The Venture Edge

 I just finished reading a recent edition of Leader to Leader put out by the Leader to Leader Institute and publisher Jossey-Bass (my blog-mate Peter is an Associate Editor for the journal). This time they included a special edition celebrating the life of management sage Peter Drucker on what would have been his 100th birthday (he passed away in 2005).  Often referred to as the greatest management thinker of the last century, he understood as far back as the 1950s that there is no business without a customer. 

Last week I was reminded about the importance of remembering exactly who your customer is. I've had a long-term job where I provide support to a key employee who works for a client of mine. I meet with the key employee for a couple of hours every week, and we work closely together on a variety of projects. While I spend a lot of time with this employee, I only meet with my actual client once every couple of months. The problem was that because I was spending far more time with the key employee, I had forgotten exactly who I was working for. I was serving the employee instead of the client. The result? My client reminded me -- not too subtly -- who was approving my invoices, and who I needed to please.