Business is war!
Jack Tramiel, CEO
Companies often make business decisions that are not people friendly. The head prevails over the heart, gut, or even common sense. If we’re to play the work game, Brand U’s need to know the rules of the competitiveness game. Our employers or customers base their business decisions on competitiveness rules that affect each of us, specifically:
- Competition is global and fierce. We’re in the age of international competitiveness. Technology, quality, cost, aesthetics, and other factors position a company’s products and services for continued profitability.
- Total customer satisfaction produces sales. Total customer satisfaction is the goal of all stakeholders including management, suppliers, employees, stockholders, community and others. Total customer satisfaction means every customer experience is positive and pleasing so the result is a repeat customer. Total customer satisfaction is achieved through controllable factors, such as managing customers, time, quality, communications, risk, technology, and performance – all of which are discussed in the Practices chapter of this book.
- Competitively priced, innovative products and services sell. Well-designed, competitively priced, innovative products and services add customer value and sell.
- Sales produce profits and jobs. If products and services sell at sufficient profit margins, they generate continued profits for an organization. Profits ensure our jobs if we’re employees, suppliers or consultants.
- Need for competitiveness and innovation drives all business decisions, actions. and products. Competitiveness is now part of every company’s vision, mission, plans, and ethic. Competitiveness drives the need for change and innovation. For example, Medtronic, maker of half of the world’s pacemakers, has a full 50% of its revenues coming from products introduced over the past 12 months.[i]
[i] Lieber, Ronald, “Why Employees Love These Companies,” Fortune Magazine, January 12, 1998, p. 74.