MARCUS BUCKINGHAM
Human Performance Researcher
What Companies Can Learn from Their Biggest Fans
What Companies Can Learn from Their Biggest Fans
Despite decades of effort by companies to boost engagement and loyalty, employee trust and customer commitment continue to decline. Most organizations try to fix deficiencies or incrementally raise satisfaction levels. But human behavior does not change in response to mildly positive experiences. The author argues that behavior shifts only when experiences are extremely positive—when people say they “love” them. Drawing on large-scale research and examples such as Kroger and Disney, he shows that outcomes accelerate only after experiences cross a critical emotional threshold. People are most likely to love an experience when it meets five conditions in sequence: control, harmony, significance, warmth, and growth. When leaders intentionally build those elements into employee and customer journeys, they unlock deeper engagement, stronger loyalty, and more sustainable business performance.
Pre-Order DESIGN LOVE IN 📖
Pre-Order DESIGN LOVE IN 📖
Design Love In: How to Unleash the Most Powerful Force in Business [Buckingham, Marcus] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Design Love In: How to Unleash the Most Powerful Force in Business
Join the HBR Discovery Series Course
Join the HBR Discovery Series Course
A new leadership book by Marcus Buckingham published by Harvard Business Review Press exploring how workplace experiences drive behavior, performance, loyalty, and wellbeing.
Take the STANDOUT Strengths Assessment: FREE!
Take the STANDOUT Strengths Assessment: FREE!
Book Marcus to speak!
Book Marcus to speak!
Book Marcus Buckingham for your next event! A world-renowned keynote speaker and leadership expert, Marcus delivers groundbreaking insights on strengths, performance, and workplace excellence.
Read 'The Business Case for Love' HBR Article
Read 'The Business Case for Love' HBR Article
While AI is a game changer, it is far from the most powerful force in business today. The author, who has spent decades studying the most engaged teams — and the most loyal customers — has identified one force that powerfully drives consumer and employee behavior: love. When someone says they “love” doing a certain activity, his research has found that it’s not a careless exaggeration — it means that when doing the activity, the person is flourishing. Employees who love what they do feel at ease, in control, deeply absorbed in what they’re doing, and are more productive. Customers who love a product are not only loyal; they’re likely to become advocates for a brand. Yet most businesses don’t study why people love their product or love working for them, nor do they have a strategy for unleashing it. This article offers examples of how organizations can design love into their offerings.
Buy LOVE + WORK on Amazon
Subscribe on YouTube for more Marcus
Subscribe on YouTube for more Marcus
HBR May/June 22 Cover Article: Designing Work that People Love
HBR May/June 22 Cover Article: Designing Work that People Love
Harvard Business Review Cover Article - The Feedback Fallacy
Harvard Business Review Cover Article - The Feedback Fallacy
Harvard Business Review: What is A Good Job?
Harvard Business Review: What is A Good Job?
Research shows that people consider a job to be a good one when it not only pays fairly and allows a worker to do what they’re good at but also makes them feel seen for being their best self. If you have a good job, you sense that your colleagues have your back; you don’t experience discrimination; you feel your position is secure; and you have confidence that you’ll get help navigating constant changes in the working world. Gender and race can affect whether you have these feelings, as does whether you’re on a team and how you experience stress.
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