Regardless of what points the President makes tonight in his address, I will bet the farm his proposal will not solve the jobs problem in our country.
No matter the astronomical sum he recommends the nation spend, it won’t work. I don’t care what actions he – or Congress, for that matter – submit for public consideration, I’m telling you over the long haul, they will fail.
Here’s the reason: The President – and most members of the House and Senate – have no idea what or who actually creates jobs. Not…a…clue.
And, obviously, if you don’t know how jobs are created, it’s going to be nearly impossible to solve the problem that there aren’t enough of them.
Ready for a dirty little secret? Government officials aren’t the only ones who fail this test. Frankly, an overwhelming majority of regular Americans either can’t answer the question – or respond incorrectly – as well.
Here’s the answer: Government doesn’t create jobs – at least, not the productive, enduring ones our nation needs so badly right now.
But, here’s the shocker – business doesn’t truly create those jobs, either.
For all the talk from many pundits about the need to “open up” the regulatory situation, or revise an “oppressive” tax code, that’s not the real answer that will create lasting, compelling change.
(This isn’t to suggest those steps wouldn’t be beneficial – it’s just when the plane is crashing, the flight attendants shouldn’t be worried if the passenger’s coffee is hot.)
Jobs are created by one thing – ONLY one thing: CUSTOMERS.
We don’t have a jobs problem in the nation – the hard, cold truth is instead, we have a customer problem.
Naturally, any business will hire only the number of employees necessary to take care of its customers. So, if a business can enhance its ability to attract customers, it would need more employees – and, voila, more jobs!
But, why would any business add jobs if it has the same number of — or even fewer — customers?
Therefore, it’s not “business” that is responsible for generating jobs – rather, job creation is a direct result of the decisions made by the customers regarding WHERE they choose to do business!
Apple – even in a volatile economy – is flourishing. They have “Genius Bars” at their stores, “One-to-One” classes to help you be more productive, and score off the charts in terms of customer engagement.
Southwest Airlines flights are packed. Sure, they are priced competitively – but, they’re no longer the cheapest. They continue to astound us, however, with their extraordinary commitment to their customers.
Oh, the Postal Service is in trouble? How has the service been that you’ve received from them lately? Unless you love standing in a long line to finally make it to a counter to be greeted by a bored, somewhat surly clerk, you may be a bit disappointed. It’s not a coincidence USPS is in dire straits — it’s simply an indicator. It’s a business with a customer problem.
And, it’s also going to attempt to “solve” the situation by doing what? Cutting services to its customers. (Coming soon: a discussion on the term “death spiral.”)
Most companies in the country fail miserably in the delivery of customer service and connectivity — even to their best clients! It’s like the guy who neglects his girlfriend, and treats her poorly – then, can’t believe she would go out with someone else.
As customers, we have been treated so badly, by so many, for so long, we just don’t care anymore. Which means we don’t purchase from you…or we hammer you for a lower price…or we order online from a foreign supplier…or we find another approach to solve our problem.
An authority no less than Jack Welch once said, “The only job security in the world is a happy customer. Companies can’t provide it. Only customers.”
Until YOUR company…and WE as a nation…commit to solve our customer problem, we will NEVER truly solve our jobs problem.
EVERY night is opening night!
Last night, Tammy and I bought tickets to see a comedian who was headlining in Vegas. He was in a casino’s showroom for the weekend, and we figured his Sunday night performance would be the easiest of the weekend to obtain the best seats. He’s one of Tammy’s favorites from the “Blue Collar Comedy” channel on Sirius/XM, and we were ready for a great evening of fun.
We were right about the seating…but wrong about the performance.
The first comedian was sharp, if under-appreciated. (The packed venue was there for the headliner, not the warm-up.) His opening act was very professional — and funny — with a tight set that focused on his problems being a newly-single guy.
Then, the main stand-up sauntered out, sat on a stool, and lazily worked his way through an hour. He apologized for sitting — blaming it on a slip and fall that broke a couple toes — then launched into a mostly stream-of-consciousness tirade on his accident. His rant was sloppy, and not really funny.
We were very familiar with this comedian — that’s why we bought two tickets — and we assumed the show would be profane and edgy. What we didn’t expect was that he would do NONE of the material he is recognized for…and basically use a packed Vegas showroom as his test-lab for new “stuff.”
When I was reviewing movies, I often was intrigued by the desire of several major movie stars to forego the big bucks of film in order to spend some time on the stage, doing up to eight performances a week before a live audience. Time after time, they recounted that — unlike a Hollywood production, where you can do multiple “takes” until you get the performance perfect — in the theatre, “EVERY night is opening night…for THAT AUDIENCE.”
I wish the comedian we saw last night would have realized that his fans were there to see his best work. As a speaker, I understand I have to work on new material, and broaden my content — just as a comedian must develop new jokes and bits. However, I would NEVER try an entirely new presentation on any audience…especially one paying the customary ticket price for an engagement. For that particular group, it is THEIR opening night.
Sure, it’s easy to be tired after working long hours. Naturally, you’re going to encounter frustrated or inconsiderate clients who don’t respond to your “performance” in the manner you desire.
However — unlike the comedian, and just like the movie stars — it’s the discipline of getting EACH performance right that will make ALL of your work more sharp and precise.
I’m writing this on a Southwest flight heading from Vegas to San Antonio. The safety instructions part of the trip was delivered by the flight attendants with fun and a sense of theatre. They’ve probably already done the same presentation twice today before I boarded the plane — but, you wouldn’t know it. It’s part of why so many customers find Southwest to be distinctive.
If you can…you’ll create distinction and grow you business.
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