Enterprise is the engine of development. This is an undebatable point. When we look at the jobs created,the products created,the infrastructure created by enterprises world over,we must come to agree that our society is a better place because of the enterprises therein.But why and how are enterprises created? Many will insist that the purpose of enterprise is to turn over a profit. There definitely is sanity in the pursuit of profit, but profit can be pursued in a way that undermines the well being of the various stake holders of the enterprise itself. The demise of several once profitable corporate giants attests to this fact. If profit is pursued at the expense of certain ethical values, the creative destruction that Schumpeter prophesied in the 1950s rapidly becomes the portion of such corporations, to the peril of all their stake holders.
Our pursuit of profit therefore must be governed by principles. The mother of all the principles that guarantee business success is love. I intend to explore this from a few strategic angles;
Love, Not Money Is The Most Excellent Motive For Business Start Up. Being a student of corporate history, it has been remarkable for me to note how little a role money played in the launching of globally successful business enterprises. All of the terminologies associated with business startups speak of love in its self. For instance all business is built upon the principle of finding and meeting the needs of your customers. Themes like customer satisfaction,customer intimacy customer service and the likes are becoming dominant themes in the establishment of business enterprises.
As one interviews the founders of these successful enterprises, it is easy to notice that, they were more moved by the help they wanted to render to their society than the money they wanted to extract from them. The founders of globally successful publishing empire, Simon & Schuster started their business in 1924 with a crossword puzzle book, derived from their desire to free Simon’s aunt from the boredom of old age,as the crossword puzzles were played. That idea was the foundation for their globally successful empire. The greatest start-ups of tomorrow will be created as the entrepreneurs of today, lovingly apply their business processes to the needs perceived in their various environment currently.
Love Is the Primary Engine of Innovation. Innovation is to enterprise growth and development,what food is to man. In other words enterprise development feeds on innovation. But the willingness to innovate itself comes from the desire to make life easier,faster,better and more convenient for man,through substantial,and strategic improvements in business products,services or processes. I can not but feel the love of the innovators of my modern cars with the options of auto cruise,automatic gears,power steerings and the likes. The substantial savings in my time,energy coupled with the comfort of the overall automobile reveal to me the company’s love and value for me. This perceived love and value for the customer guarantees continues patronage and loyalty.
The Implementation of a Company Wide Love Culture Is Fast Becoming the Key to Employee Fulfillment. Gone are the days when employees were used and not valued. Employee satisfaction has always been a prerequisite for customer satisfaction. Management and leadership world over are beginning to realize that a customer focus without a corresponding employee focus can prove disastrous for any business. The global war for talent has made the implementation of such company wide love policies imperative. Global awards for the Best Places to Work are being given to companies. Such awards are bound to either enhance or hurt the image of companies in the eyes of their prospective employees. Emphasis on work-life balance is becoming a hot topic in human capital circles. Companies like Google are changing the way we work, through the incorporation of tender loving care for their employees. At Googleplex, Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters, their offices are equipped with game rooms, in-house massage, hair cuts, laundry services and even three square meals. Before you argue with their approach of loving their employees, do check up on their market capitalization, annual revenues as well as profits. Wisdom is justified by her children.
Finally, the public display of company love for the communities in which they operate through strategic corporate social responsibility(CSR) is becoming crucial to the continued existence of the enterprise. A more down to earth way of defining (CSR) is the practical demonstrations of love by enterprises for their communities.
All of the above adds up to one point. Love is fast becoming the soul of the post modern enterprise. Love is fast becoming a vital key to comparative and competitive advantage. Business leaders must also come to terms with the fact that, for the first time in over seventy years, the explosion of social media has afforded the general public, not only the power of advocacy,but also the power of penalization. A single tweet gone viral,can damage decades worth of corporate labor. Times indeed have changed. The enterprises that make the holistic deployment of strategic love processes across their stake holders a priority, will be rewarded with business leadership tomorrow. Good day.
THE GREATEST IS LOVE!!!
Deji Olabode.
Love Dynamics Global.
Enthronement Assembly Lagos.
lovedynamix@gmail.com
@lovedynamix on twitter.
BBpin; 270B1423
* Please note that all enquiries about speaking engagements and professional counseling should be sent by email to the above email address. Thanks.
* Also feel free to download our newly launched Love Dynamics app on blackberry app world. Simply click on the following link and download for free. http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/39425945
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There is nothing that can take the place of love!