Engaging Interested Parties
Successful businesses don’t earn their customer’s loyalty by being complacent. To be continuously improve, companies need to engage more than just those buying their products and services to find out how they are doing. They need to communicate with all interested parties to learn how they are meeting the needs and expectations of all of those affected by their actions.
This is a proposition that many companies shy away from. It creates vulnerability and opens up their business to criticism. However, that is precisely the reason why more enterprises should participate in surveys that elicit honest responses from those with whom they have important relationships. Constructive criticism breeds creativity, brainstorming of ideas, and helps to form action plans that have both meaning and a direct positive impact on the bottom line.
Taking Time To Listen
Harmony Enterprises understands this, and during this past quarter, we did just that. We approached our critical vendors, service technicians, community members, leadership team members, employees, and European subsidiary office staff to ask them two important questions:
- What are your needs from Harmony Enterprises in 2018-19?
- What are your expectations from Harmony Enterprises in 2018-19?
In asking these two important questions, it was our goal to learn what things are working in our relationships and processes, and what things need improvement. The responses came in large numbers via email, telephone, and through in-person interviews. They were honest, direct, and provided us with the information we were looking for.
Making Time For Action
We categorized all of the responses between needs and expectations and listed common threads that existed among each demographic of respondent. We went one step further by putting each comment through a SWOT analysis.
The assigning of our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) allowed to prioritize this important feedback. Our EOS Leadership Team reviewed this information, identified, discussed, and solved the issues it presented, and use our solutions to create effective action plans for 2018-19.
Another unique thing that came out of this activity was that several of the people we invited to respond implemented this same measurement and growth tool for their own organizations. They recognized that no one had asked them these things before, and wondered why they didn’t ask the same of their own interested parties.
Thank You!
Harmony Enterprises would like to thank those who took the time to assist us with this valuable project. We value our relationships with each of our internal customers and interested parties and look forward to nurturing them as we grow together into the future.
Harmony Enterprises manufactures balers, compactors, and beverage extraction equipment for the waste handling and recycling industry. Our products and services are recognized worldwide as the standard for quality and integrity. If you would like to learn more about our equipment, service, or our relentless pursuit of improvement, call us at (507) 886-6666 or Contact Us today!
