Boston Globe
Emperor Nero chose the wrong instrument. Instead of fiddling around, the doomed chief executive of Rome Inc. should have returned his phone calls.
Absurd, you say? Of course, but hardly more ridiculous than executives who routinely damage their brands by ignoring their phone calls, letters, and email messages.
Character is a core competency today. After all, didn't Enron stress a commitment to four values - communication, respect, integrity, and excellence - in its last annual report? Didn't ImClone tell shareholders in its 2001 annual report, ''We want to ensure you that management will endeavor to justify your confidence''? And didn't the former Tyco chief executive once write to shareholders, ''I promise that we will stay focused on the business goals that matter most''? So how can customers, shareholders, and employees truly assess management character? Try sending a letter.
Poet Robert Browning wrote, ''We find great things are made of little things.'' Small behaviors really do predict larger ones. That's why coaches, conductors, and commanders alike all sweat the details. Chief executives who are indifferent to their calls and mail will probably have equally indifferent customer service departments. That's why great organizations will be increasingly led by executives who balance hunger with humility in their roles as temporary brand stewards.
This point hit home recently when the general manager of The Balsams Resort returned my call within three hours. When I expressed gratitude for his courtesy, he said, ''We return calls. That's The Balsams brand.'' He understands his duty to personify the Balsams brand in both words and deeds. Just consider the alternative. Let's assume a typical Fortune 500 chief executive receives 50 letters, e-mails, and calls each weekday. If that chief executive ignores 40 items every day, she or he has created more than 10,000 brand-damaging impressions in one year.
Jack Welch always told GE executives to put the market first. Several years ago I received a response letter from the former GE CEO. No doubt it was prepared by Welch's handlers, but the letter was prompt and certainly seemed personal. Welch's reputation has been cut down to size recently, but at least he had front-office systems in place to protect the GE brand.
So, why do some executives fail to answer the call? First, consolidations have created enormous and unwieldy organizations that are disengaging from the market. The sheer size of the organizations also insulates them from the consequences of self-inflicted brand erosion, at least in the short term. Size matters, of course, but not when it becomes dysfunctional.
Just look at the popularity of airlines such as JetBlue and banks such as Port Financial. They're building great brands by balancing the benefits of size with the accessibility and agility needed to satisfy customers.
So, what's a CEO to do? Being busy is certainly no excuse. President Bush seems busy these days, but the White House answers his mail. The best executives use response management systems to save them time and aggravation.
Talking about values is easy; living them is difficult. The gap between talk and action defines leadership and helps measure an organization's character. Don't believe me? Try calling some top executives, and see who calls back.
Emperor Nero chose the wrong instrument. Instead of fiddling around, the doomed chief executive of Rome Inc. should have returned his phone calls.
Absurd, you say? Of course, but hardly more ridiculous than executives who routinely damage their brands by ignoring their phone calls, letters, and email messages.
Character is a core competency today. After all, didn't Enron stress a commitment to four values - communication, respect, integrity, and excellence - in its last annual report? Didn't ImClone tell shareholders in its 2001 annual report, ''We want to ensure you that management will endeavor to justify your confidence''? And didn't the former Tyco chief executive once write to shareholders, ''I promise that we will stay focused on the business goals that matter most''? So how can customers, shareholders, and employees truly assess management character? Try sending a letter.
Poet Robert Browning wrote, ''We find great things are made of little things.'' Small behaviors really do predict larger ones. That's why coaches, conductors, and commanders alike all sweat the details. Chief executives who are indifferent to their calls and mail will probably have equally indifferent customer service departments. That's why great organizations will be increasingly led by executives who balance hunger with humility in their roles as temporary brand stewards.
This point hit home recently when the general manager of The Balsams Resort returned my call within three hours. When I expressed gratitude for his courtesy, he said, ''We return calls. That's The Balsams brand.'' He understands his duty to personify the Balsams brand in both words and deeds. Just consider the alternative. Let's assume a typical Fortune 500 chief executive receives 50 letters, e-mails, and calls each weekday. If that chief executive ignores 40 items every day, she or he has created more than 10,000 brand-damaging impressions in one year.
Jack Welch always told GE executives to put the market first. Several years ago I received a response letter from the former GE CEO. No doubt it was prepared by Welch's handlers, but the letter was prompt and certainly seemed personal. Welch's reputation has been cut down to size recently, but at least he had front-office systems in place to protect the GE brand.
So, why do some executives fail to answer the call? First, consolidations have created enormous and unwieldy organizations that are disengaging from the market. The sheer size of the organizations also insulates them from the consequences of self-inflicted brand erosion, at least in the short term. Size matters, of course, but not when it becomes dysfunctional.
Just look at the popularity of airlines such as JetBlue and banks such as Port Financial. They're building great brands by balancing the benefits of size with the accessibility and agility needed to satisfy customers.
So, what's a CEO to do? Being busy is certainly no excuse. President Bush seems busy these days, but the White House answers his mail. The best executives use response management systems to save them time and aggravation.
Talking about values is easy; living them is difficult. The gap between talk and action defines leadership and helps measure an organization's character. Don't believe me? Try calling some top executives, and see who calls back.