I recently participated in an ExitReadiness® Podcast episode hosted by Pat Ennis and Walter Deyhle and our topic was “When You Start Making a Big Decision, First Talk with The People Involved.”  The high-level summary of the conversation is when you must make a major decision regarding your products and services, talk first with the people who will be impacted by your decision.  Otherwise, if the decision goes against what the stakeholders consider to be in their best interest, the outcome will fail to achieve your objective.

 Climate Control

Consider this example.  If I have power over climate control, you can count on the thermostat set at 70 or 71 degrees.  In our home, this results in many discussions, as my wife prefers the temperature at 73 degrees and my daughter at 68 degrees year-round.  Fortunately, we’re able to move ahead with a shared willingness to communicate and make appropriate compromises. 

But what if this were my office environment? If I’m the one person permitted to adjust room temperature, I may lose some key or important employees if they don’t feel their needs are being seriously considered and accommodated as room temperatures are consistently not to their liking.  The same could happen if my business depends on customers entering my place of business and spending a fair amount of time inside, they might just give up on visiting the store. 

In that there is much competition in attracting both key employees and customers, both may end up leaving my business for greener pastures without even sharing with you the reason why. 

Proactive Problem Prevention

Be proactive in preventing this problem with “The Platinum Rule” investing the time to find out how your customers, employees, and all stakeholders want to be treated.  And then create a plan and execute it.  Being considerate about how you treat customers and employees will go a long way in making your business more valuable.

About Sam Klaidman

Sam has consulted with Fortune 500 companies like GE, Pfizer, Corning, and Honeywell as well as many small and midsize businesses in a broad range of industries. Many of his SMB clients are privately held and still controlled by members of the founding family.  Sam and his firm Middlesex Consulting specialize in helping service businesses grow.