Putting People First

“Putting People First” is the brand name of a program first implemented by Scandinavian Air Service (SAS) in the 1970s. It was intended to change ground- and cabin-staffs’ behavior so they would provide better customer service. Since then, the title has been used for many corporate programs. There are books, three-day training classes, and blogs. There’s almost a science now to putting people first.
In much of this, though, the principles have been lost. We think it’s just something you need if you’re in customer service; it’s only applicable in the work world or it’s something everyone else needs to do.

Bible scholars will tell you that “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is a critical concept for Christians. You’ll find much discussion about who my neighbor is but less about what loving them means.

Think of loving thy neighbor and putting people first as the same thing. Loving someone means, in practical terms, putting their wants and needs ahead of your own, all the time. We serve each other.

In business, everything we do results in an action that affects at least one other person. It may be a customer or business partner; it may be the person downstream from us on the product- or service-line that needs something we produce. It may be the unknown person on the phone who’s calling a wrong number. It may be a nervous candidate for the new job on the janitorial staff.

Success in business, particularly in business transitions comes from respecting the people we deal with and learning to “love” them. (“Love” is in quotes because for some this may seem a strange business concept!)

As you begin an interaction, do whatever you can to put the other person at ease and get them comfortable. As you leave an interaction make sure the other person knows what the next steps are. Make sure the interaction is always a pleasant one for them. As you design that new business process, think about the people who are downstream from you and make sure you’ve understood their needs – really understood them and played them back so they know you’ve understood them.