by Jenny LeeJul 13, 2010
Jobs are everywhere. We clock in and clock out, putting in the bare minimum just to get the work done. Sometimes though, we find a career where we have a deeper vested interest in our work, motivated by achievement and advancement. Yet if we’re lucky, we’ll eventually find our calling where work becomes our life mission, and our life mission becomes work.
Online retailer Zappos is on a mission to inspire their family of employees to a higher calling. Since the beginning, they weren’t satisfied hiring people just looking for a job to pay the bills. Under their visionary leader Tony Hsieh, the company made a bold organizational move in 1994, relocating their headquarters from San Francisco to Las Vegas, to align themselves with people looking for a career.
Hsieh wrote in Inc. Magazine, “We were having a hard time finding good customer service people in San Francisco. Las Vegas has a lot of call centers and lots of people who want to do customer service as a career.”
Zappos embraces a singular vision—to provide the best customer service—and attracts people who share this passion. But the folks at Zappos aren’t satisfied knowing that their employees are committed to a career in customer service. They constantly strive to inspire their employees to find their true calling—to find personal meaning in their work guided by a higher purpose.
To achieve this, Zappos employs a full-time on-site personal coach, Dr. Vik, who invites employees to take a seat on the royal “throne” for a one-on-one consultation. He regularly tells his guests, “You are worth a billion dollars. Come have a seat and take your life to the next level!” With Dr. Vik’s guidance, employees are empowered to reach their full potential across their work and personal lives.
How many companies employ a full-time personal coach? Most businesses would view this as an unnecessary expense and immediately reject the idea.
Yet Zappos understands that a company’s employees—their people—are a reflection of the brand itself. When employees find their true calling, work is greatly satisfying and meaningful. Their enthusiasm and passion is infectious. And the customers are first to take notice.
by Jenny LeeMar 31, 2010
“A company is stronger if it is bound by love rather than by fear.”
-Herb Kelleher
Great brands understand the importance of culture and aren’t afraid to take risks to build them. At Southwest Airlines, former Chairman and CEO Herb Kelleher made it a personal trait to hug and kiss his employees. With fears of harassment lawsuits lurking in the shadows, it’s all too easy for a company to dissuade public displays of affection.
But to Herb and other executives at Southwest, being openly demonstrative and affectionate could not come more naturally. It’s a simple yet powerful way of expressing respect, friendship, gratitude, and most of all, love.
Like Southwest Airlines, love abounds at the offices of online retailer Zappos.com. As an employee, you might visit the office of personal coach Dr. Vik, not just for career advice, but also for a hug to help you get through the day. At Zappos, employees connect to one another, first and foremost, as people.
When companies are constrained by fear, culture building is thwarted. When companies foster an environment bound by love, the culture thrives and prospers. No two companies live by this principle better than Southwest Airlines and Zappos.
