Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

Ginger Conlon asked the question in Inside 1to1 this week: Is there a seat at your table for the customer? There better be. The customer is definitely coming to dinner. And so are your biggest shareholders. I think the balance between how a company plays the politesse between the two guests is one of the hottest issues in business today. No better example than GM. I would argue that the company's current dinner party with Kirk Kerkorian and Carlos Ghosn is a microcosm of the issues faced by almost every company. At every meal we have customers, shareholders, competitors and partners. I believe the party that is served first is the customer. But there's no reason to think that the shareholders, even if they're as contentious as Kerkorian, can't be served as well. Serve the customer well and the shareholder should be happy. However, in GM's case, the service has tilted too far in the direction of the Wall Street experience. If GM had taken care of its customers needs and values at the same level as Ghosn and his company Nissan, it would be calling its own shots right now. But that's not the case. Because the customer has not been served well, the other dinner guests are clamoring for service, and getting all the attention.