In 1976 I had the privileged good fortune to join Joe Batten’s Management Consulting Company, BBH&S. Joe had authored Tough-Minded Management in 1963, and it became a best seller, printed in 40 languages. He wrote a number of other bestselling management books, including Beyond Management by Objectives, Developing a Tough-Minded Climate for Results, Expectations and Possibilities, and Tough-Minded Leadership. Joe did not know it at the time but he was establishing a set of Management and Leadership beliefs, philosophies, behaviors, processes, and technology to engage team members in creating great places to work, and a great place for customers to shop and spend money. We had clients who were some of the leading and emerging Brands of the day, like Marriott, IBM, EDS, etc.
Here is the system we used then with our clients to increase productivity. Keep in mind what Joe called productivity is today called Engagement. He believed there is only one reason why each and every team member is working in a company, and that is to achieve their personal goals, which for Joe were directly related to growth for themselves and for those they cared about; customers, team members, spouse, neighbors, children, society.
I remember when I interviewed with Joe Batten and he asked me what my biggest concern was in joining BBH&S? I said; “I have never sold anything.” His response was; “I don’t want you to sell. I want you to help clients discover we can help them solve problems and take advantage of the opportunities. In other words I want you to be of service. The client will not be surprised when we send them an invoice.”
This advice is the essence of inspiration and engagement as it reinforces the need to: Being of service to one another and to customers, meeting one another’s needs, meeting customers’ needs, and enhancing what customers’ value.
I started Management 2000 in 1982, with the conviction that a company with a strong culture, focused on teams providing products and services customers wanted and needed would be successful. Here we are 35 years later, with over 1,450 clients on our client list. Our mission, then and now, is “To give people what they expect and more.” Our purpose is to help individuals and Brands achieve profitable growth. I hope this chapter will help you achieve profitable growth.
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