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As I outlined in my previous blog post, Flight Path for Success , the incident that took place on United Flight #3411 and the ensuing response could have been avoided. It would have entailed United putting the customer first, empowering team members to do the right thing and owning its mistakes. This incident also signaled a CEO that was out of touch with his customers. Regardless of the size of your organization, a connection to one’s customers is critical to the success of any business. When you understand customer behaviors - for instance, what motivates them to engage, what causes them to look for services elsewhere - you will have a greater chance for success and a better handle on how to make a course correction when needed. You also demonstrate to your team that you personally care about the business. One way to ensure this type of connection is to focus on your organizational structure. You want to keep the management layers between leaders and customers to as few as possible. ...

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Last week, a video surfaced showing a passenger physically dragged from an oversold United Flight when he refused to give up his seat for a United employee. Not surprisingly, this incident caused outrage and disgust as evident from the backlash on social media, calls for a United boycott and plummet in the airline’s stock price. As someone leading a customer care driven business, I believe that what happened on United flight #3411 and the ensuing response could have been avoided. While there has been a great deal of Monday morning quarterbacking, it is useful to use the United incident as a vehicle. Specifically, it’s an opportunity to reinforce what can be done to deliver high quality care and service that focuses on the consumer, to build a workplace that empowers employees and to make a positive impact on the community it serves. With that in mind, let’s review those key ingredients to building a world-class company that provides the best service possible: Put the custo...

I am thrilled to announce the launch of my first podcast. This first interview was held with Suzy Welch who is a noted business journalist, TV commentator and public speaker. She is the author of the New York Times Best Seller, 10-10-10 , and co-author with her husband Jack Welch of the international best sellers, The Real Life MBA , and Winning .  In this first episode of the Inventing Health podcast, her and I discuss the importance of taking the long view, and having passions outside of work.  Tune in to find out more! Key Takeaways: [:13] John introduces himself and the podcast. [1:20] John introduces his first guest — Suzy Welch. [1:51] "That's why you play till the end." — Tom Brady. Was there a time where this mentality served Suzy well in her career to achieve success? [5:57] Suzy shares her experiences of being passed over for promotion. It was the beginning of her learning that you don't have to have an immediate reaction to everything. [7:37] What type of...