Commitment: A matter of form

Do you want loyal customers and committed employees? NAOMI SIMSON

By Naomi Simson

In one of those many emails that I subscribe to, this comment really struck a cord with me: “Do you want loyal customers and committed employees?” To me the answer is obvious. I cannot do this alone… and how can you have loyal customers without someone to serve them?

It is good to be reminded of the answer. The answer therefore has to be “committed employees”. 

So all week I’ve asked myself the question “how do I match up?”. Do we practice what we preach at RedBalloon?

Now of course I can tell you my view of the world… I’ve worked in big business (a while ago, but I did spend more than a dozen years as an employee). So as far as I’m concerned, working in a business with 40 people is much more “intimate”. You have the chance to really get to know “what rocks people’s boats”. (Maybe even make their dreams come true).

Understanding why people work, what they want from a job, is important. I have learnt that every single person is completely different. And you cannot assume that you know.

I heard Reg Athwal speak recently about recruiting great talent. He argued that knowing why people work was essential. He had an acronym for it; FORM.

F – People work for their family and friends, not just necessarily to support them, but to be near them. To do something that they think is important.

O – For the betterment of their occupation, is how this group define themselves. What can they learn that is new, what is the social acceptance of the role, what is the next step in their ultimate goal? These people are on a mission.

R – Those who work as a means to an end. Recreation is important to this group. They are tennis players, cooks, artists, charity volunteers. They work to support their “habit” (or hobby, but it is more than that).

M – Then there are those who work for the money… and money alone. According to Reg these are the ones who will take the next best offer that comes along. So they are unlikely to be loyal in any way.

Well, answering the question “do you want loyal customers and committed employees?” has very much guided me in the choices that I’ve made this week.