story came across my email box today that stopped me in my tracks. It isn’t very often that you hear about a company doing something, so fundamentally right that it could not have been an edict or gimmick. And further to that, something totally in alignment with what they say their company is about.

Zappos is an online retailer in the US. It sells shoes and other accessories, but as it turns out that isn’t their number one priority. When one of their customers didn’t want the shoes they had bought, they let Zappos know they would be returning them. When they hadn’t arrived as promised, Zappos followed up to see what the problem was. What follows is worth the two minutes it will take you to read the linked story…

Go here to find out why – I ? Zappos

Now, it gets even more powerful when you visit Zappos website and see front and centre on its home page the declaration that “we are a service company that happens to sell…”.

It has been a while since I have seen a company support what it says with such an above-and-beyond-the-call show of action. It didn’t do it for the PR, it didn’t wait for approval from above. It happened because it was the right thing to do and because service is what it stands on and for. Now that is cultural leadership in action!!!

So how can you walk the talk and make your culture visible? What extraordinary, or even slightly above ordinary things can you do today to show your customers, your fellow employees, the guy who drops off your UPS parcels that you mean what you say?

See you next week.

Alignment is Michel’s passion. Through her work with Brand Alignment Group she helps organisations align who they are, with what they do and say to build more authentic and sustainable brands.

To read more Michel Hogan blogs, click here.