Make it about making a difference not making a dollar

There are many things that business leaders look to, to help them grow their business or get brand loyalty. Sometimes they think it is hiring that hot shot from the Ivy League school, other times they try the new systems overhaul and when they are really desperate they call in the calvary of consultants.

However, I believe there are things that they may be overlooking that are much simpler and cost effective to implement and it’s right under their noses.

What is it?

It’s taking a lesson from Latino cultura which has shown distinguishing values that could benefit business owners regardless of who their target market is.

As an educational leader working for a Latin American university, I’ve learned that business is not “business as usual” in the American way.  In the U.S. it is all about getting the most done in the fastest amount of time without regard for relationship building, “we have clients to visit,  a product to push or an idea to market!”

However, the Latin American way is based more on what is known as Personalismo which boils own to getting to know you and making you feel comfortable before getting down to business.

It shouldn’t be a surprise though that Latinos are being looked at for business models since more companies are realizing that there are just too many Latinos in the U.S. to ignore.  Research has even been done to validate the way Latinos contribute to organizational culture and I believe some of these values can be integrated into our current businesses and organizational practices.

It’s especially important to ponder if you factor in the fact that most Americans hate their jobs and it’s usually because they don’t feel connected to their co-workers. Workers that hate their jobs eventually look elsewhere, turnover costs businesses money.  You should care about that!

Next page- Five values to explore