It’s All Personal
“It’s just business, it’s not personal.” You hear that sometimes when people have to make unpleasant decisions or do things that are a little uncomfortable. And it’s a nice phrase to make things feel a little better, but I’ve learned over the years, as both an employee and an employer, that it’s simply not true. There’s nothing in life that is “just business.” Everything we do is personal on some level. Any decision that involves people is by nature personal.
Keeping things personal is one of my biggest jobs as a member of the Chick-fil-A leadership team. As fast and as full as life gets sometimes, it’s tempting to break things down to “just business.” It’s a lot less messy to deal in Excel spreadsheets and categorize employees and customers as numbers. They’re just data. You just need to get XX amount of employees to serve XX amount of customers XX amount of food each day. End of story.
But that’s not true. Those employees aren’t numbers. They’re not just data. They’re moms and dads. They’re college students with dreams. They’re high school kids learning the value of hard work. They’re people just like me with hopes and fears and goals and friends and family. Same with the customers.
The customers are never numbers. They are dads taking their daughters out to dinner on date night at Chick-fil-A. They are moms who need a playground and a healthy meal for kids on the go. They are friends who camp out with me overnight for the grand opening of a new Chick-fil-A.
There are a lot of ways you can keep things personal at your business, but my favorite is to get out from my behind my desk. I like to be behind the counter. I like to serve someone a sandwich or help an employee make a milkshake. I find that dirty hands make it hard to see people as just numbers.
If you’re looking for me on most days, you’ll find me at a Chick-fil-A. Because it’s not just business. It’s not just data.
It’s personal. It’s all personal.
This post is categorized Lead and tagged Chick-fil-A, front counter, personal
Dan, awesome point! I’m in ministry, and we often joke that ministry would be so much easier without all the people. In reality, people ARE the ministry. It’s never about our todo list, our fame, or the ins and outs of business. It’s about people. Rick Warren defines leadership as people-building, and I must agree. Excellent thoughts!
Very true, Dan. I was just discussing this topic with another writer. In my past life in “Corporate America”, I witnessed how customers were simply referred to as “Revenue” and employees were just another “Fixed Asset” that could be relocated, replaced, or terminated without regard. I have been a business owner and writer for almost 6 years and business is very personal to me. My customers know my little girl’s name and I know their children’s names. My customers and I laugh and argue like family. We are truthful with each other. I approach my customers (aka: Friends) with a “What can I give you” approach instead of “How much money can I make from you” approach. I love my customers and they love me. And I don’t lose customers to the competition. (I actually have a waiting list of customers who want in “the club”)
This topic actually reminds me of a piece from a book we’ll release late fall:
“Success is the by-product of doing everything else right. It is the end result, not the starting point. If you prepare correctly, act correctly, study correctly, approach correctly, listen correctly, respect correctly, communicate correctly, and believe correctly, you will eventually get rewarded correctly.”
Good topic, Dan. (Also, love the spicy chicken sandwich!)
Well said, Dan. It’s obvious that this philosophy is pervasive in the CFA culture, because it’s coming from the “top” and it’s authentic. Thanks for providing an oasis of awesome service in a sea of mediocrity for all your customers. And yes, CFA IS my daughter’s favorite place to go on a date night!
It is always personal at Chickfila. Giving moms flowers on Mother’s Day to the extrodinary customer service every time I go there. Even the closing of all stores on Sundays speaks to their committment for family values. Thanks for being personal.
Thank you for using your platform of influence to be a voice of wisdom within our society. One of the things I appreciate about Chick-fil-A is that it is a private family company rather than a public corporation. My wfie and I have talked a lot lately about the differences in shopping at privately held companies versus publically held companies. Its our theory that you have a much better chance of having a great customer experience at a privately held company where the leadership invests themselves completely into the company and its customers than at a public corporation that focuses primarly on shareholder returns. Sincerely, Jason
I will always be grateful for personal treatment during the 7 years my daughter had at the Towncenter Store with Ralph… he always treated her as one who had dreams to fulfill. Chick-fil-a played a significant role in her life in learning how to serve others first, work hard, and to honor God in her work, no matter how menial it may have been at times. I remember her coming home smelling like the fryer many-a-nights, covered with flour, but always joyful about having such a great environment in which to work. Thank you for treating her like something more than just business. It is paying huge dividends now in her service role for Med Share International.
Dan ,Great truths.I was one of those just numbers for 36 years in a cooperate
American firm.Won top sales awards,created new business and then told after
all those years that I no longer fit into their plan only to be dismissed over the phone.So I started my on little business and after one year really appreciated your
family way of doing business and treated all my customers the same.Superior
customer service and a hand written thank you(not e-mail) note.I tell all
the younger generation to write a letter,note or thank you to a friend once a
month.The Declaration of Independence was hand written, not
e-mailed.Thank you Chick – fil- A I tell your story where ever I travel.
You never find out about people until when you are with them. Dan my brother in Christ may you be blessed abundantly for putting your garments down just like Jesus and serving not just by papers and data, but with eternal words, the Jesus way. When He is feeding the Five thousand, talking to the woman of Samaria, the wedding at Cana, healing the officials son, Jesus dealing with the woman caught in Adultery, healing the man born blind, raising Lazarus, Jesus weeping and one of the greatest picture Jesus in the temple watching the widow being so thankful to what had been entrusted to her with thanksgiving. Grace and peace Keep the great course of Jesus. Col 1:25
Well Said! – I really like this post…. People matter most and making connections and building relationships is at the heart of it.
Hi Dan I very much so agree with u I actually work at the Chick-fil-a in Florida and I believe that u have visited our store. Every aspect of a humans life is personal whether someone tries not to regard it as so. Great topic and I enjoy reading about ur stuff.