Happiness is an overlooked quality. I remember when I was evaluating which airline to fly from Chicago to Dallas, I pondered about which airline would be more fun. I needed to be in a good mood for an interview. I thought about the airlines mantra. “ Hire for attitude train for aptitude”. I remember the founder arm wrestling to determine if it would have smoking on board or not. I recall stories about the executives serving drinks and then unloading luggage from the plane. All of these recollections made choosing Southwest Airlines an easy decision.
Recently, I read about Pirch Kitchen and Bath Store. They also make the experience for the customer at the forefront of their job. They conduct interviews which include questions like “name 3 qualities that describe you”. They even have a position called “ the ambassador of joy”. They put the customer experience at the forefront of all they do. Their CEO Jeffrey Sears says “ our job is to make every guest feel like their time in our store is the best part of their day”.
When leaders exemplify the qualities you want to mirror, it is quite easy to follow their example.
Success comes from the joy you feel from being a part of a happy company.