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When I was building my home a few years ago, I would frequent local building supply stores. At one location, one thing that always struck me as odd was the “Parking Reserved for the President” sign conspicuously located right in the middle of customer parking (usually with the owner’s shiny white new Cadillac occupying the space).

So what’s wrong with this picture, you ask? Besides limiting space for customers during busy times, consider that it:

• Reeks of arrogance that the owner is far more important than customers and employees.
• Builds employee resentment to the owner’s success, which manifests itself in poor employee/customer interaction (experienced firsthand).
• Gives an impression that the company is making too much money off their customers (next time, maybe I should shop at the big-box home improvement warehouse down the street to save money).
• Reduces buy-in from employees, which could prove critical when asking for greater effort or sacrifice during lean times (which the company is probably facing right now).

Now, contrasts this experience with a client who has headed an organization for the past few years. Every day, he parks his car farthest from the company’s building. The implied message: I’m no better than anyone else here. The result: a 20% decrease in employee turnover and 15% increase in revenue. Qualitatively, he’s gained buy-in from employees to put through needed change into the organization.

Competition is tougher than ever. Don’t give your customers or employees an easy excuse to defect to your competitors.

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