Original + Unique = Risk = Some failure

conference-tableBy now, you know that the Sunday NY Times Corner Office series is oft-quoted here to highlight varying aspects of leadership that flow from Adam Bryant’s conversations with notable CEOs and business leaders.

This week he interviewed Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of Dreamworks Animation SKG.

Perhaps Katzenberg inhabits an industry that is prone to more risk than others …  but I doubt it. I agree with his equation, too, because if you’re not original and unique … and if you don’t make failure  acceptable, no one will take the risks that ensure that your value proposition is fresh and creative. He believes that showing your employees that they’re expected to take risks is the single most important quality of an organization.

Katzenberg also stresses that the most important aspect of leadership is earning respect … not getting respect. (more…)

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Read more about the article Give your employees $2,000 to spend!

Give your employees $2,000 to spend!

leadership-pinnacle What would happen if we gave each of our employees up to $2,000 to invest in a customer’s experience on any particular occasion … not an annual stipend … but for any given situation?

Most of us are aware of the extraordinary attention to service that is the hallmark of luxury hotels … but few of us probably understand the extraordinary cultural commitment to training and service that is the bedrock of the incomparable Ritz Carlton chain.

In an insightful interview with the Ritz Carlton CEO, Simon Cooper, many of these powerful programs are discussed.

The Ritz Carlton grants every staff member a stipend of  up to $2,000 to satisfy any single guest … not per year but per occasion … without any approval or conditions. Imagine empowering our employees in that manner … and showing them our immense trust in their ability to make sound decisions while validating our unwavering commitment to our customers?

BTW, in the Ritz Carlton arrangement, there is no implication that there is a problem … just a desire to create an overwhelming customer experience. Another tactic that the Ritz Carlton uses may seem familiar to many as the “daily huddle”, (more…)

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Read more about the article Vol 52 – Building a Business: Health Costs

Vol 52 – Building a Business: Health Costs

The North Bay Business Journal, a publication of the New York Times, is a weekly business newspaper which covers the North Bay area of San Francisco – from the Golden Gate bridge north, including the Wine Country of Sonoma and Napa counties.

This page provides the Print-Friendly Version of the article, as published.

Any related materials or articles referenced in the column, or otherwise applicable, will also be referenced below:

The electronic version of the article, as published, may be found here.

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Article published – November 2, 2009larykirchenbauerhdr

 

Building a Business: Can small companies lead in “consumer-directed” health care?

Disconnect between consumers, providers needs to be solved

“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like and do what you’d rather not.” – Mark Twain

Health care reform has become a cause célèbre with potential costs that will threaten many small businesses. That’s one of the reasons I’m attracted to the growing use of “consumer-directed” plans that require each of us to take a more active role in managing the financial side of our own health care.

The New York Times looks at some of these alternatives in “Making Sense of High Deductible Plans“. You should also consider the comments by John Mackey, president of Whole Foods, in his controversial op-ed piece explaining Whole Foods’ approach to health care coverage, a piece that caught the attention of the Obama administration.

Over the years, I’ve repeated ad nauseam my belief that the principal flaw in the health care industry is our lack of individual financial accountability. (more…)

Continue ReadingVol 52 – Building a Business: Health Costs