Tim Cook's Holiday Memo can teach a thing or two about reminding employees of the value they bring to a company
A happy employee is a productive one. Apple CEO Tim Cook is one to take this motto to heart with a holiday memo sent to all Apple employees, as a special Thanks for their work and dedication. Some of the highlights of the lengthy email mark the 30th anniversary of the Mac, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and of course, the Apple Watch.
All these accomplishments, however, pale in comparison to the massive contribution to fighting AIDS in Africa, brought by Apple’s Product Red campaign.
“...Together we have reached new heights with our products and delivered Apple’s most innovative lineup ever...”
Teamwork is paramount to the success of every enterprise. Without it, there would be no trust, no sharing of common goals, and no advancements, let alone innovation.
“...During this busy holiday season, our store teams are doing a fantastic job introducing and answering questions about all of our products, and they’re doing it with the energy and enthusiasm that has always endeared them to our customers...”
Being part of the process of innovation is not limited to engineering, design, and core production. The value of employees on the trenches is often underestimated. Customer service, sales representatives, and all store employees making the extra effort to ensure their company’s success, deserve special recognition, as they are the face of the company, more than the CEO himself. Those are the faces customers know and trust for advice on the best Apple products to buy during the Holidays and year round. Those faces are the ones with the best answers to customers who may have concerns or issues that need to be addressed and prioritized about their Macs, iPads or iPhones.
“...We’ve made important decisions like acquiring Beats for its popular products and incomparable talent, and partnering with IBM to transform mobile computing in the enterprise. Each of these moves opens new opportunities for Apple, and their impact will continue to be felt far into our future...”
Not everyone can make company-wide decisions, but it’s important to make employees and team workers feel that are included, or at least taken into consideration, during that thought process.
“...Most customers will never know how hard you and your colleagues are working to make it a reality, but they will appreciate the depth of care and effort behind Apple Watch from the moment they put it on their wrist. People love Apple products, which means they love the work you do. The knowledge that you’ve done something great for someone else is a powerful reward — one which I hope you feel during the holiday season and throughout the year. There’s nothing else quite like it...”
There is no better way to end a memo, than with a last minute pep-talk, and a powerful one at that, in its simplicity. Success, after all, is built on the simple, but most important things. There is no secret to it, except respect for those who work hard to turn dream into reality.
Tim Cook’s original memo, reported on Apple’s news blog iClarified