An engaging service vision

An engaging service vision energises everyone to focus and fulfil a powerful promise of service. An engaging service vision wakes people up, turns people on, and poses a possibility that each team member can understand, embrace, and strive to achieve. It doesn't matter whether you call this phrase a service vision, mission, core value, guiding principle, credo, motto, slogan, saying, pledge, or tagline. What matters is that your engaging service vision is engaging.

The service vision for Schreiber Foods Customer Service (an employee owned manufacturer of cheese and yoghurt) is: "Our World is Serving Yours". This makes clear what they do and why they come to work every day.

When we started working with Nokia Siemens Networks, the executive Board had recently approved a new marketing position: "Knowing How." This promoted Nokia Siemens Networks' well known and widely respected strengths for technical expertise. But the company was being challenged by Chinese competitors that didn't necessarily know more, but were doing more for customers with large teams of lower-paid workers. "Knowing How" is important, but what really matters is doing something with your knowledge to help someone else.

The company's global service leadership team convened in India under the guidance of Rajeev Suri, who would soon become CEO of the entire organisation. "Knowing How" evolved to "Knowing How, Doing Now," which was better, but still left something missing. What is the purpose of doing now? What is the intended result?

The air in the room was thick with focus and the frustration that often accompanies a vision-crafting effort. One of the leaders chuckled quietly and then smiled. Not known for exaggeration, he expressed confidence in the company when he said, "Know How, Act Now, Create Wow!"

This powerful phrase became a guiding focus for more than 60,000 employees worldwide. "Know How" means know your customers, what they want, what they need, what you can do to help, and what your competitors are doing differently or better than you. "Act Now" means don't wait, reach out, take action, and make things happen. "Create Wow" means surprise customers, delight colleagues, go beyond expectations, and create wow - right now. An engaging service vision is like a mantra to motivate your team and keep them focused on uplifting service.

Kaufman is the author of the New York Times best-selling book, "Uplifting Service." Reprint with permission. Link: http://ronkaufman. com / building -a-service-culture/service-vision-got-engaging-part-one/#.U_HfQmMgsg8