The corporate world is wild and absolutely demanding, organisations are presented with different challenges on a daily basis and no two days are the same. True business success derives from the perfect balance between chaos and order, and more of than not, everyone gets a daily dose of the former.
There are countless driving forces behind a companys success in their respective industry but one of the most important assets that a business must have is great management. When an organisation has superior management structure in place, it creates order and stability that will significantly boost efficiency in all aspects of the business.
Sure enough, the people behind any management team have to possess key qualities of an excellent leader. It doesnt matter if you are a department manager or the CEO of the company, these key qualities are your defining assets and they separate the mediocre from the truly outstanding ones.
More importantly, keep in mind that your subordinates need guidance and direction, and there are a few essentials that you must have to transform yourself into an organisational role model that they can look up to.
Even well-known Australian corporate leaders like Valda Berzins (former CIO of Australia Post) faithfully practice these qualities every day, and that is the reason why they are at the top of the business world.
Ethics
There have been quite a number of companies who have gone out of business because of unethical practices. The hunt for profits is absolutely important but dont discount the fact that when you run the company ethically, you are setting it up for long-term success. Leaders should be the ones sharing good values and virtues with every employee in the company. Once your employees start implementing these values into their working life, it will create a positive chain reaction that will echo throughout the entire organisation.
Sense of Direction
Valda Berzins said, A senior corporate executive needs a strong sense of purpose and direction to lead the company into the future. More often than not, when a company has clearly defined goals that they can pursue, then they will make the right decision that will eventually lead to growth and profits.
As mentioned before, your leadership and keen sense of direction will eventually influence your employees and gives them motivation to do more.
Open-mindedness
Business success is all about innovation and growth, and without these two things, an organisation wont be able to move forward into the future. A company might be able to stay afloat for a while by sticking to old practices, but it certainly wont be able to expand beyond its current state.
I have had peers who didnt last too long as corporate leaders due to the fact that they are closed to receiving new ideas from employees. Whilst it is not necessary to roll out everything that is on the table, a leader should know how to recognise crucial opportunities, said Joel Fawkner, CEO of Crown Publishing.
Berzins added, Whilst its true that managers need to be open-minded to ideas, they should also know how to separate real constructive ideas that suit the business from the ones that dont.
Amanda Cuthbert is a business strategist and consultant who has worked with numerous organisations across Australia. After 20 years as a senior corporate executive in a global telecommunications company, she currently applies her in-depth management knowledge to help businesses increase their organisation efficiency and overall company structure.
Bridge the Generation Gap
The fact is that most senior level executives or CEOs are slightly older than the rest of their employees. Sometimes this creates a communication barrier due to different values and beliefs. The younger generation think differently and they have contrasting ways of doing things, but it doesnt mean that both parties cant meet on common ground. As a leader, you should take the initiative to reach out to your workers to create a harmonious, dynamic working relationship.
Its tough to carry the weight of the company on your shoulders, but any good leader like Ms Berzins and Mr Fawkner will tell you that a company can only thrive through the synergised force that is created by teamwork. Think about your organisation as an arrow flying through the air towards the bullseye, and imagine that you are the arrowhead.
Allan Zeman, chairman of the major entertainment and property development group, LanKwai Fong Ltd said, In my world theres no bad staff theres bad bosses, bad leaders.
Customer Satisfaction Its All About the Clients
Whats the one thing that most people complain about if they had a bad dining experience? In fact, what sticks out the most? Is it the food or experience?
Think about this, no matter how great the food is, if the customer service is not up to par, people wont think twice about going back to the restaurant. However, if the food is average but the people there are extremely friendly, helpful and speedy, it may influence the customers positive perception of the restaurant.
The same goes for any product in the market, consumers will tend to lean towards products that have a great after-service team. It doesnt matter if the product costs an extra dollar, if its going to make their lives happier and easier, they will be more than willing to fork out extra cash for it.
Plus, great customer service will help a business retain your existing clients and they will then turn into brand advocates who will unintentionally initiate free word-of-mouth marketing for your company. This will then lead to bigger business opportunities and higher revenue.
Valda Berzins, CEO of Melbourne based interior design company, Valdasigns said, On top of having great products and services, its very important for a business to have great customer service standards. Theres no harm in making your customers happy, what you should worry about is when they get unsatisfied with your business.
When your clients arent too pleased with your service, they will start doubting the integrity of your business and all your brand building efforts would have gone to waste. Not to mention that it might stunt the growth of your organisation and this is something that is not something to be taken lightly.
As a former Chief Information Officer (CIO) with Australia Post and Victoria Police, Ms Berzins has an abundance of corporate experience and she was more than willing to share it with her budding managers. Great customer service relies heavily on the culture of the company, and it must be instilled in every single person of the organisation, from the front-desk receptionist to the CEO. Even if you dont deal directly with customers or external stakeholders, it is a value that must be thought from the moment they step foot into the company.
One of the best ways to find out more about how your organisation is doing in customer service is to get feedback from your audience through in-depth surveys or simply scouring the internet and online forums to see what people are saying about your brand.
Ms Berzins added, Its not all about forcing smiles down the throats of customers. Sometimes you have to stop and listen to them. This is something that a lot of companies are lacking and if they dont stop talking and start listening, then there wont be any ideas for further growth. Listen carefully about what they are saying, review every single point that is mentioned, and create dynamic ways to remedy problems.
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento