Mamaearth's Ghazal Alagh adopts Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' 'One Chair Empty' rule; what does it mean?

Mamaearth co-founder Ghazal Alagh often shares her entrepreneurial experiences with her followers on LinkedIn right from tips and tricks to learnings. Recently, she shared a post on how she conducts strategic meetings at her company, Honasa Consumer Ltd, which she co-founded with her husband.

She revealed that she follows this ¡°amazing technique¡± from Jeff Bezos.

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¡°Imagine your consumers sitting in every strategic meeting you hold. We at Honasa Consumer Ltd., keep one chair empty at each of our strategic meetings and assume that our consumers are sitting there. I learned this amazing technique from Jeff Bezos, and it¡¯s improving decision-making standards at Honasa,¡± the entrepreneur wrote on LinkedIn.

Also Read: 'Quality Is My Guarantee', Ghazal Alagh On X User's Advice To Dump Mamaearth Products In 'Dustbin'

This technique has helped her a lot.

¡°Our goal is to be one of the market¡¯s most consumer-conscious companies,¡± she added in the concluding lines.

The internet called it a ¡®great initiative¡¯

¡°Great initiative! Kudos! Just curious: while making decisions on employee policies, do you also keep employees in the room? I wish more entrepreneurs were as employee-conscious as they try to be customer-conscious. Because, at the end of the day, how your consumers feel is largely dependent on how your employees feel. Isn't it?¡± asked an individual.

Another user added, ¡°By putting the consumer at the heart of every strategy, businesses can create more meaningful connections, drive customer satisfaction, and build long-term loyalty.¡±

A third social media user commented, ¡°I don't assume I consider consumers in the meeting because the customer is the king¡±.

Also Read: 'Let People Define It On Their Own Terms', Mamaearth's Ghazal Alagh On Work-Life Balance

What is Jeff Bezos ¡®One Chair Empty¡¯ technique?

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Amazon, a dominant force in both retail and technology and a leading global brand, has an unusual practice absent from all its company meetings. It's not the lack of an agenda, but rather a key element linked to the company's overall mission.

Famed CEO Jeff Bezos is renowned for his unwavering focus on customers, famously advising to "Start with the customer and work backward." This philosophy is deeply ingrained in Amazon's culture, where every project or product launch begins with a press release featuring hypothetical customer quotes. This longstanding tradition has been pivotal in Amazon's enduring success throughout its two-decade "startup" journey.

"Obsessing over customer experience is the only long-term defensible competitive advantage," Bezos has said.

According to several reports, due to absence of the customer in every meeting, Bezos has a rule - keep a seat reserved in the name of the customer at every gathering.

While this approach may seem somewhat contrived and perhaps even clich¨¦d to some, its purpose is to consistently remind meeting participants to prioritize Amazon's customers in their discussions.

Despite any initial skepticism, it's undeniable that the company's unwavering dedication to its customers has been a key factor in its success.