Are You a Destination or a Stepping Stone?
Welcome to the Why to Wow newsletter which is all about inspiring the hearts and minds of people worldwide with the Power of Differentiation. In the Why to Wow newsletter, I share my experiences over the last 40+ years helping leaders differentiate their brands and products. I hope it will inspire you to discover and share your own brand’s uniqueness with the world.
Leaders need to provide meaning to every human who touches their business, starting with employees but cascading to their suppliers, dealers (if they have them), and community. We must not only educate but also celebrate what makes us unique, why we are here, and why anyone should care this business exists.
We all need to feel that what we do is meaningful—that we have significance. It is not enough to be a working stiff and make some cash today. During COVID-19, over 50 million Americans left their jobs due to various reasons, including dissatisfaction, boredom, disinterest, and who knows what. Today, you may employ individuals who feel they are merely going through the paces. Not only can they walk down the street to work for someone else, but they could also be attracted to some company across the globe that allows them to work from home in their pajamas.
Difference-maker: Just as brands share their value story with customers, they must also share it with their employees, giving them purpose behind what they do.
There’s No Meaning in Marshmallows
I toured an ambulance manufacturing plant and asked a line worker what he did there. He replied, “I plug in wire harnesses and maybe, once in a while, tighten a bolt.” He then added that he was considering leaving for a job that paid twenty-five cents an hour more “at a marshmallow factory down the road.” This young man had worked in his current job for a couple of years and was a respected guy, yet he was considering moving on for pennies more at another company.
As we watched the ambulances move down the line at the plant, I mentioned to him that each ambulance they build will last a decade and needs to be built tough, as there are over 4,000 traffic accidents annually with ambulances. I also shared, “Each ambulance that rolls down the line will protect or save the lives of 100,000 occupants, including drivers, EMTs, patients, and their family members.” The young man looked at me and said, “I figured my job is plugging in wire harnesses. I never thought I was in the life-saving business, but maybe I am.” He decided to stay at the plant and turned down the other job.
Difference-maker: Look at your brand’s product, technology, or service. Identify the value, how it’s unique, and how it makes a meaningful difference, then celebrate it with the very people behind it—your employees.
If your team is excited, fired up, and proud, do you think they’ll focus more on quality? Will they ensure that only the best people are hired to join them? Will they stay and not leave for a marshmallow factory for a quarter more?
Stepping stone or destination? It’s our choice as leaders to give our people every reason to make us their career destination.