Here’s what my friend, Claude Berman, did to create an incredible atmosphere at his company:
Claude Beauman had a textile printing plant in a small town outside of Paris.
If you know anything about the French labor laws, you know that it is very difficult to fire a person once you have hired them, and that there are very few regulations that make you come to work.
Claude Beauman had one of the most successful and profitable businesses in his region because of his interpersonal interaction with each of his employees, every day. He would come to the factory every morning at 7AM, and between 7 and 8:30 he would walk around his factory, shaking hands and wishing a good day to every single employee. Many would engage him in short conversation.
Everyone loved him. And everyone knew that he cared about his business, and cared about his employees. This simple gesture, shaking hands, saying hello, and showing friendliness and concern, helped him achieve what very few businesses in the entire country could do.
