This year October 2016 we will be completing 30 years of our existence and finally feel great to understand why we exist? This question was asked in a weekly training class of entrepreneurs to help them liberate and it took me almost 5 full months to realize as to why Sparket exist? May be 18 weeks of discussion helped my friends in the class to understand my blind spots and help me see that our logo is the reason for our existence. Immediately next important thing was to apply for the registration of the trade mark and start bringing this conversation with all our stake holders namely employees, customers, vendors, principals and well-wishers.
We identified this tagline due to our efforts to try to understand the insight of the receiver’s first reaction when they receive a gift! Then we tested the same for few months and once we were convinced about it with the numerous brain storming sessions with the team we started using the same during late 2009. Ever since we used it as our logo but the underlying meaning was not clear to us till late last month. After the detection and realisation it has slowly become our practise to ask whenever we are at the cross roads if the experience of the affected party was of a pleasant or unpleasant surprises!
If for some reason, we believe that the party is not happy then we brain storm internally as to what can we do to make it pleasant for them. This is the acid test we have started doing and are training all team members to follow the same. There are times when client under pressure unknowingly hurt the team members and then again the same questions pops up! How should we handle the situation where the end result is pleasant surprises for the other party and not at the cost of the employee which means gradually our team has to become mature enough not to take the insult or rejection personally but aim to help the client appreciate our sincere efforts for pleasant surprises.
When looking for the new products, vendors, clients or even principals we look for scope for pleasant surprises and at all levels and all interactions. There are times when the stakes are high and downside of a decision matters in the immediate time frame but slowly and steadily we are learning to be immune to pulls and pushes and go by a single matrix of have we pleasantly surprised the various stake holders? Definitely it is easy to preach but to practice the same takes a lot of courage, belief and confidence and that is the right thing to do irrespective of the situation in hand and even with immediate losses.
But then only by practicing time and again one day will come where we will do the right thing without thinking of the consequences as that is the only right thing to do. We are so happy and proud to have found such an easy tool to measure any situation and always ensure Sparket for pleasant surprises!