Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
If your employees are fully engaged in your business, then you will in all probability have a better business.
That’s more or less what Jonathan Austin, CEO of Sunday Times Best Companies, said at the conference.
Conducting a text-in poll, Austin showed the responses from the audience to the following questions:
What is your primary purpose? To make money – 53%, to provide a great service 32%. Yet of the top 100% best companies only 10% think it’s about the money.
A business’ primary purpose should be your reason for being beyond making money, Austin said. “Take for example, Arup whose mission is ‘to shape a better world’, or Flight Centre whose mission is ‘ to open up the world for those who want to see it’.”
Busineses also need to have an ‘outrageous ambition’: which should be, according to Austin “a vivid description of where we are going to be in five years’ time. This should only be 50% achievable, but it should inspire everyone to try to achieve it.”
