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"I love you" is a process. And it's not just for people.
It’s for companies and organizations of all sizes. It’s not cyclical in the way we think about other processes. It works more like a drop of water in a still pond. It shakes things up, and when business seems synonymous with cold, hard systems, it gives blood to an organization.
It’s the process of putting clients first, and sometimes, those clients are your employees. Hugh Macleod calls it “the new hard currency." It’s how we pay for things, and it’s just one of the ways your company pays its people and also the way your people pay your customers.
“I love you” means I care for your long-term well-being. It asks, "How can I help?" And listens with an abiding fear for body language and subtleties. It tries to think of things before you think of them and makes you smile by the virtue of the interaction, and it sticks with you in a way that makes you talk about it long after you’ve had the experience.
Imperfect at times, the process requires that you learn more about who you’re serving, that is, who you’re loving, and figuring out how to love them best. When this is how you move about your company, how you come into meetings, pitch a sale or close a deal, or even follow up for feedback, the human on the other side feels it.
And so do you. That’s the magic of loving your people. It’s your invisible development strategy that also develops you. It incorporates giving as a business model, sharing as a sales strategy, and transparency as a marketing plan. The mission statement includes empowerment and support, and most importantly, trust.
“I love you” requires you to tell the truth. It requires you to solve a problem genuinely. It also requires you to make the person on the other end happy, simply because you want to, because that’s the caring thing to do. When you treat business like it has the power to change the world, it does. Ergo, your new business plan: Love.
About Tanya
Tanya Moushi is a Good-Business Enthusiast and Lead Consultant at Moushi.co, an interdisciplinary firm that believes that business gets better by applying functions of philosophy and art. She's an avid supporter of Downtown Phoenix, believes in the power of generosity, and cites Seth Godin as one of her most influential mentors. Find her on Twitter @TanyaMoushi.
