I’ve written blogs in the past about the problems with complacency.  I know that Tom Peters and John Kotter speak about this all time in their writings and speeches.  Well, the terrible news in the Gulf of Mexico brings the issue of complacency to mind again. 

I don’t think there is any doubt that one of BP’s problems was complacency.  Since there hadn’t been any problems in the past, why should they think there would be problems in the future? BP was suffering from a bad case of complacency…  Maybe, the managers thought, they could even push the envelope a bit regarding the strictest safety standards… complacency again!  Even when the leak started, they seemed to put all their eggs in one basket - the first “cap”… they didn’t seem to have a comprehensive set of back up plans ready to go.  Once again they were complacent. 

Companies, like BP can get complacent.  Government agencies can get complacent, too (think of the Challenger Disaster for NASA and of Katrina).  Toyota got complacent about its standards of quality. 

We all need to work against complacency.  How do you do this?  Part of the answer is awareness.  Part of it also requires a regular review of processes and procedures.  Part of it falls on leaders who need to be aware and willing to challenge the status quo.  Human nature tends to fall on complacency.  We become comfortable and unwilling to challenge assumptions.  But in order to avoid real problems, leaders, managers, and all employees need to try an overcome this natural impulse… 

I love the annual Fortune Magazine issue that celebrates the “100 Best Companies To Work For.” I always learn new ideas about excellence, service, leadership, and success when I read the article. Year in and year out, I find that there are a few enduring lessons that emerge from these companies… Here are some:

1) Great customer service starts with motivated and positive employees. You simply can’t have excellent customer service if your employees feel disempowered and discouraged. Moreover, it is very difficult to deliver consistent service when you have a high turnover rate. As Herb Kelleher used to say, “Pay attention to your people and the customers will be happy… and ultimately the shareholders will benefit.”

2) These companies all work hard at internal communication. One of the critical components of a “Best Company To Work For” is communication. Senior leadership knows this and works hard at it.

3) Listening is a critical skill for leadership. The corollary to communication is listening. This skill is critical for successful leaders, managers, and supervisors. Listening is a skill that can be developed and improved and all of these organizations work on listening skills.

4) The Leaders at these companies seem to understand that it’s not all about them. These days we seem to be barraged by leaders who receive huge bonuses. Some leaders seem to feel that they are the only people that count. At the best companies, the opposite is true. Leaders know that it is the success of the entire organization that matters. These leaders are for the most part more responsive, engaged, and more humble.

5) Low turnover, loyal employees, and an open organization are good for the bottom line, which is why these companies are so successful. Even in a tough economic environment they are able to outperform their competitors. How? The investment in their people pays off in higher productivity, willingness to work on creative solutions, and commitment.

As many of you know, we have filmed at a number of these companies over the years, profiling different aspects of excellence. You can learn about the success strategies at The Container Store and Deloitte in the program Re-imagine. USAA and Whole Foods Market are featured in The Excellence Files. Tom Peters speaks about Deloitte, Stew Leonard’s, FedEx and others in a number of his programs. And yes, it is still all about the people!

Recently, Dini and I sat down with John Kotter in his office with a video crew. We asked him if he could outline his eight-step process of change. We thought it would be a great supplement to the videos we distribute featuring John.

Well, the results were fantastic! We have put this material on a new DVD release. Our name for the program is “Transform Your Organization!” In a way, we see this as a video workbook. It’s filled with practical advice and tips for any manager, team leader, or executive who is involved with organizational change.

The video workbook is laid out simply. John introduces his eight-step model for change in the first video clip. He then outlines each of the eight steps of change in the following eight clips. With each step, he provides tips for implementation (and also ideas for avoiding pitfalls). On the DVD, you can view the entire program or choose any one of the video clips to watch on its own.

We priced this inexpensively so any manager, team leader, or executive can get it as a personal reference tool. You can learn more at our website.  You can also see a preview of “Step 1: Increase Urgency” there, too.

I read a really interesting blog today about customer service lessons from Lady Gaga (from a blog called Church of the Customer Blog). In a nutshell, here are the five lessons:

• Give fans a name
• Make it about something bigger than you
• Develop shared symbols
• Make your customers feel like rock stars
• Leverage social media

I know Lady Gaga was talented musically, I didn’t know about her abilities to develop and cultivate loyal customers. I think we can all learn from Lady Gaga! It’s an interesting (and fun) article. Here is the link to the blog at churchofcustomer.com

The recent spate of problem with Toyota caused me to think.  While the news is still coming out, it does seem that the folks at Toyota were not as forthcoming as they could (and should) have been about the problem with the accelerator pedals.  It is also clear that the company may have been so focused on keeping costs down that they may have lost sight of their strong commitment to quality. No matter what, I do think we can learn something from the Toyota experience…  Here are some of the things I’ve learned.

Worry about complacency.  Complacency is your enemy.  When things seem to be too good to be true, that may be when you need to be most on your guard.  I think Toyota was complacent and that allowed them to become lazy about their legendary quality and customer standards.  It is interesting that both Tom Peters and John Kotter also speak about the perils of complacency (in a number of different videos, book and articles).  You need to be on your guard and always be asking yourself, “Are we living up to our highest standards - and upholding our reputation?”

The bottom line isn’t the bottom line: The true bottom line is the customer.   If you don’t have customers, you don’t have anything.  I think that Toyota may have become so focused on keeping costs down that they may have compromised quality.  The American car companies had this problem in earlier decades (and we know what happened to them).  It is important to focus in the bottom line, but you also need to be equally committed to maintaining your standards.  If you compromise your standards for short-term gain, you will suffer… eventually.  It might take some time, but the problems will arise. 

Reputations are hard to build and easy to lose.  Toyota has taken a big hit in the press.  For decades they worked very hard to maintain the highest standards.  They had an iron clad reputation.  And the barrage of problems with car mats, accelerator pedals, and runaway acceleration (compounded by the reporting delays) has hit them hard.  They are the butt of jokes on late night television.  Sales are down and people are concerned.  All of this happened in a matter of weeks.  Think about it:  Decades to build a reputation and weeks to damage it.  Toyota may (and most likely will) regain its reputation, but it will take the company a while to do it.

On May 6, 2010 Sam Glenn is having a half-day online seminar designed to motivate, inspire, and kick up your attitude.   Since so many of you have become fans of Sam through his bestselling video series, we thought you might be interested in hearing about this seminar.  So, here are the details:

During times of change, employee engagement can be the first thing to go.  But as you know, employee engagement is the one thing that is most crucial to keep your company on track.  Sam Glenn has a great formula for keeping your team engaged…  And you can learn about this in a half-day “virtual event.”

Sam Glenn is launching a new “virtual event” opportunity called Go Positive Seminars on May 6. The event will be held live in Aurora, IL, on May 6, 2010, from 9 AM-11: 45 AM CST (please adjust for your time zone, as the event will ONLY be offered live). You can join the seminar through a simulcast option and tune in and watch it as if you were “in the house.”  The cost for this seminar is $97 per office. 

Sam will kick off the seminar with his signature humor-filled keynote focusing on the transformational power of attitude. He has selected some of Chicago’s most dynamic and entertaining speakers, including Greg Porcaro, Juan Ortiz, Scott Carbonara, and Marie Hale, who will present on goal setting, customer service, teambuilding, change, and health. The goal is to invigorate staff in a half-day format, so that they will be engaged and ready to perform at their best.

If you want to sign up to see this event, please visit: www.everythingattitude.com/gps.

Have fun and enjoy the show!

Need more SAM in your workplace?  For a limited time we are offering $150.00 off the purchase of the Sam Glenn Series to help GO POSITIVE reach each and every employee in your organization!  Simply type in “GO POSITIVE” in your online order and we’ll deduct it from your total.  Or call us!  We have consultants ready to assist you!  This offer expires May 31, 2010.

More great book news!  Tom Peters book “The Little BIG Things: 163 Ways To Pursue Excellence” is now available.  As many of you know, Tom Peters has been consolidating a lot of his best ideas into “Success Tips” for his blog.  These tips distill so many of the ideas that Tom has developed through his practice.

After accumulating hundreds of these ideas (over several years), Tom decided to aggregate the best of these into a book.  In it, you will find ideas for improved customer service and leadership.  Tom also shares ideas on innovation, excellence, and organizational strategy.  I particularly like Tom’s advice on improving your communication abilities, and honing your leadership skills.  

These are 163 great ideas… and they are motivational, insightful, fun to read, and eminently useable (and, for that matter, sensible).  If you’re interested in Tom’s new book, click here to see the link on Amazon.com.

As many of you already know, Tom has also put a lot of these great ideas into a training video series.  We shot over 90 of Tom’s “Little BIG Things” over three fun and fascinating days.  I confess that we spent as much time chatting and laughing as we did shooting Tom’s segments.  Free previews are available here: The Little BIG Things DVD series.  

Sam Glenn has just released a book called “A Kick In The Attitude,” which is published by Wiley.  Many of you know Sam from his hysterical video series (which includes the program “A Kick in The Attitude.”  Now, Sam has put his philosophy in print!

Sam’s book is filled with his usual great stories as well as lots of wonderful advice and tips for getting - and keeping - a great attitude.  I am always drawn to his customer service stories, and Sam’s book is filled with them.  But as I was reading Sam’s book, one other topic caught my attention.  It’s in Principle #17 (which is called “Attitude Is Like Chalk Dust - It Gets On Everything You Touch”). 

In this chapter, Sam has a section called “You Can’t Please Them All.”  In it he speaks about the challenge of delivering great customer service.  Sometimes you really can’t please everyone.  For example, if your customers are rude to your people, then maybe you can’t please them and you have to move on.  This is hard advice, but I also think it is great advice.  Herb Kelleher was also a fan of this philosophy.  In my interview with Herb, he said that at Southwest their philosophy was to put employees first.  Herb thought that if the employees were happy, then the customers will be well served and the shareholders will reap the benefits. It’s great advice!

Give Sam’s book a try!  It’s a fun read!  Click here to see more on www.amazon.com.  You can also see a preview of Sam’s video “A Kick In The Attitude.”