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Where's Your Genius Bar?

More and more I see that companies don't tap into the real genius of their employees. They don't use their ideas and feedback for review panels, boards of advisory, 'postmortem' project feedback, or opinion polls. Some employees are afraid to express real opinions, afraid they will bruise the delicate egos of bosses. Maybe what you need is something like Apple's "Genius Bar."

Apple Computers has a loyal fan base (to say the least) and as far as I can see it's expanding. Just five years after its opening it was named "America's Best Retailer" by Fortune magazine. Before building the first Apple store, they built a prototype inside a warehouse, where they tried and failed at many things before actually building their first "real" store. Smart.

Wanting the customer's perspective they sought out a diverse group of people and asked simple questions about the best customer experiences they'd ever had. As it turns out, most replied that their best experiences had been in a hotel.

That spawned a new question "How do we create a store that has the friendliness of a Four Seasons Hotel?" asked the then new Sr. VP of Retail, Ron Johnson. The answer, he said, was "Let's put a bar in our stores. But instead of dispensing alcohol, we dispense advice."

And so was born the "Genius Bar." Walk into most Apple stores and you can find advice dispensed at a clean, sleek and trendy looking bar. Cool.

So it got me thinking.

Do you have a "Genius Bar?" Well, maybe not the actual bar part - but the "genius" part?

My experience is that most companies hire really smart people, right? (You really don't say after the interview "Let's take this one, he's good and dumb.") Most companies hire smart people. But over time something happens. Sure they get better at the job that you hired them to do, but do they brim with ideas? Sure they get to understand the workings of their departments, but do they have great suggestions about how to improve overall operations?

Some employees are afraid to express real opinions, afraid they will bruise the delicate egos of bosses who say things like "Oh we tried that once," "That'll NEVER work here," or "I'm not paying you for your opinion on THAT."

What a pity.

As a consultant I can tell you that not enough companies tap into the genius of their organizations. Not enough companies take the time, the care or the attention to formalize idea gathering, brainstorming, or feedback activities. Not enough companies appreciate the genius that is right in front of them every day.

Just mailed out your latest marketing piece or catalog? Get a group together in the lunchroom to talk about it - what's right, what's wrong, what could have been done better. Thinking of changing your CRM software? Get people from all different parts of the company together to talk about what matters in the customer relationship before you take the leap.

Wondering how you can create a knowledge base? Get the people that touch the customers the most to tell you what needs to be in that base. Refreshing your FAQ file? Enlist everyone in the organization to be on the look out for customer questions for two weeks (and have them write them down.)

Ask every one of your employees what they think their particular spark of genius is. Ask them what they feel their strengths are.
You might be surprised to find that some people have genius that never shows up on the job you gave them, and could, if you recognized and nourished it.

The Customer Care Coach® is built on a set of nine foundation principles. Number eight says "Everyone on your team is smart, talented and has something to contribute." In fact everyone on your team has genius genes, it's up to you to help them find and express them - for their benefit and the benefit of the whole company. Can you have a "Genius Bar?" You bet you can, everyone wins when you liberate the brilliance inherent in your company. Go ahead, belly up to the bar and let's start talking genius!

May the light of who you are shine in every thing you do,

JoAnna

P.S. Want to learn more about the foundations of Exquisite Customer Care? http://www.customercarecoach.com/foundation.asp

JoAnna Brandi is Publisher of the Customer Care Coach® a weekly training program on mastering "The Art and Science of Exquisite Customer Care." She is the author of books such as "Winning at Customer Retention - 101 Ways to Keep 'em Happy, Keep 'em Loyal, and Keep 'em Coming Back" and "Building Customer Loyalty - 21 Essential Elements in ACTION."

A Speaker and consultant, she is publisher of the bi-weekly Customer Care Tips Bulletin. To receive her free bi-weekly tips bulletin, sign up at www.returnonhappiness.com. You can also reach JoAnna at 561-279-0027 or e-mail joanna@customercarecoach.com.