Today
was Sunday, so my wife, the little dog and I went for a favorite ride into and
up the Napa Valley. We take the road less travelled and actually get a better
view of the beauty that is that geographical area.
After
we visited a favorite stop for lunch, later in the day I began reflecting on
this place. It's quaint and in a very tourist-driven destination, and from the
first time we were introduced to it many years ago, we have gone there
periodically for a little trip and good food and atmosphere.
As
I was reflecting, the last few times we've been there it is not the same as it
once was. The menu is the same, the building is the same, the crowds are the
same, but the food isn't quite what it used to be. It appears the same, but it
doesn't quite taste the same. It's not that it is bad, just not as it once was
which was awesome.
Then
I realized that the people have changed. It seems obvious now that the place has
changed hands and they've kept the menu, but it has changed. And, it has changed
enough that I will never go back again.
You
can go in and buy a business, take over all the inventory, the building, even
the name, but if the people are changed, even though it may not look like it,
the business has changed, or certainly will change very soon.
It
is all about people, not systems. It is about relationships with people, not
relationships with businesses. The exception to this is some franchises such as
McDonald's. The difference is the specific methods of operation; however, it is
still the person at the counter that we deal with and they can make or break the
experience and McDonald's knows it. Some businesses don't.
The overall
attitude of any organization starts at the top and filters down from there. The
systems will help a good idea to survive, but it is the people, their passions,
and personalities behind the systems that really drives
it.
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