Employees first, customers next, shareholders last, says Virgin Group’s boss Richard Branson:
It is simply common sense: If your workforce is happy and well-motivated, your customers are more likely to be happy as well – which means there is greater chance that your business will see strong sales and good profits, generating the results that your shareholders demand.
Too many companies treat their employees like dirt, and customers end up dealing with these grumpy employees. Branson also recommends creating clear and direct channel of communication between employees and the CEO:
[Make] sure that front-line employees are able to contact you, so that you and your team can act on their information. I recommend giving out your email address and phone number to all employees—they will only use it if they need to.