That might seem obvious. Yes, people work for people, and not companies. Furthermore, people donate to people, not organizations. On some level, you can even argue that people purchase products from people, not from companies.
OK. So I don't really have much evidence to support the last statement LOL, but, on a superficial level, how many people actually buy Apple products because they like Apple? Personally, I don't think Apple is such a super, amazing, awesometastic company. I, do, however, think Steve Jobs was a cool guy. And considering how many people were absolutely devastated when he died (not because he actually died, but because Apple might go under), other folks liked Steve Jobs too. And do people reealllyy like Microsoft? Or do they like Bill Gates (and maybe even Melinda)? They're humanitarians, they seem like cool people. Last time I saw Melinda in person she wasn't wearing an obnoxious look-at-me-I'm-so-rich-Kim-Kardashian wedding band. They just seem like cool, down-to-earth kinda folks. And since we're talking about Bill Gates, I'd even venture to say that people don't go to schools for education. People go to schools for people. People to go Harvard because of who else went there. Not because they truly, in their heart hearts, expect to get this extraordinary education that they can't find elsewhere.
Why is this even a topic on my mind? Why am I even thinking about people to people vs people to products/companies/organizations? Well, as the founder and Executive Director of MODEL26, I've been having this "identity crisis" with my organization. MODEL26 is always associated with Dyci Manns. I am the face of the organization. Most people probably assume that other people help out, but they aren't 100% sure because they've never actually seen them. And if they have, it was only once or twice in a photo or two. That used to really bother me. I didn't want people to think about me when they thought about the organization. I wanted them to think about the organization and the people we are helping. But I recently came to terms with the fact that that just won't happen (and that may even be a good thing). Even if, and when, I ever leave MODEL26, people will always associate my face and/or name with it.
Now how did I come to this conclusion? Well we're currently raising money for some new projects (donate here ;), and I've been doing some grassroots fundraising. Literally just sending everyone who has ever been interested in what we do an email or a Facebook message and asking for money. But people haven't been donating to MODEL26. People have been donating to ME. People donate to MODEL26 because they know me. Or they support me. Or they know that I'll do the right thing with the money. When people donate to organizations they don't donate to the organization itself. They donate to a family they saw, or a child that was in a photo. Good businesses/organizations keep things personal. Keeping it personal is muy importante.
But how is this concept applied to businesses? Well it's easy to see how this is relevant to small business owners and 'mom and pop' stores, but what about large companies? Obviously, if I want to to work at Apple I don't think I'm actually directly working for Steve Jobs. You're right. But a good manager/boss can retain and recruit good talent, and a bad one can do the opposite. I left my first corporate internship because I absolutely could not stand the woman I worked for. I met lots of nice people. Lunch was catered a lot. The office was nice. Good pay. It was a good gig for an 18 year old. But this woman really made me loathe the job. So I quit after two summers. On the other hand, my boyfriend is a consultant for Pricewaterhouse Coopers, and he works more than any single person should. I've never (not ONE time) heard him say, "Babe, I work this much because I absolutely love this company and everything it stands for. It is the best company ever and I am so honored to be here." Instead, he always talks about his boss. His boss is a great boss. He likes her. And he likes his team. They work together. They all suffer together is basically what I hear LOL. But the point is that my boyfriend is working for his boss. Not for PwC.
So the point of this post: Bosses be good to your employees. Executives, make sure your bosses are good to your employees. NPOs, keep it personal when fundraising. People want to donate to the people you help. They don't donate because of what you DO.
Even as a consultant I'm more likely to want to work with a client that is fun to talk to, easy to work with, (let's me do my job :-P), even if I don't 100% believe in their idea and/or their product is completely useless to me and most of the people I know.
Food for thought for the week. :)
OK. So I don't really have much evidence to support the last statement LOL, but, on a superficial level, how many people actually buy Apple products because they like Apple? Personally, I don't think Apple is such a super, amazing, awesometastic company. I, do, however, think Steve Jobs was a cool guy. And considering how many people were absolutely devastated when he died (not because he actually died, but because Apple might go under), other folks liked Steve Jobs too. And do people reealllyy like Microsoft? Or do they like Bill Gates (and maybe even Melinda)? They're humanitarians, they seem like cool people. Last time I saw Melinda in person she wasn't wearing an obnoxious look-at-me-I'm-so-rich-Kim-Kardashian wedding band. They just seem like cool, down-to-earth kinda folks. And since we're talking about Bill Gates, I'd even venture to say that people don't go to schools for education. People go to schools for people. People to go Harvard because of who else went there. Not because they truly, in their heart hearts, expect to get this extraordinary education that they can't find elsewhere.
Why is this even a topic on my mind? Why am I even thinking about people to people vs people to products/companies/organizations? Well, as the founder and Executive Director of MODEL26, I've been having this "identity crisis" with my organization. MODEL26 is always associated with Dyci Manns. I am the face of the organization. Most people probably assume that other people help out, but they aren't 100% sure because they've never actually seen them. And if they have, it was only once or twice in a photo or two. That used to really bother me. I didn't want people to think about me when they thought about the organization. I wanted them to think about the organization and the people we are helping. But I recently came to terms with the fact that that just won't happen (and that may even be a good thing). Even if, and when, I ever leave MODEL26, people will always associate my face and/or name with it.
Now how did I come to this conclusion? Well we're currently raising money for some new projects (donate here ;), and I've been doing some grassroots fundraising. Literally just sending everyone who has ever been interested in what we do an email or a Facebook message and asking for money. But people haven't been donating to MODEL26. People have been donating to ME. People donate to MODEL26 because they know me. Or they support me. Or they know that I'll do the right thing with the money. When people donate to organizations they don't donate to the organization itself. They donate to a family they saw, or a child that was in a photo. Good businesses/organizations keep things personal. Keeping it personal is muy importante.
But how is this concept applied to businesses? Well it's easy to see how this is relevant to small business owners and 'mom and pop' stores, but what about large companies? Obviously, if I want to to work at Apple I don't think I'm actually directly working for Steve Jobs. You're right. But a good manager/boss can retain and recruit good talent, and a bad one can do the opposite. I left my first corporate internship because I absolutely could not stand the woman I worked for. I met lots of nice people. Lunch was catered a lot. The office was nice. Good pay. It was a good gig for an 18 year old. But this woman really made me loathe the job. So I quit after two summers. On the other hand, my boyfriend is a consultant for Pricewaterhouse Coopers, and he works more than any single person should. I've never (not ONE time) heard him say, "Babe, I work this much because I absolutely love this company and everything it stands for. It is the best company ever and I am so honored to be here." Instead, he always talks about his boss. His boss is a great boss. He likes her. And he likes his team. They work together. They all suffer together is basically what I hear LOL. But the point is that my boyfriend is working for his boss. Not for PwC.
So the point of this post: Bosses be good to your employees. Executives, make sure your bosses are good to your employees. NPOs, keep it personal when fundraising. People want to donate to the people you help. They don't donate because of what you DO.
Even as a consultant I'm more likely to want to work with a client that is fun to talk to, easy to work with, (let's me do my job :-P), even if I don't 100% believe in their idea and/or their product is completely useless to me and most of the people I know.
Food for thought for the week. :)
2 comments:
To piggy back and take this a step farther, people also buy into 1. ideas too, and the ideas/ideals that people associated with a company/organization/product/service stand for and 2. the fact that other people approve of said company/organization/product/service. I may never know who Steve Jobs was, but I do know 1. iPhones are cool, user-friendly, and technologically advanced, all of which appeal to me --> personal acceptance of ideals and 2. other people think so too --> general social acceptance.
Good food for thought! I'll definitely keep this in mind as I continue to build my business :)
You're right. I didn't even think to ever buy a phone on the Android platform until others around me accepted it as being comparable to the iPhone even though I had already personally accepted the phones.
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