Management: Das Erfolgsprinzip von Amazon – und was andere Unternehmen davon lernen können

In Amazon's conference rooms, there is always a cushion with the inscription "Customer" on it, reminding everyone of this perspective when making decisions. Teams for new projects are called "Two-Pizza-Teams," as they can only have as many members as two large American pizzas can feed. When a manager proposes a new idea in a meeting, PowerPoint presentations are not allowed; instead, a written text of up to six pages is presented, preferably in the style of a press release.

Many Amazon management principles may seem quirky to outsiders, but they have been successful in building one of the world's wealthiest companies in just over 30 years. With its annual revenue exceeding $700 billion, Amazon ranks 21st among the largest economies in the world, ahead of Argentina and Sweden. However, which specific management techniques are truly responsible for Amazon's success, and perhaps more importantly, which of these can be learned and applied in other companies?

In their book "The Secret Playbook," three former Amazon executives – Marc Ebel, Georg Hesse, and Amelie Rose – discuss this question in a detailed analysis of Amazon's key success principles. The book provides an exclusive preview of their findings, backed by insights from additional current and former top Amazon executives. Former Amazon manager Andrea Euenheim confirms that the book reveals the "black box" of Amazon's management principles for the first time.

These principles are not empty promises hanging on the wall; Amazon's management culture is deeply ingrained in daily operations. "Jeff Bezos has created a culture where we live these principles every day," confirms top manager Sunny Jain, who oversees Amazon's global logistics service FBA. Nearly every major decision at Amazon is made based on these principles, with each meeting applying them.

Amazon's management is built on three pillars, from which most other leadership techniques seem to derive: customer obsession (Customer Obsession), a strong innovation culture, and long-term thinking. Amazon focuses exclusively on customer input for decision-making, a principle known as "The Voice of the Customer." This approach forces concrete decisions and requires every employee to clearly identify the customer and how they can contribute to making that customer happier.

Daniel Raab, who worked at Amazon for over seven years, both in Germany and at the Seattle headquarters, found that many other companies focus heavily on financial metrics like profit and loss statements. At Amazon, he learned to focus solely on input metrics, such as product availability, delivery speed, and customer satisfaction.

These metrics are the things employees can influence, and when they work correctly, revenue follows naturally.