Few experiences inspire us more profoundly than when we see people giving their hearts to others. In these moments, we witness the unbridled essence of and potential of the human condition.
Simple examples of this could include a surprise visit by a service personwith their loved ones or the moment a child learns they are being adopted. Other situations include when big and caring hearts give love to a special needs child. We sometimes see it spontaneously in sports: the track star who defied the odds by her grit, will to win and determination. However, wherever and whenever we are blessed to see and feel love play out in our midst, we are reminded of the Power of People.
Photo by Sam Barber on Unsplash
Early in my career, I was blessed to attend a “S”eminar (that’s with an S) on Continuous Improvement. For me, it became an “ah-ha” moment. I learned the overarching principles of how to run a successful business: great processes and employee involvement. While working in various companies as a CFO, I would infuse these two dynamics in the ensuing years.
Fast forward to today, as an entrepreneur focused on helping business owners thrive and their employees feel fulfillment from their career experience, I continue to believe in the fundamental Power of People as the key differentiator driving business success. As noted above, when people are impassioned in their service to others or committed to giving their all, great results follow.
Continuous Engagement — the new paradigm
As the business dynamic changes and evolves in the coming years, greater emphasis will be tied to leveraging the people's power to drive results in the organization. We have coined a phrase that we feel encapsulates the new business management axiom: Continuous Engagement. Continuous Engagement is the product of multiplying Continuous Improvement with Employee Engagement. This phenomenon will accelerate in the coming decade and businesses that embrace this concept will gain an advantage over their competition.
Organizations that leverage Continous Engagement (CE) as their business management model will be better able to adapt to changing market demands. These businesses focus their attention on the key drivers of business value: revenue growth, customer satisfaction and innovation.
The Three Pillars of Success
Over many years, as a finance professional, I’ve continued to evolve as well. Through this learning journey, the need to refine and improve our overall service model has led us to the Three Pillars of Success. We feel that these are the primary focus areas that business executives and their employees should focus on as their business odyssey surges forward.
These success drivers enable the company to grow profitably, generate positive cash flow and encourages high-level employee engagement.
Revenue Growth is spurred on by many factors, such as repeat sales, new product and service offerings, new customer acquisition (M&A) and customer service excellence. Revenue growth helps to fuel critical future cash flow needs for the organization.
Customer Satisfaction is influenced by delivering excellence in all facets of the customer experience. This organization-wide challenge requires employees to seek new and improved ways to move the customer satisfaction needle. Among some of the benefits of customer satisfaction excellence is business process improvements, repeat sales, referrals and testimonials.
Innovation is the wild card in Continuous Engagement. It is propelled by leveraging the passion and intellect of company employees within a progressive cultural mindset. This blend of tangibles and intangibles spurs the transformative breakthroughs that help organizations thrive and prosper.