Gentle Giant in Innovation
Gentle Giant Moving is the dominant regional mover around Boston, particularly because of its ability to think and act innovatively. President Larry O'Toole says that Gentle Giant's innovation is deceptively simple: Don't copy the accepted - or unacceptable - practices in the moving industry. Consider a few common business phrases, and how Gentle Giant has renewed them.
*Customer-Driven. O'Toole's innovative thinking about his company stems from his radical application of this phrase. Moving is a stress-filled experience. But Gentle Giant begins with the premise that customers deserve a stress-free move.
*Team-Based. Unlike others in their industry, Gentle Giant's movers do not get their pay docked when they damage furniture. Instead, as a team, movers review the breakage on a job and talk about how it could have been avoided. Gentle Giant invests heavily in training every employee to be a leader, take responsibility, and care for the customer.
*Cultural Consistency. An innovative culture is built by making sure that even the everyday habits of the business are innovative. Gentle Giant movers run--they don't walk—to or from the truck when they're not carrying something. When employees join, they are taken to the Harvard football stadium and asked to run up each section of stairs in order. That's not only to see how physically fit they are but also, as O'Toole says, to see whether they can finish what they start without whining.
*Leadership Buy-In. Gentle Giant's top managers and team leaders are committed to perpetuate the Gentle Giant approach and hold others accountable for their actions. There is no compromise on the values and vision within Gentle Giant - even to make money. Gentle Giant is now sending their team leaders to start branches in other cities. In a rough-and-tumble industry, O'Toole has proved that you can be a Gentle Giant.
Posted by Timothy Habbershon on June 02, 2008 13:46
