Sue Hearts People

It is so refreshing whenever I read about people who just get the basics of business (and personal life). It is, imho, really simple but many have a hard time in identifying their rocks. I do acknowledge this is not easy and potentially a life long quest for many.

The last issue of Fortune, one of the few magazines that I actually subscribe to and read along with The Economist, had a really delightful article by Jennifer Reingold, on Sue Nokes - she runs the sales and customer service of T-Mobile USA. You can read the article in depth but here are a few things that stood out for me:

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1. She treats her employees as customers first - that drives "collateral success". T-Mobile's paying customers get treated well.
• She cares - ".....they had never met with any leader at that level who [they felt] cared."
• She knows how to "measure" and manage people

2. She walks the talk not to just meet quarterly goals but believes in it. It is who she is and would rather not be doing anything else. She pours her heart into it!
3. She listens and learns which get her results [Absenteeism averaged 12% daily; turnover was a staggering 100%-plus annually when she joined - now it is at 3% and 42% respectively' Employee satisfaction at 80%]
4. She is brutally honest and keeps it objective - signs of conviction and security
5. I know of only one business entity where customers tattoed the brand on themselves - Harley Davidson. Sue has employees do that with things like "I HEART SUE NOKES" even if it is temporary!

She definitely is the CEO - Chief Employee Officer - and again, imho, an "endangered leader".

Imagine: A company that cares (for you)