The Power of Love for a Better ROI?

Now would it be so bad if we really brought a little "LOVE" in the workplace? Now I'm not talking about throwing away all boundaries that HR has clearly set forth in our organizations, but yes, I really do mean bringing more 'Love' to the workplace.

Gone are the days of the Information Age where the race for the best in technology led businesses to gain the competitive advantage. Today's buzz words seem to be calling organizations to provide services that create value. Well, if you ask me, I have access to a plethora of services that provide value, and as the consumer, it makes it tough to choose which service I want.

Why do I choose Brand A High Speed Internet Access for $29.99 a month over Brand B High Speed Internet Access for $29.99 a month? It's simple. Brand A loves me.

As Tim Sanders, author of "Love is the Killer Application" explains, "There are two tough-minded reasons for this soft-hearted reality. The first is the abundance of choice in business -- choice of products, schools, media, and career paths. Choice spells doom for villains. At a time when more of us have more options than ever, there's no need to put up with a product or service that doesn't deliver, a company that we don't like, or a boss whom we don't respect. The second reason is what I call the "new telegraph." It's almost impossible for a shoddy product, a noxious company, or a crummy person to keep its, his, or her sad reality a secret anymore. There are too many highly opinionated and well-informed people with access to email, instant messaging, and the Web."

So what does this mean?
The bottom line: If you don't like certain people, it's easier than ever to escape them. If you are a lousy person, it's harder than ever to keep people around you. Hence, the power of love.

Milton Mayer, author of "On Caring" defines love as "the selfless promotion of the growth of the other." In translation, when you help others grow to become the best people that they can be, you are promoting love within your organization and as a result, you grow. Imagine the power we can have within our organizations if we applied this principle of love - cohesively, an organization can steal the lead in the race in differentiating themselves from the market; a significant challenge many organizations are facing today.

How does LOVE lead to gaining the competitive advantage?
It's risky to talk about love in business, especially in these turbulent times. According to Tim, here are some reasons for 'generosity' as the best 'strategy': You'll build an outstanding brand. By becoming a knowledge guru, sharing your network, and being a compassionate partner, you'll differentiate yourself.

You'll create an experience. Business is not just about what you know; it's about whether you can break through the clutter and information overload. When you represent knowledge, opportunity, selflessness, and intimacy, you are not just a smart colleague; you are fun, interesting, and valuable.

You'll get access to people's attention. The scarcest resource in business is attention. How do you convince people to really pay attention to what you're saying or to give you advice that you need? People with outstanding brands and people whom others are eager to deal with attract undivided attention. This produces results.
You'll harness the power of positive presumption. Making progress means making change. One of the biggest obstacles to change is getting people to trust you. Businesspeople embrace the power of building relationships with a deep level of trust. Your colleagues will presume that your arguments hold water, that your recommendations are solid, and that your referrals are valuable. They'll presume that you have their best interests at heart. This is a powerful advantage.

You'll receive exceptional feedback. You'll learn whether your knowledge has value. If you are eager to offer people knowledge, they will be eager to give you helpful feedback in return. They'll tell you which ideas worked out well and which didn't work out so well. They'll tell you which contacts were helpful and which weren't. They'll keep talking to you. And you'll keep learning from them. It's a loop.

So, when you're sitting around the table at your next "strategy setting meeting", consider implementing Project Love - where Project Risk = Low, Project Planning = $1000, and ROI = Priceless!

Service Management Art

Farah Remtulla

Apollo 13 Simulation Session with Peter Lijnse