I remember when I first saw Tony Hsieh on the cover of Inc Magazine about a year ago. I read stories of treating his employees to VIP parties in Vegas, giving away gift cards to an audience with no strings attached, total commitment to customer service not by process but through personal attention.
Two thoughts crossed my mind:
* This guy must be insane
* I really want to work for him
In the book Delivering Happiness we explore the unique mind of Tony Hsieh. We discover his willingness to admit his failures, his inability to stand still, his uncompromising determination to create fun, and the nontransparent hard work and intelligence behind all the glitz and glam of Zappos.
For far too long business progress has been affiliated with formal dress, competition, accountability, product dumping, price gauging and micro-management. The thought of work turning one's stomach on a Sunday in the park. Our commitment without reward driving us to drink for some sweet relief.
When people like Tony Hsieh, Blake McCoskie, and Johnny Cupcakes came to my attention I realized that they were not crazy....I was.
Delivering Happiness allows us to feel OK about putting our people first, putting everything into that which we believe in (at the risk of failure) and enjoying every moment (good and bad) in our climb to success.
Tony Hsieh went to Harvard and was an early Oracle stake holder. He could have used his credentials to earn, save and toil in predictable wealth. The school and first profession are where convention ends for Tony. He spent his time at Harvard creating a culture around a dorm room pizza parlor that he operated. He spent his early days at Oracle wishing he was somewhere else.
It doesn't matter if you are an Accountant, a Laborer or a Professional Quarterback - the end game for everyone is: HAPPINESS!
Unfortunately, most companies believe in numbers not people...they ask you to put on a mask when you enter the doors of their establishment...you are plugged into a work hard/play hard double existence...
So in June when Delivering Happiness hits the book shelves could it be possible that a revolution may be ignited. That we can understand from Tony Hsieh's climb to billionaire status that the thing that matters most is not the money we make or our escalation through corporate bureaucracy but the relationships we cultivate and the energy we dedicate to that which we genuinely believe in...?
The book Delivering Happiness concludes with a movement! Tony's commitment to culture extended from Zappos to the world. This movement and Tony Hsieh's philosophy for Delivering Happiness is best exemplified through Zappos 10 Core Values....read them, digest them and live them in your own way:
1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and a Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build A Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More with Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble
The Twitterverse is embracing the #deliveringhappiness hash tag...I see numerous professionals noting that they wish they worked for Zappos. By Tony Hsieh's true intention it is not the four walls that encompass your professional ambition but the spirit you use to carry it to the world!
Join the Movement!
- Dave
No comments:
Post a Comment