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A Search for Consciousness in Business

That wave of pride you feel when crossing the finish line of a hard-trained-for marathon. The swooning epiphany that you’re in love while holding hands in Italy. The rush of excitement that hits when you walk into a concert to see your favorite band play for the first time.

The most beautiful “aha” moments of our personal lives are marked by consciousness—a state that taps into our very reason for being and allows us to experience the joy of living. For most of us, that feeling of being totally present and aware in our day-to-day professional lives is less common. It can be cultivated, however, and when consciousness is embraced in the place where you spend most of your waking hours, it will set your business apart from the masses.

Understanding Consciousness, and its Business Potential

According to Merriam-Webster, consciousness is “the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself.” Taken further, it can be likened to a state of awareness, which is the “knowledge or understanding that something is happening or exists.”

In my view, consciousness is the ability to take in every single sensation and feeling in the moment, while using those insights to bring about actions that drive results. Living consciously allows you to be aware of what is transpiring around and within you, creating possibilities of forward movement. However you define consciousness, it is fundamentally a personal and purpose-directed mindset.

In business, consciousness can be a game-changing approach. According to a study conducted by Imperative, “58 percent of companies with a clearly-articulated purpose achieved growth of 10 percent or more over the past three years. 85 percent of companies with clearly-articulated purpose showed some growth overall, while 42 percent of companies without it sowed negative growth.” It will probably come as no surprise to you that the discussion of consciousness in business is very uncommon.

Overcoming Misperceptions

In my 17 years working with thousands of people in the billion-dollar automotive industry, I never once heard a leader describe consciousness as a focal point. Why? For the simple reason that consciousness through purpose-driven effort is not an everyday conversation for the majority of profit-only focused companies.

While consciousness may be perceived as too touchy-feely, the reality is that automotive leaders are missing out on a huge opportunity to get more from—and give more to—millions of employees craving a new ethos in an industry riddled with historical guilt, mistrust and greed. Though these individuals joined the auto industry to create a life for their families, many are conflicted by the need to overcome a hundred-year-old mindset led by profit-driven treatment that taught customers how to block and tackle as soon as they walked in the door. I’ve learned from speaking with numerous employees who say their jobs make them sick or that their leaders do not care are hungry for a shift and desire this “mythical” purpose approach that stretches beyond profit.

Specifically, they are hungry for consciousness, and they are not alone. Industries across the world are experiencing what I call the need to Shift Awake.

The D(Evolution) of a Conscious-Less Corporate Culture

Nowhere is the need to shift toward consciousness more apparent than in an organization where the top priority is shareholder profitability. In many organizations, the ultimate goal is shareholder profitability which drives quarterly and annual targets, which drives department objectives and employee projects and responsibilities. In an effort to increase profitability, typically these targets are solely focused on cost-cutting measures or revenue-generating efforts. I’m sure many of you are nodding your head. These efforts, when running as planned and market demands are met – companies hit their targets, resulting in more money in the pockets of the shareholders and voila, the company is still in business. Yes, there are a variety of other scenarios that play out, but for the basis of my next example, let’s keep what I’m about to say pedestrian.

During these moments, when organizations are profitability-focused have you ever wondered what is happening to the employees at a deeper level of the business? What they typically hear is – more, more, more. Sell more. Cut more. Create more. Also, let’s add in – sleep less, care less, and work with less. At the sake of hitting their targets, there is less focus on keeping the employee engaged and more effort expended toward filling the pockets of those at the top.

This is one example of a conscious-less organization which is the basis for most of our free-enterprise corporations and the reason capitalism gets such a bad rap. The consequences of a conscious-less led company do not happen immediately, but quite the reverse. You will often see high profits, high productivity and market domination out of the gate. Their success overshadows any need to reevaluate the way business is done.

Due the pressure, it is only a matter of time that a fissure in the foundation will start. Silently and slowly it begins to erode the growth they’ve had for years. A company may see their turnover creep up, maybe it’s just in one department at a time, so the effects are not widely visible. Once employees become disengaged, their customers begin to feel it. A dip in customer loyalty happens and the company thinks it’s a one-off. Inevitably there is a downward spiral that occurs, and the company comes to a point where they need to evaluate.

In other words, sometimes attained targets and full pockets for the leaders at the top come at the expense of employee engagement, customer satisfaction and, ultimately, success.

This is where the shift happens…or it doesn’t. Either the company will continue to overwork their people, drive customers away and reduce product quality to make profit miraculously appear—or they will wake up and recognize that something has to change. Even if they do wake up, many companies don’t know where to start because the idea of leading in a different way is so foreign. As a result, not all companies in our capitalist society survive the need to Shift Awake.

The Case for Conscious Capitalism

Believe it or not, there are already companies thriving in a conscious state of mind with a purposeful business model that factors in all stakeholders in addition to profit. They have an ethos strategy that creates a feeling of belonging and empathy, considers all people involved and empowers them to grow and develop. It’s a strategy that will come full circle as they give back to the company and the world around it.

This is known as “conscious capitalism,” a term coined by Raj Sisodia and John Mackey that begins to explain what these companies are doing differently to drive results and keep their people happy. According to the two authors, “in business as in other aspects of life, being conscious means taking responsibility for all the consequences of our actions, not just the ones that reflect well on us. The wonderful thing about thinking in a conscious way about business is that it enables businesses to make decisions in such a way that they have positive impacts in multiple dimensions for all stakeholders. This is far more fulfilling than simply striving to create financial wealth for shareholders.”

It’s an approach that yields much more than just a good feeling. Many companies that operate under conscious capitalism—including Amazon, Patagonia and the Container Store—have experienced growth beyond their expectations. In fact, it’s been found that using a holistic viewpoint to guide direction and desired outcomes has enabled conscious companies to score big. A study called “Firms of Endearment”took a deep dive into understanding the qualitative and quantitative metrics that made up these renowned brands, and researchers found that conscious companies outperformed the S&P 500 by 14 to 1 and even outperformed the companies from Jim Collins classic’ “Good to Great” by 6 to 1.5.

Evidence in support of conscious capitalism continues to grow. In 2012, Motley Fool Founder David Gardner went out on a limb and selected a grouping of twelve conscious, purpose-driven businesses’ stocks. He then asked a group of 200 executives at a conference to watch and see if they outperformed their traditional, bottom-line driven competitors. He said, “Let’s watch these 12 stocks over the course of the next five to 10 years and see if these companies do a good job—not just of living up to what we expect from conscious companies, but of how they score for shareholders.”

Gardner hit it right on the money. Earlier this year, he reevaluated those same stocks and found, “If you take the stocks I picked and average them, the average stock is up 400 percent. The S&P 500, by direct comparison over the same period, is up 97 percent.”

What is it about conscious capitalism that led to their success? It’s the factoring in of all stakeholders involved—including shareholder interests as well as the interests of customers, employees, suppliers, the community and the environment. In his book, Start with Why, Simon Sinek says it very well. “Happy employees ensure happy customers. And happy customers ensure happy shareholders—in that order.”

Making the Shift

It’s clear that many companies still have this wrong—including many in the automotive industry.When discussing 2017 automotive trends, Price Waterhouse Coopers mentioned, “Over the last five years, the annual rates of return that the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average achieved for investors (including dividends) were 14.8 percent and 10.1 percent, respectively. In that period, average auto maker TSR was only 5.5 percent.”

If you were to take a guess on a scale of 1 (being the lowest) and 10 (being the highest), where would you rank the consciousness of the auto industry? I’ll go out on my own limb and say it is close to the bottom of the barrel—and the numbers demonstrate the industry’s contrast with the conscious companies evaluated above.

It is worth considering what the auto industry could look and feel like if it were to embrace conscious capitalism. From my insider perspective, I envision an industry elevated as a whole by countless beautiful “aha” moment occurring at headquarters, in offices, dealerships and showroom floors—all while producing enviable profits. I see an industry with the potential to give meaning to the millions of lives it touches.

Jacqueline Jasionowski is the founder of Shift Awake Group. Her “soul” goal is to share with the world how connecting with your purpose through a higher level of consciousness will both drive results and enable you to innovate along the way.

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Management Personal Development Women In Business

A Servant Heart Dressed in 5” Heels

How important is a servant heart to a successful business? I was reminded of its power on a cloudy September Wednesday.

I had been preparing to visit a particular dealership for months, and had the pleasure of speaking to the owner’s assistant several times to organize logistics. My first impression was that she was capable, well-spoken and kind, and I was looking forward to meeting her.

On the day of my visit, I tried entering through the front, but it was before 8:00 a.m. and the locked door wouldn’t budge. I started to walk around the building and caught the eye of a woman headed toward the side door. She walked quickly in her 5” inch heels to greet me with a smile, a bear hug and a, “Nice to meet you! I’m the owner of the dealership.” I instantly knew I was in for a fun day.

Positive first impressions were confirmed throughout my visit. The assistant I’d been communicating with also greeted me with a warm smile and hug, as well as a binder filled with the day’s agenda. When the owner and I became engaged in a winding conversation that put us behind schedule, she jokingly said she would have to manage the “two of you.”

As we toured the dealership, the owner smiled and greeted her team everywhere we went. When she asked about her employees’ weekends and introduced me, she was met with smiles, hugs and laughter in return—even at 8:00 in the morning.

We both clearly had a lot of practice in stilettos, and when we dashed over to service, she bent down to pick up a loose piece of paper on the driveway and throw it into the trash. Her actions consistently reflected that she was all in as a leader and walked the talk. We went into the lobby and she chatted with a customer about his morning and asked if the coffee was hot enough.

As we continued, I learned about the many unusual strategies she employed to make her dealership a standout. For example, her sales team members are called Life Improvement Specialists and they adhere to a no commission / no negotiation model designed to take fear and frustration out of the car-buying process. Their whole motivation is to improve the lives of their customers.

In addition, “The Go Giver” is required reading for her employees, and they live and breathe the Bob Burg and John David Mann ideal that states, “Success is the result of specific habits of action: creating value, touching people’s lives, putting others’ interests first, being real, and having the humility to stay open to receiving.”

That ideal is expressed in an annual holiday event where employees serve hot food, offer gently used clothing to families in need, and give presents to children. Last year, they served over 2,000 underprivileged adults and children in their community.

This amazing leader received some of that goodwill in return when her team gifted her with a spin certification to help in her fight against diabetes. She kind of has her hands full running a multi-million-dollar business! Once certified she opted not to take a second job and instead revamped the store’s upstairs, purchased several spin bikes and started teaching spin three times a week to her employees. As a result, one staff member has lost over 100 pounds and improved his health. On occasion, a customer will even join class because word on the street is that she has an amazing playlist.

While I’m trying to illustrate how this leader’s servant heart affects her employees, community and business, it doesn’t even scratch the surface of this collective group of amazing human beings (a.k.a. angels on earth). This leader truly embodies the conscious-based mindset I write and talk about, and it was amazing to witness firsthand how making conscious decisions results in happier employees as well as happier customers.

For this business owner, leadership is not an option—it is a responsibility. She models the actions she expects from her team with every step she takes—which enables a supportive and profitable place to work. In return, her actions inspire her people to hold space for their customers to enjoy the experience of purchasing or servicing their vehicle. Throughout my day with her, I was in awe. Just when I thought I couldn’t be any more surprised about this team, they would share another jaw-dropping example of how they were changing the automotive industry.

As a professional who lives to espouse consciousness in business, I have dreamt about this kind of dealership environment. This leader has fallen in love with her employees and customers. She has found a way around the fears and frustrations of her people and removed them. Her ability to innovate through conscious-based decision-making positively affects all of her stakeholders and puts her far ahead of the competition.

The lesson here is that innovation is no longer just in the form of high tech, but in high touch. Tapping into emotion is a game-changing super power that few leaders know about yet. However, I believe that education will yield more conscious-based automotive brands that change the way employees and customers experience our industry.

Five-inch heels are encouraged, but purely optional.

Jacqueline Jasionowski is the founder of Shift Awake Group. Her “soul” mission is to help others connect with their purpose through a higher level of consciousness that will both drive results and enable innovation along the way. Please contact 614.403.6540 for info.

Categories
Culture Management Marketing Negotiations

Commit to Clients and Customers

Consider the amount of money that goes into acquiring a new customer. Paying sales professionals, product development, marketing, advertising, media, the list is endless. Many of our business costs are associated to attract new customers for the sake of our business growth.

Imagine if companies were to spend as much attention on retaining a customer than they do try to earn a new one. When we show our clients, customers, patients, members and shoppers that we pay attention to their needs, we are not only likely to retain them, we will most certainly create advocates in them as well.

A brilliant book on elevating the customer experience is Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman, I loved this line in his book ‘it’s time to stop thinking B2B or B2C the future of business is H2H’ (human to human)

Follow these 5 strategies to give professional attention to your clients and show them the love they deserve.

1. Reach out. When was the last time you reached out and personally thanked your clients for being customers? Do you make it habit to routinely remind them of your joy in doing business with them? Consider deepening your relationship with frequent reach-outs. Find out how their business is doing and what you can do to make it better.

2. Examine the experience. Take the time to walk through the same business experience your current customers do. Call your phone number and listen to how you are addressed. Enter your workplace, office or shop as a customer and truly examine the impression being given. Evaluate your website and order your own products. Experience what your customers do when they are doing business with you. You may be surprised what you learn.

3. Know your numbers. Many companies measure their success through profitability, sales and growth. Perhaps consider adding a few extra numbers to the mix. Understand how many new sales come from repeat customers. Recognize your referral rates and most importantly know the churn your company suffers. Set meaningful goals – short and long-term – to retain more customers and improve your new sales from return clients.

4. Motivating Factors. Do you know what motivates your customer to buy from you? Maybe they buy because of price or convenience. Maybe it’s because of location or experience. Do your homework by asking your customers these questions. Know what motivates them to do business with you the first time, and continued business in the future will help you prioritize the areas of opportunity within your business.

5. Be a Partner. When was the last time your bank called you to ask how they can help you better invest your money to plan for a better future? Has your physician ever called to see how you were doing and offered you free literature on the topic you last discussed? This higher level of attention brings a personalized touch to any customer relationship. More so, it creates a partnership with you and your client that benefits their success and well-being as much as it does yours. It’s a win-win anyway you look at it. Partnering with your customer will create mutual trust and respect in the relationship.

Are you ready to pay more attention to your customers? Are you ready to heighten your professional relationships and invest more in their success? Pick up a copy of Joey Coleman’s How Not to Lose a Customer and read his strategies for investing time and energy in cultivating long-lasting client relationships.

Want to take your attention a step further? Pick up a copy of  Attention Pays. Learn how attention to employees will benefit your clients and ultimately your bottom line. Understand how evaluating your day-to-day activities can help you carve out time to focus on those who matter most – your customers.