Every business does not have a guarantee. But should you?
Less than half of all businesses have a guarantee, and when I work with EOS® clients this is hard for them to do, because once you say it people might use it. Here are some guarantees that came to mind for me:
- USPS has a guarantee on overnight shipments
- Buffalo Wild Wings has a 15-minutes or it is free for lunch
- Our local running shop, Gazelles, will accept shoes for return after you run on them if they don’t fit right
- Bob Goff gives his phone number at the end of his book, Love Does, and guarantees he will answer
I use a strategic planning system my business called the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®) that I also use the clients. EOS® has a guarantee I use for the rest of my business – No contracts/No pay guarantee: If our work together does not meet your expectations don’t pay me. If it does, pay me when we are done.
Here is the thing about guarantees:
- They tell people what you are serious about
- The commitments make you better at what you do because you focus on meeting that pledge
- It provides immediate feedback for something you need to fix
My personal experience is that I am focused on preparing with my client for planning sessions because bringing value for them is my guarantee, and it takes work. But it is work that I believe in, and making it fundamentally makes me work at improving my capacity to deliver excellence every time I work.
I think it is a question I will start asking all leaders – What do you guarantee to your team? Your peers? Your leader?
What are you willing to guarantee?
fyi – I called Bob Goff and he picked up. 🙂
Tip: Instead of asking your people what their guarantee is, ask:
- What are the communication standards that guide you? (answer in terms of preferred method and timing of responses)
- When I work with you how will I know it is going well?
- How will I know if it is not going well?
Imagine the power of everyone on the team answering these, putting them on the wall, and then determining a standard for working together? That is a guarantee.
