Advice Quote by Marcus Buckingham
“Forcing your employees to follow required steps only prevents customer dissatisfaction. If your goal is truly to satisfy, to create advocates, then the step-by-step approach alone cannot get you there. Instead, you must select employees who have the talent to listen and to teach, and then you must focus them toward simple emotional outcomes like partnership and advice…Identify a person's strenths. Define outcomes that play to those strengths. Find a way to count, rate or rank those outcomes. And then let the person run.”
About This Quote
Source Book: First, Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham, 1999
The quote argues that rigid procedures hinder customer satisfaction; instead, empower talented employees to use their strengths to create partnership and advice.
In simple terms: Rigid steps limit satisfaction; empower skilled staff.
Key Takeaway
Focus on strengths and outcomes.
Themes
leadership
customer service
empowerment
Mood
practical
insightful
Type
business
leadership
When to use this quote
- team building
- performance reviews
- customer experience design
Key Concepts
strengths‑based management
outcome measurement
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you identify employee strengths?
- What metrics reflect partnership?
A Different Perspective
Measuring outcomes can be complex.
