Here in Seattle, we’ve been enduring a very rough winter that seems to have no end in sight.  I am currently watching snow fall as I write this.  One of the primary reasons for my impatience for a warm spring is the continued delayed chance to visit my two favorite places in Seattle:  Dick's Burgers and Pike Place Fish Market.  (Be patient and you’ll learn why this relates to your company and office…)

It occurred to me that I am certainly not the only one who has aligned my allegiance to both of these establishments.  Not only does nearly every Seattleite venture to both Dick's and Pike Place Fish Market, but so does the rest of the world.  You might not have heard about Dick's, but most visitors venture there for lunch or dinner, as steered by the natives.  Dick's is so Iconic that Sir Mix-a-Lot refers to Dick's on his song “Posse on Broadway,” Jennifer Aniston can be seen holding a Dick's bag on “Love Happens,” and in the song “Little Indian Princess,” the band, The Presidents of the United States, mentions wanting to "spend my loose change on a fist-sized ice cream cone at Dick's." 

Here are two companies where innovation will not be found among any of their company values.  Here is what Wikipedia says about Dick's:

“The simple menu has changed little over time.  It features fast-food staples, such as hamburgers, hand-cut french fries, and individually made milkshakes.  Dick's is particularly well known for the "Dick's Special," which includes lettuce, mayonnaise, and chopped pickles; and the "Dick's Deluxe," a quarter-pound version of the Special, with cheese.  Cashiers do not accept variations on the burger's preparation, or omissions such as asking for the burger without lettuce, but will serve the Deluxe without cheese.  Of the six locations, all but the Queen Anne location are without customer seating.  Each Dick's location only accepts cash; there are no ways to use electronic forms of payment.”

The Pike Place Market's flying fish counter is similar.  This is a business that brings in fresh ice and fish every day, cleans the fish, keeps ice on them all day, sets up the presentation, and cleans up every night, seven days a week, 365 days per year.  It’s a pretty simple business, and could be boring.  How do they maintain their focus?

How do both of these “boring” businesses keep people coming back?  Sure, for the Fish Market, it might have something to do with the entertainment inherent in throwing the fish across the heads of innocent bystanders, but I believe it is much more than this. 

I have had the pleasure of meeting and listening to the founder of Dick's, Dick Spady, tell his story.  One of the key features of his character that shines through in all that he says is his tenacious adherence to a specific way of doing business…“The right way, every day.”  He is so adamant about work ethic among employees, for example, that when employees call in sick, he personally calls each to ask how they are doing.  He then tells them how much they are needed for “our” organization to continue the great tradition of delivering thousands of burgers each day with a smile to eager customers.  

You’d think that employees would not appreciate that kind of accountability, but that's not the case.  I once met an ex-employee of Dick's who had a “Dick's” tattoo on her upper arm in memory of “the greatest place [she] ever worked.” 

To me, these icons of Seattle are great reminders of what great businesses are made of:  Visions and values that are engrained, not only in the beliefs, but more importantly in the behavior of each of its team members.  So what does your business or your office believe in?  Does that translate to every customer experience?  Do you hold people accountable to the company beliefs? 

“We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.”  -Aristotle

Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.