Greetings. If you've ever read the side panel of a box of cereal, or the side panel of any other packaged food like amazing and crunchy Super Cheese Chips, you know that there's a lot of interesting information contained in a small rectangular box called "Nutrition Facts." While it's not perfect, it is intended to provide some measure of truth in marketing by giving consumers a clearer and more fact-based picture of what's actually in the food they buy and eat.
And using the example below, we can see the good, the bad, and the really ugly in our sample box of cheese chips. Let's start with the good, because this miracle of food and science seems to have a reasonable amount of fiber and Vitamin C when compared to many other processed foods. And, it even contains a modest amount of calcium and iron. Plus, it has zero cholesterol which is pretty darn impressive for something that tastes so good and looks so unnatural. But cheese chips also come with boatloads of "total" and "saturated" fat, and a single box has enough calories and sodium to sink an adult whale. So, on balance, they might not be the healthiest choice for a snack–compared to an apple or a bag of almonds–unless you have exceedingly low blood pressure and a saturated fat deficiency.
But what does this have to do with your company or organization? A lot. Because the ingredients you use and the value they deliver are essential to business success. And not just for snack food manufacturers, but for hospitals, professional service firms, IT companies, government contractors, colleges and universities, home builders, theatre companies, and any venture in between.
So why not take a few minutes to figure out the "Nutrition Facts" for your products, services, and solutions? Committing to this simple exercise will help you to get to the heart of your business and the value you provide. It will also help you and your customers to determine whether or not your offerings have the healthy stuff they need. But make sure to be honest about the real ingredients that go into your offerings. Do they include the best people and expertise, the latest ideas and insight, the right technology and tools, the most appropriate knowledge and support, the best guarantee and protection, the latest updates, etc.? And, are they free of all the fillers, fats, and extra sweet and salty ingredients that don't help your customers at all?
We win in business by delivering the stuff that really matters in a way that makes our customers healthier and more successful. Maybe it's time to pay a bit more attention to what you're serving.
Cheers and happy snacking!
