Love and war

It matters where you start from.

The business world has been enamoured with warfare for so long. The first org chart was invented by a prussian general. Strategy is a military word. We talk about capturing customers and value.

Only then do we talk about love — love for a brand. Love for our customer. Love for a company. Love for an idea. Love for our employees. Love for a product.

And increasingly, love for an experience.

Increasingly though, the afterthought — the love — a passion for the experience itself — has become the premise. The design has become the intent. The reason for being. The people in the background who have quietly been getting this have been quietly amassing their own forces.

Meanwhile, in the foreground, the world of ‘business as war’ has burrowed deep into the workplace. People “take leave”. In a meeting the other day someone talked about “attacking” an area of marketing. We are what we do. The language we use shapes the ideas we have.

We can’t replace war. We needn’t. The market is competitive, just as human nature has a strong competitive streak. But humans also like a bit of love. So we need to balance business with a bit of love too.

So, before asking what customers should love about your company, ask:

what will you fall in love with about your work today?