Happiness.

Some people are afraid to say that word in the same sentence as the word Business. I’m not. I know better.

I’m JoAnna Brandi. Since 1990 I’ve been teaching organizations how to create happy, loyal customers. I’ve interviewed thousands of people, studied with some of the best leaders in the business world and now, some of the best minds in the field of Positive Psychology. I’ve written over 500 articles, three books and have worked with some of the most highly regarded organizations in the country. I am a graduate of Dr. Martin Seligman's Authentic Happiness Coaching Program and a founding member of the International Forum of the Positive Workplace Alliance. I say this only so you will put some “weight” on what I am about to say next.

Businesses, non-profits, educational institutions – are all at a crossroads now. The “old guard,” leadership models that have served us for thousands of years are simply no longer effective. Just look around.

If you want to attract and retain the brightest and the best employees and customers today, you’d better be looking at how leadership operates in your organization. If you’re stuck in some version of the “Power Over” model you’ll eventually lose to a competitor who has the wisdom to adopt a “Power With” way of doing business. Power Over is about control. Power With is about inclusion, co-creation and valuing everyone’s contribution.

Our bright, enthusiastic, technologically advanced young people want to work in a place where they feel valued and appreciated and where they can make a significant contribution – before they move on, that is. They want to feel good at work.

Got Happiness? Got Committment?

Here’s my manifesto:

The only way you can consistently and reliably create happy, engaged, committed and loyal customers is by creating and nourishing a work environment where the employees feel valued, appreciated, connected, cared about, and challenged to be the best of who they can be. Positive customer experiences are directly related to positive employee practices.

Employees who feel underappreciated, uninspired, and disconnected don’t have the emotional or physic energy necessary to consistently deliver positive customer experiences except at the expense of their own health and well-being.

Employers who ignore this fact put their future profitability at stake. The talented young people entering the workforce today refuse to tolerate workplaces that don’t value them and their contribution.

Today, if you want to create value in the marketplace, you MUST create value in the workplace. Companies that are great to do business with and great to work for will be the companies that thrive into the future.

It’s time for old outdated “Power Over” leadership practices to change. The organizations that thrive will be those who develop a “Power With” practice that builds on employees’ strengths and creates a place where people are happy to come to work.

People who feel good at work outperform those who don’t. Period.

According to the latest information from the Gallup Organization (who interviewed over 4 million people) only 29% of the American workforce is actually “engaged” in their jobs. Only 29% are passionate about and connected to the work they do. What a pity.

Is it any wonder that most people think that service “stinks”?

In a world where almost any product or service can become a commodity over night, what differentiates one company from another is the quality of the customer’s felt experience. If workers feel alienated, negated, not appreciated, disconnected or disengaged they are unlikely to deliver the kind of service that has the power to make you stand out – positively – in the marketplace. And since few people trust companies anymore, they rely on friends and networks to deliver the word-of-mouth on how you stack up. If your employees aren’t happy and committed to creating value, your customers won’t be committed to coming back and bringing friends. It’s pretty simple.

The “Customer Experience” is the sum total of the feelings evoked
as a result of any interaction that takes place
at any touch point in your organization.

The customer’s experience is based on their perception
of the value you deliver, whether tangible or intangible.

JoAnna Brandi

It’s time for organizations to wake up and shake up outdated thinking on what good leadership is. The deep-seated you-ought-to-be-grateful-you-have-a-job belief systems still exist and hold dysfunctional leadership habits in place. It’s evidenced everywhere.

Albert Einstein said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” It’s time to look at the belief systems that hold our old habits in place and shake them up a bit. Negative customer experiences don’t just come from the people on the front lines – they comes from leadership mindsets that focus more on the profit and not enough on the people who produce it.

Maybe it’s time to take a look at what you need to grow and attract the kind of passionate people that contribute discretionary effort will help your company take exquisite care of customers. Maybe it’s the perfect time to look at what you need to do to create a culture that innovates and creates the kinds of products and services that will put you heads above the competition and make you a great place to work.

Is there a Return on Happiness? You bet there is!

Free Bi-Weekly Tip

Boost your “ROH” with the customer service training tools that are offered at

www.customercarecoach.com They are specifically designed to help leaders and service providers create consistently “Exquisite Customer Experiences,” ones that are positive enough to keep the customers happy, loyal and coming back with friends and money.

Sign up for my Free Bi-Weekly Customer Care Tip – it delivers ideas, insights and wisdom on how to create a positive customer caring culture and make your workplace a great place to work and do business with.

Thanks for taking time to read my Manifesto, JoAnna