Staff Attitude

[John Carrow <jecarrow@houston.rr.com>]

How about this for a business model?

Happy employees leads to happy customers.  Happy customers make for
happy owners.  Happy owners means happy managers.  Happy managers =
happy employees.  Etc.

Many companies that were regarded as great successes were built around
this model. At the moment, Southwest Airlines comes to mind.  They
started out 30 + years ago calling themselves the "Love" airline.  They
were the only US airline that didn't need a government bailout after
Sept 11 and has not reduced their schedule.

Federal Express was another example.  The early Walmart, and Delta
airlines used to have it.  I'm sure y'all can add many others to the
list.

Unfortunately, sooner or later, this positively reinforcing circle gets
broken.  Usually the result of new management that comes in with
distrust and/or paranoia.  It may be that the founder dies, or a merger
takes place.  And once mistrust creeps in, it spreads to the customers,
the stockholders etc.  Reestablishing trust once broken is very
difficult.  I am sure we can think of even more examples of that
scenario prior to the  Enron mess.

I suggest that the place to measure staff attitude is to listen in to an
executive board meeting and see if they regard the employees and
customers as friends or enemies.

John Carrow