Workflow Navigator 510©

CLIENT | CULTURE | ENTERPRISE | KNOWLEDGE | CAPITAL

Culture Ring 2

Does your enterprise have a client-centered culture?

This is a true story about a convenience store with only six parking spaces. Imagine a store owner parks his obviously “abandoned” car 24/7 for a year in one of the spaces. With five client spaces, is this convenient?

Unlike the store owner, enlightened professionals understand the purpose of an enterprise is to serve others, not themselves. A client-centered culture requires four roles to be performed and kept in balance to improve workflow; namely to be a leader, manager, steward and educator. Based on proven experience and sound economics, Workflow Navigator© creates a culture of client advocates; people who work with purpose. (For more about a network of client advocates, see Greg S. Arbues at www.clientadvocatenetwork.com)

By definition, client advocates sit on your side of the table. Client advocates offer objective advice, custom solutions, peerless service and fresh ideas. If professionals clarify their authority, accountability and responsibility, integrity drives improved cashflow.

If there is a lack of integrity between what professionals say and do, they can expect lower profits. Tony Simmons reported in a 2002 Harvard Business Review that hotel managers who kept promises and demonstrated the values they preached led to more profitable properties than those who scored lower on behavior integrity scales. Imagine a business where every minor increase in the key indicators studied led to a 2.5% profitability improvement or $250,000 per year per hotel.

By definition, culture is the act of developing the social, moral and intellectual faculties of people through education. (See ABLE University) Enlightened professionals earn more when they develop a “congruent culture” - where everyone practices what they preach. This is how you pass the parking lot test. So, where do your clients park at your firm?