I just finished reading a very interesting post on good old Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.
In this post Tony talks about the ten concepts that have been the major playing pieces to Zappos achieving it's fantastic levels of success. As you read each of these items please take a moment and think about how they are (or maybe don't yet!) a part of what you do and how you can work with it to change what and how you go about woprking toward your own successes.
Interestingly, leaders shape vision into action much the brain works. Let's look briefly at Zappo's "10 core values" formed by leaders and employees alike, to see how they relate to workings of the human brain.
1) Deliver WOW Through Service - Creating a "WOW" factor challenges the brain and breaks routines. The human brain leaps to problem solving and challenge to break boring routines.
2) Embrace and Drive Change - Changes take place by taking on and tackling new approaches. You work in working memory more as you learn, practice and problem solve.
3) Create Fun and A Little Weirdness - Play brings a joy to the work experience. The drive to play is located in the brain's thalmus.
4) Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded - The human brain thrives on creativity. By developing a fascination for discovery and adventure, you can experience joy in your work.
5) Pursue Growth and Learning - Zappos created a company library which provides hundreds of self-help and positive psychology books, Carlin Flores notes in Psychology Today, Oct, 2009. Reading unleashes your brain's thinking box. And, now Zappos is offering courses as well.
6) Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication - While experience and upbringing shape our communication style and the way we develop relationships, these can be changed. As we share what we care about with fellow workers we build honest relationships. Because the human brain has great plasticity, we can change how we communicate.
7) Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit - Creating a mindset that builds a team spirit can make or break an organization according to Jim Collins in How the Mighty Have Fallen. Folks at Zappos live team spirit daily.
Do More With Less - Having all the newest gadgets at work does not make people happier. Experiences create meaning because people find "more meaningful part of one's identity and contribute more to successful social relationships," according to Leaf Van Boven, psychologist at CU-Boulder. When the recession hit in 2009, Zappos changed their congratulatory $3,000 happy hour that bonds new employees to a $110.00 in-house social and it's just as effective, if not more, than going to a bar.
9) Be Passionate and Determined - If people are passionate about what they do, it stimulates on-the-job optimal experience. Demanding cognitive tasks prompt the brain to focus intensely by filtering out irrelevant signals as you work.
10) Be Humble - "Something interesting happens," Bruna Martinuzzi notes, "when we approach situations from a perspective of humility: it opens us up to possibilities, as we choose open-mindedness and curiosity over protecting our point of view. We spend more time in that wonderful space of the beginner’s mind, willing to learn from what others have to offer. We move away from pushing into allowing, from insecure to secure, from seeking approval to seeking enlightenment. We forget about being perfect and we enjoy being in the moment." Humility is developed as part of the emotional or intrapersonal intelligence.
Again… I urge you to go back to the top of the list and then slowly read back through each of the 10 items. Stop and look at just how you are working with each one in your own business. Can't hurt can it?!
If you want to see the balance of the post I read you can do so over at: brainbasedbiz
Read through it all and then hit the comment button below to tell us what you think.
Onward & Upward!
Sam
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