Getting Naked

Now that I have your attention...

In my Business Ethics class, one of my assignments is to do 1,000 pages of "collateral reading" - basically, read 1,000 pages of anything I want that is related to business ethics.

So, as I was perusing the "Business Best-Sellers" section of Barnes and Noble today, I noticed this book and read the back cover. It was basically a philosophy on how to treat clients, presented as a narrative fable. It looked interesting, so I bought it and read it this evening.

I was actually surprised by what a neat book it was (and, after finishing the book, was not surprised but was pleased to learn that the author is actually a Christian). The main point the author makes is that the best way to serve our customers is by being vulnerable to them. He demonstrates that the strongest customer relationships are built when we:

1. Consult instead of sell. Instead of trying to convince your customer that you can help them, just start helping them.
2. Tell the kind truth. You know that elephant in the room, that everybody knows is the problem but nobody wants to talk about? Have the courage to address the real issue. Yes it will be awkward, but if you do it kindly, it will benefit your customer much more than if you quietly ignore it.
3. Ask dumb questions. If you don't know something, chances are somebody else in the room doesn't either. Don't be afraid to ask questions - it will demonstrate that you care more about gathering the info needed to solve the problem than you do about your ego.
4. Make dumb suggestions. It is ok to make a suggestion that you aren't sure of - it may be the great idea they needed. Or it might not be, but if it isn't, just roll with it and keep looking for the solution.
5. Take a bullet for your customer. This doesn't mean blindly absorbing blame and enabling a customer to do the wrong thing. It is about humbling ourselves in those times when we can take some of the burden off of our customer in a difficult situation, and then confronting them about the situation after. Without the confrontation, taking a bullet is just enablement.
6. Make everything about the customer. It isn't important that we be recognized for our expertise or our knowledge - we are here to understand, honor, and support our customers. If we're good at this, we won't need to build ourselves up - our customers will realize and appreciate all on their own the value of our services.
7. Do the dirty work. Be willing to take on whatever a customer needs (within the context of the services you provide). Sometimes what a customer needs might be seen as "below us", but since service is about them and not us, we do for them those things they need us to do with a humble spirit.
8. Admit your weaknesses and limitation. If we try to cover up our weaknesses, we will spend more and more time and energy doing things we aren't good at. If we can admit our weaknesses, we can look for better ways to fill those gaps (sometimes another member of the team), and more effectively spend our time and energy on the things we are good at.

I think these guidelines have some strong ties to Biblical principles, and therefore are not necessarily alien in concept to somebody working at a Christian institution. However, the book was clearly written for a secular, corporate audience, where some of these principles are very much out of the norm.

Finally, one other thing the book emphasizes is, while some humility can go a long way in building a meaningful relationship with customers, you still have to be competent in the things you do. It is good to admit your mistakes, but if all you make are mistakes, then you have a different problem.

I definitely recommend this book for anybody that serves people in a business setting. It's a quick read (few hours) and the narrative style is very engaging.