Page 140 - ConvinceThemFlip

convince them in 90 seconds or less
A carefully crafted big-idea statement can simply and
memorably explain why the organization exists, and what
difference it makes. It can give an organization a personal-
ity. The measure of the statement’s effectiveness comes
when every employee is able to reference it and instantly
ask and answer the question “Am I doing it now, or not?”
For example, Marriott Hotels’ big idea is, “We make
people away from home feel as if they’re among friends.”
It’s brilliant, and easy to remember. Anyone from the head
of public relations to the clerk at the front desk to the
housekeeper in the rooms to the pastry chef in the kitchen
can ask himself or herself, “Am I doing it now, or not?” If
the answer is yes, the company is on track. If it’s no, then
it’s time to make a change. That’s the empowering effect
of a well-considered big-idea statement—it makes every
employee a stakeholder in the company’s mission and gives
them the power to monitor and maintain the company’s
mission. Charles Revson put it beautifully: “At the Revlon
factory we make cosmetics; at the drugstore we sell hope.”
Here are some other big-idea statements that simply and
effectively embody the underlying goals of the company.
Wal-Mart: We give ordinary folks the chance to buy
the same things as rich people.
Mary Kay Cosmetics: We give unlimited opportunity
to women.
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