Culture Is Strategy: Compassionate Companies Win In The Long Run                  

Albert Kim is the founder and CEO of SOTA Cloud, pioneering through compassionate innovation.

Several years back a fledgling online retailer struggled to find a foothold. Small and resource-challenged, it was a “David” going up against more established “Goliaths.” Even though customers liked David, preferring its product over the competition, sales stayed sluggish. Goliaths closed in, threatening to crush the startup before it could find its way. Naturally, David’s imminent demise worried investors: Why get behind the floundering startup when so many other established brands threatened to eat its lunch?

David’s CEO knew he was in trouble. If he didn’t do something fast, it was all over. His back against the proverbial wall, he made a bold move: he prioritized company culture over traditional business strategies.

“What?” The market asked.

But the CEO didn’t waver in his belief that creating a workplace rooted in happiness would drive long-term success. The startup implemented a set of core values emphasizing customer service, humility, and fun. Famously, it offered new hires $2,000 to quit after training, ensuring only the most committed employees stayed on. Even more surprisingly, its service reps were empowered to go above and beyond, breaking all the typical customer rules. Example: One such service call lasted over 10 hours.

The unusual gambit paid off. Instead of going out of business, employee engagement skyrocketed, customer loyalty deepened, and word-of-mouth marketing spread far and wide. You know the company today not as David, but as Zappo’s. In 2009, Amazon bought the shoe retailer for $1.2 billion.

Curious to learn more about how a culture of compassion drives innovation?
Read the full article here.

Source: Forbes