3rd Degree Shower Burn

A Culture of Titles - Part Deux

2012-02-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

"I am accountable for ensuring on time deliveries for our customers."
"I am the main conduit for information for our team to stay connected to what is happening in the home office."
"I am responsible for creating the materials needed to sell our products."
"I am in charge of customer delight."

All of these statements are in response to the question, "what do you do?" the most common 'get to know you' question we all use in everyday lives. First we say, "where are you from?" then we ask "what do you do?" Its just how us humans are wired.

The paradigm shift we are suggesting is to create a culture when people feel empowered, responsible and accountable for their role. In the above examples, the answers could have been..
"I'm a delivery driver for Staples."
"I'm the communications manager for Sysco."
I am the marketing manager for Genesco."
"I am every employee of the organization." (Honestly, wouldn't you love to hear that last line come from all your employees?

If you have culture of titles in your organization, start by shifting the conversation from the title to what they do - after all, that is actually the question being asked! Teach your people to think and behave in this manner. There are hundreds of people who work in your company (if not thousands) and every day the same question gets asked - only his time it is more about "how do you fit here and do I salute you?"

This is another one of our easier said than done suggestions, but one that can have a huge impact on your culture. Try it.

Can Apple Save Education?

2012-01-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

Via: OnlineEducation.net

A Culture of Titles

2012-01-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

We work with companies who constantly tout "empowered" environments and trust in employees. Yet, invariably, we will always find a ton of cultural evidence that suggests the opposite. Things like complicated approval processes or sign-offs.

No matter how empowered the execs think the org is, the proof is in the culture. Its funny how even as we are going through the proposal phase with a client for new business that we keep getting held up because the "empowered" person we have been dealing with this whole time still needs his boss' and her boss' approval before moving forward. (actually, we have gotten pretty good at keeping this from happening now.)

Most companies have cultures of "titles". who you are and what power you have and how I should treat you is based on your title. I remember my time in corporate as a COO. I would always give me card out with my personal cell phone number to employee and tell them to contact me if they needed anything. I really meant it. But how many calls do you think I got? You are right. All they saw was COO, they never saw the person. This was something we had to change in our culture and we went to work on it and did.

But here is my thought for the day. Imagine if you will, a place where when you ask someone what they do instead of answering "I am the Director for Planning and Inventory for a big firm in Austin" they would answer "I am responsible for making sure the sales team in our company has the inventory they need in stock and ready to ship when they sell it."

See the difference?

We'll talk more about this in our next post.

CES 2012 Predictions

2011-12-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

Well, last year we were pretty spot on with our predictions. So let's see if we can do it again this year.

While this year is going to be back to the old days of hype and attendance (should be a record crowd) there will not be any new ground-breaking technology introduced. Mostly improvements on what we already know.

Tablets will continue to be a big theme. Except you will see lots of names you have never heard of trying to break into the space.
Tablet accessories will dominate. Lots of people trying to get into the game with their ideas of stands, cases, protection etc
Waterproof phones. Not sure the pratcial application of this except that my 16 month old daughter (who has had an iPad since she was 4 months old) will probably drop hers in the toilet soon. So, have to watch for that.
Last year, we predicted that 3D without glasses would be shown and there were. But the images were not solid. This year we should see lots of improvement.

So why not many breakthrough ideas? Well, for the most part the industry is in the infant stages of transforming into a device-driven word versus a fully functioning laptop or TV world. iCloud is just the beginning of what is to come.

The devices in our hands, in our homes, in our cars will merely be portals - screens to display the data and content streaming from somehwere in the cloud. Cloud is not too sexy and not something we will see lots of at CES since it is not something the consumer will hold in their hands.But it is definitely something they will interact with. iCloud has already reached record numbers. And Google and Microsoft will not take this lying down - they will respond.

Windows 8 is planned to be an operating system that is androgynous to the device. In other words, mobile version and PC version are the same. We spoke last year of the coming age where the line between app driven operating systems and software driven operating systems would begin to blur. We still see the day when Microsoft Word is not longer a software package, but an app that you use. Let's face it, 90% of what we do with Word could be done from an app.

So, what will CES become in the future? Look for an "App Section" in 2013.

CES 2011 Predictions

2011-01-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this may seem like an odd post, but if you have been following me, you read a post I did April of 2009 where I said that Netbooks were a fad and would go away. At the time, every major firm was predicting they would takeover laptops and that the sales of netbooks would eclipse notbeooks. I disagreed, so I wrote about it.

Anyway, some followers (who know I have a long history in CE) asked me my opinion of what was going to be the big stories of this year's CES. So, I am going on record again and seeing if I am right. (I sure hope so!)

In general, I think the future of consumer electronics (CE) is that you will be able to do whatever you want no matter the screen size. For example, what I an do on my 2.5" cell phone, i will be able to do on my tablet, laptop, desktop and television - screens from 2' to 200" I think you will see this at CES 2011. People showing "smart" TVs that will marry the love we have with our handhelds with the larger screens. Plus, we will want a "cloud" lifestyle hat allows me to move my settings and apps from one screen to the next with ease.
3D TV was all the rage last year. But the problem with 3D - he glasses. I think this year, we will see someone show us 3D without the glasses.
Integration of handhelds as controllers of other devices. I think we will see some applications where our iPhone or Andorid-based phone will control all our devices in the home and car through bluetooth.
On the Apple front (by the way, hey will not annoucne during CES but will wait a week to get the press for themselves,) I think we will see a new smaller version of the iPad to create a bridge between the iPhone and iPad.
Continuing on Apple, I think we will see the convergence of their app based functionality onto their Macbooks and iMacs. I think thier new operating system with bridge the divide betwene the current iOS and Snow Leopard OS. You will be able to disconnet your iMac screen from the stand and then use it as a tablet. Your iTunes account whihc houses your apps will sync all you devices connected to the same account with the same apps.

So, I am on record and online. This way you can hold me accountable if I am way off or continue he conversation with me if I am close.

Groundhog Day

2010-10-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

Another title of this blog could be a line from the old Talking Heads song, same as it ever was. (gotta love David Byrne) Anyway, I had a meeting last week with a group of executives and we discussed a topic that was exciting to them and repeat for me.

You see, this group of execs was different from the last ones, but it was the same company. They were telling me how they were headed down this new path - but by new, they actually meant old. I shared with them my experiences from before and how the idea had failed. And then came the magic words, 'oh, but this time it will be different!'

Ah, yes, this time it will be different. We hear this line in organizations of all sizes, shapes and types. Whether for profit or non-profit, we have talked many times before on how the principles of corporate culture are the same.

So, why tell this story. Simple. Becasue when someone says to us "this time ti will be different" what we look for is the change in their culture that supports that statement. 99% of the time, it is not a corporate culture chnage, but actualy a personel change. A new person is brought in to lead and they want to try an idea that was attempted before. Sometimes they do not even know that it had been attempted and failed. Often times, thought, they do, but they beleive in the magical, mystical words "this time it will be different.'

When what caused the idea to die a slow death before was the culture, no one person or even one team of persons can make it work the second time around. While logically it might make sense that having more people in the boat rowing with you will make a difference, you have to understand that you are rowing upstream in the rapids of corporate culture. (insert image from all those river wild movies scenes you have seen)

I remember sitting at lunch with Milton Moskowitz at the "100 Best Companies to Work For" symposium. I had commented on the fact that I was impressed with all the new initiatives being presented by the various winners of the disctinction who were asked to speak. Milton said, "my prediction is that 90% of these initiatives will never work. The company's culture will never except it." (He knew I was a coportae culture guy, so he was speaking right to me.) The example he gave was paterntity leave, which was the hot new idea being presented. He said, "most companies who add this benefit see no results. The culture of the company is such that a man would be afraid to take advantage of this benefit for fear of the repercussions."

Exacttly. If the culture of the company will not except it, then it will not work. So, next time you hear those magic words, first ask the team, "what is different about our culture this time that will allow this to work?" After everyone looks at you bizarrly for this question, you can feel assured in the fact that you are actually saving the team a bunch of heartache and avoid them being cast in the sequel of Groundhog Day.

The Paradigm Shift Series - Join a Movement

2010-06-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

This is part 5 of the series looking at organizational culture in churches.

Join a Movement. I think this is one of the tough ones for everyone – especially those prideful people like me. If you are truly going to be obedient to God, then you have to stop trying to start a movement in your city. I’ll bet that got your attention. After all, isn’t a movement to Christ what our city needs more than anything? Well, yes it does. But the movement is already there. The paradigm shift here is away from programming and planning and creating a movement in the name of Jesus toward looking for and joining God’s movement in your city right now. I think we have all been part of small groups who want to change the world. And I think many of us are so thankful for the blessing of salvation and the relationship of our Savoir that we want to do things for Him out of love and appreciation. Our thoughts may be in the right direction – bringing people to Jesus. But our hearts are out of alignment. Go back to Matthew 28:29, we are called to make disciples. We are not called to start a movement. We are called to love. And the best way to love God is through obedience.

I am especially guilty of this one. I cannot tell you the number of ministry groups I have been part of starting over the years. Or the amount of clever “seeker” events I have helped plan with creative themes, logos and t-shirts. How disappointing to Him I must have been. How disappointing to Him I am now if I believe that City Church is anything more than His movement in the city of Fort Worth.

When we started our journey, our focus was on targeting downtown. But after we let go, stopped planning and let ourselves join God’s movement versus starting our own, something amazing happened. In our first five Villages – none of them were downtown. God’s movement is for the city, but in His way, not ours. We did not start City Church as a new movement for the city. We looked for what God was already doing and joined in. (This philosophy is true for our global missions as well. Now there is a real paradigm shift!)

But remember the pride comment a few paragraphs before? Even as we write this, we wonder if this magazine is prideful. Are we doing this to get attention? Are we trying to show the other churches in the city how cool we are? I can honestly say as I write this, the answer is no. But I can also honestly say that for most of my life, the answer would have been, yes. Since we have started City Church, there have been people from all over the US (and even outside US) who have contacted us and asked Ben, “Tell me how it works?” “How did you come up with it?” “What is your plan?”

The answer is simple. First, you have to shift your paradigms. You have to love as Jesus did and be obedient. And you have to commit yourself to a lifestyle modeled by the apostles in the first churches. And you have to begin with believing it is His movement, His church, His people, His plan.

The city doesn’t need any more clever programming. It doesn’t need any new ideas. It just needs God’s people to live out His ideas – the ones He gave us – the ones that were modeled for us by the apostles in Acts.

The Paradigm Shift Series - Your Mission Field

2010-05-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

Your Mission Field. For most of us, we see missions as something we do in other parts of the world. Perhaps it is a short-term trip to a foreign country or maybe just a week in a town devastated by a disaster or poverty. If we believe in God’s sovereignty, then we must accept the fact that the place he has us living right now – be it an apartment, dorm room or home, be it temporary or permanent. This place is your mission field.

This shift corresponds with the first one – belonging enables believing. Get to know your neighbors. You know, those people who live around you that you see on a regular basis but do not know their names. God put you in their midst so that they might get a glimpse of Him through you. This also connects to the last shift. These people are not projects. They are people. Do life with them and get to know them. Earn the right to discuss spirituality by meeting them where they are without judgment. This is what our city is missing. The simple fact is that more of your neighbors are former church-goers who gave up or got disillusioned than are simple non-believers. They believe in God, but have no relationship. And they have been so burned by the “church” that the topic of church or spirituality is out of bounds with them – at least not until they see you are different or they can trust you.

The Paradigm Shift Series - People are Not Projects

2010-05-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

People are not Projects. This is one of Ben’s favorites. We typically look at someone, analyze their situation, their problems, their needs, etc and then we do the worst thing possible. We try to “fix” them. Non-believers do not need “fixing.” Believers do not need “fixing.” They both need Jesus. Period and end of sentence.

Okay, end of sentence, but not end of paragraph. This one is easier written than done. It almost feels weird as a believer to not see the world around you and feel for them, knowing that they are missing out on the most important part of life. But that is not the shift here. Think of it this way. When you have had a hard day or a bad situation at work or school, it helps if you can talk about it. The thing that drives you crazy is after you have told your story, the person says, “here’s what you need to do.” They try to fix you. Frustrating right? Imagine being the person in the cube next to yours as work or in the seat next to you in class or the mom on the bench next to you at the park – these people have pain, hurt and holes in their lives that can only be filled with Jesus. But it is His job to fill those holes and heal them – not yours, not mine.

Try to shift and start seeing people as people. Nothing more. Love them. Serve them. Meet them where they are in life. This is what God asks of us and this is what they need. It also helps with belonging if everyone understands you do not have to be “fixed” to belong. Life is messy. Family is messy. And churches tend to hide this part for fear that the world around them will reject Jesus because of it. Please show us where it says that in Scripture?

The Paradigm Shift Series - Church Planting

2010-05-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

Church Planting. There are actually two considerations here. The first is this – we do not plant churches, we plant Villages. Paul went from city to city and house to house gathering people into community and putting them on mission for their neighborhood. He did not order a demographic study of the town, find an abandoned Wal-Mart building, put up banners, pass out flyers, and go on TV and radio announcing the new church. He stayed in homes, ate meals together, lived in community with them and preached and lived the Gospel.

We do the same. Our focus is on one person or family at a time –one block at a time. Your mission field is your neighborhood (more on that later.) It starts by planting a Village of people who live out our identities (God, Family, Mission) together. And from those people, a group being “sent” out to plant another Village. If we follow this, eventually, we have Villages all over the city. Villages full of people and people = Kingdom.

The second part is that we never stop planting. During our core group sessions before the launch, the question was asked, “When do we stop being a church plant and become a true church?” What a great question. It’s one of those planning questions we all are thinking, but not everyone asks. It was a watershed moment for us as a small group. It was the moment when we got to say this – we never stop planting.

Too many churches today get “planted” and then the team moves on to the next town to “plant” another church. We mark our scorecards and pat ourselves on the back and take pride in the advancement of the Kingdom we have caused. It’s similar to the many mission trips around the world where a team comes back with a number of people they have “saved” for the Kingdom. The fact is if you add up all the counts from all the teams, we have saved the world over a few times already.

The biggest mistake a church can make is to make itself so planned and programmed that it no longer needs Jesus! Look around. It’s happening all the time!

To be part of City Church means you are part of a plant – not just today or for the first year, but for all time. (Or at least until His return.)

The Paradigm Shift Series - Family First

2010-05-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Family First. For most of us, we start our week making a to-do list or at the very least planning the “big” stuff we need to get done each day. In City Church, one of our 3 identities is family. The people you are connected to in a Village are your family. The people in the City Church are your family. As the early apostles lived their lives (Acts 2:45) the possessions of one belonged to all in the family. If anyone had needs, they looked to their church family to resolve them.

For most of us, when we have needs we look to our earthly family whether it be relatives or close friends. We never stop to consider our Kingdom family. Family first means that when you sit down to plan your week, the first question you ask is “What does my family need from me this week?” This is a paradigm shift in the way we plan. Normally we plan by saying “what do I need to get done at work this week?” or “what does the house need this week?” etc. To shift your thinking to a place where your Kingdom family comes first is a big step. It is why we say that City Church is a lifestyle. This shift is one of the hardest ones to make. And for some, it seems a bit out there. But not to God and not to the early apostles. We are called to make disciples and we do this by putting those disciples at the top of our list versus at the bottom. It also means these people need to be cared for and in your life more than the once a week Sunday event that you are used too. It means being willing to open your home and your heart to others – to care for the widows and orphans in the world. No one should ever need a place to stay or food or clothes or a ride. The family should always provide.

Paradigm Shifts Series - Belonging Enables Believing

2010-05-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

Belonging enables believing. This one is straight out of the book Tangible Kingdom (a good read for everyone.) I first read this book in the summer while we were planning City Church. Ben had been researching other churches around the world and trying to learn from their practice. He assigned me this book to read as part of our planning. (We even met with one of the authors, Hugh Halter, which was a big plus.) The principle is that traditionally in order to feel comfortable at church, you must first believe. I spent my whole life in traditional forms of church. The ones where we made all the guests stand during the service and applaud them. The ones where we did nothing except say welcome at the beginning of the service (my seeker church experience.) And the ones where we got all your info and showed up at your house during the week for a “visit.” I myself had tried other churches through the years searching for a deeper place with Christ. In all those situations and in all those experiences, it never occurred to me that in order to “fit in” or be accepted by the church, you first had to become a believer. It’s no wonder people do not want to visit a church. The whole experience is one big “there is something wrong with you” event. Guests feel judged and uncomfortable more often than welcome. (That is the surveys talking not us.)

The simple fact is that Jesus lived among the people – believers and non-believers. He made them all feel welcome. For many, it was this simple fact – that Jesus met you where you were in life – that made the difference between their believing or not. We have to shift this paradigm. We need to be an environment where people feel comfortable and like they belong – even if they do not believe. The Holy Spirit will move when it is time for them to believe. In the meantime, Scripture is a story of people (us) being sent into the world. And the only way we can do that is to meet people where they are and allow them to belong first and then believe. We have to love people in a “belonging way” and not conditional to believing. This also explains why we throw so many parties to get to know our neighbors. It gives them a way to connect to our church without feeling the uncomfortable feeling that normally accompanies visiting church.

The Paradigm Shifts Series

2010-05-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

(Or put another way, the lessons we’ve learned along the way.)

Before you dive in, I should mention that you will find many references to "we" in this series. The other part of we is my friend, pastor and fellow visonary Ben Connelly. He has his own blog you can check out as well. In many ways, he is smarter than me and more gifted than me and I am blessed to have been on this journey with him.

Now, let's set the stage, shall we...

In thinking about church, have you ever stopped to consider these two things:

1. Jesus was on the planet 30 years before he began His ministry.

2. What verses did Jesus give us on how to do church? Wasn’t there a sermon on the church like there was a sermon on the mount?

On the first question, my guess is building relationships, engaging the culture and praying for his mission. On the second, the answer is nada. Or is it? If He taught us that we are His kingdom and that we are His church, then when He taught us how to love and how to live and how to serve, He was speaking on how to do church. Somewhere through time, we have gotten caught up in doing of church and forgot about living the church. Somewhere we said to God, “I got this” and then went about creating our version of church. How disappointed in us must He be at times?

The largest lesson for me in this City Church journey has been the shift in my paradigms. A paradigm is a set system or model that forms the basis of something – in our case belief. I listened to the teachings in my church and accepted them as true and correct, but never looked for God’s truth in Scripture. I left the labor of obedience to Scripture to other people – mainly pastors or “holier” people than me whom I trusted and then followed what they said. I, like many, have spent countless hours debating “once saved always saved,” hymns versus contemporary worship, announcements then message then offering or message then offering then announcements. Time well spent for the Kingdom for sure.

Like most of you, I have spent a lifetime of following my paradigms. And when I ask myself “what is keeping me from living in incarnational, missional community?” the answer is simple – ME!

My City Church journey has been one of deconstruction as much as construction. Of breaking down my paradigms of old and replacing them with Biblical truth. The following is a list of some of the top paradigm shifts we have been through on this journey. These are ones that you may have to go through yourself or at the very least accept to be living on mission. These “nuggets” came through self evaluation, prayer, debates with God (guess who won) and living life with others as incarnational family.

Paradigms and Culture

2010-05-11T12:12:00.000-07:00

If you have been following me for long, you know that I firmly believe 2 things. 1. That all truth is God's truth. and 2. That corporate culture is alive and present in every organization - not just companies - but any organization such as a volunteer group or a church. Over the years, I have studied carefully these patterns of how a company or organization evolves and how its culture determines its success or failure in the cause.

For the next couple of weeks, I am going to share some insight I have gathered while being involved with a church plant in Fort Worth over the last year. While it (like everything) has been a study in culture for me, it has also shaken some of my paradigms and belief systems in regards to church in America and I want to share some of those thoughts with you.

I will call this my "Paradigm Shifts" series. It is a lists of beliefs that I had held for many years that I have had to shift or alter in my year of study. The interesting thing about these paradigms is the way they have influenced my life and shaped my spiritual journey. Now, I am not going to turn this blog into a sermon, there are plenty of those available.

But for many of you reading, you do so because you enjoy the variety of content and they way it challenges you to look at your own lives everyday to see corporate culture in action. I have come to realize that the "culture" of the churches I grew up in have shaped my beliefs (as they should.) And that I never challenged these thoughts - just accepted them because the culture told me to. (A typical corporate culture story, no?)

What is most fascinating about this journey is that I trusted the "culture" of the church to set my values and beliefs rather than studying and searching on my own. I trusted the leaders of the church that what they were saying and teaching was correct. In short, I was an "employee" of the church, not a member of a spiritual formation. I was a consumer, not a builder. I did what I was told and never asked why. (sound familiar?) The culture of the church does not reward challenging the belief system - in fact, most times, it punishes it. But we have to seek answers from the one place that provides it and we have to work to understand. We cannot let others do the work for us.

If you are not a spiritual person or member of a church, then I hope you do not mind the next series. My intention, as I said earlier, is not to preach, but share. This is not about religion. It is about my shift in paradigms. I will deal with each one separately. And if I sound "preachy", then I apologize. I hope I sound humbled and convicted.

This story is about my journey as part of the leadership planting The City Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

Sony Store - Did they Learn?

2010-03-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Recently, Sony has announced the opening of a new store in Japan. The Nagoya store is a direct result of Apple taking over most of the market in Japan. Therefore, much like Microsoft has done, and Sony has done in the US, Sony has decided to launch an Apple-like store.

The 2-level store includes "backStage," a service/support group, much like Apple's "Genius Bar," that will assist with questions and training customers may need. Its first floor focuses on their notebooks, cameras, and walkmans. While the second floor is designed for home theater, led by their new 3D tv's. As you can see from the picture above, the store has elegant and hip designs with wide open areas consistent with "SonyStyle."

The question we need to ask now is "Is this the right decision?" I have blogged about Microsoft and their experiences with opening a store in the past. I thought it was a good idea for Microsoft, and still think it is a good idea for Sony. The main difference this time is, I think Sony has it right.

Sony needed to fashion themselves close to Apple, because consumer's desire that hands-on experience. Sony already has some outlet stores in the US, but with these new stores in Japan it may spread to new openings worldwide. The Nagoya store is a touch above the current US retail chains, which I think will prove to be better. So, since Sony has established retail stores, they now need to focus on how to differentiate themselves from Apple.

I am sure you all know what I am going to say next. The differentiation comes from Sony's culture and brand. If Sony only opened these retail chains and revealed them to the customer exactly like Apple, then there would be no reason to go to a Sony store. Sony has introduced retail chains to parity themselves with Apple, but have fused their culture into the stores to separate the customer's experience from Apple's.

Sony believes heavily that these retail stores will drive in more business for them, which is why I believe they will succeed. They are fully vested in them, so they will put the necessary resources into them to deliver the "SonyStyle" culture. The store has stations connected to each of Sony's home products, allowing the customer to interact with them all. With that, the store has "Stylists" that can help the customer with their purchase decision. As you can see Sony's culture is heavily embedded in the customer's experience.

Sony needs to provide these superior experiences compared to Apple. The talent that Sony casts into the store will be critical. We have talked a lot over the past week how important your employees are to your company, and again we see here how necessary they are in retail. This will and should take an ample amount of resources to ensure accurate casting. The culture the employees bring is just as important as the overall feel and experience of the store.

Ultimately, it comes down to getting customers in the store. If Sony can't get customers in their store then these concepts will fail. There are many factors that go into retail before the customer even sets foot in the door. But, I believe that the concept of the store will be stable and will create an experience different than Apple's. This should drive more business and drive the sales Sony desires.

Where Does Corporate Culture Fit in a Down Economy (Part Last)

2010-03-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

We have reached the end of our little series, and I hope over the past week you have seen areas where culture can have an impact in your company. Throughout the series, we didn't discuss all possible benefits of a strong culture, but some benefits I believe are generally understood. That being said, I have faith in you guys!

Anyways, the last part of the series I wanted to bring everything together and give some encouragement to those who are already implementing strong cultures. We talked how culture motivates your employees and how it creates a connection for employees to your company's purpose. This attracts customers to your company, and it also attracts top prospects to your company.

I was on a panel the other day and one of the members said "Be the type of person that attracts the type of people you want to date." I know you may think I am mixing up my blogs, but I am going to make a connection here. As a company, you want your culture and the way you do business to attract the type of employees you want as leaders within your organization. If you are attracting sub-par analytical prospects, but you need top notch creative prospects, then you may want to look at how you look to the outside world. Now, you will always need to distinguish between different types of employees, a.k.a your HR department, but wouldn't it make their lives much easier if they had only A+ talent applying to positions.

Also, culture will differentiate your company and your product. We want your customers to perceive your company and your brand as superior. Culture is the answer, and is what will create the above average experience for the customer. This will help develop lasting relationships with your customers, which are critical in retail and most other industries. Invest the time training and developing your employees and I promise you they will invest the time in your customers. Your "cultured" employees will be what reveals your culture to customers, and therefore are your MVP's.

Finally, I want to congratulate those of you who are either initiating a culture change, or who have already created strong cultures. I am sure that you are seeing the benefits of your work. Therefore, I want to encourage you to continue investing in your culture. Remember, everything speaks, and the moment your employees or customers perceive your culture differently, your effort could be minimized. Some companies can rebound from these mistakes and others can't. So, be sure that you are taking the time and using the necessary resources to maintain that culture, because there is no better way to improve your sales.

As for those of you who are thinking about initiating a culture change. Please do! I would recommend help; I am bias towards penumbra media & design, but especially in this economy help will be critical. You will need to make sure you are covering all aspects of a culture change, and at the same time not wasting resources. We are here to help you become better, so I hope you seriously consider the impacts culture can have on your business.

Where Does Corporate Culture Fit in a Down Economy (Part 3)

2010-03-12T10:23:00.000-08:00

We are now moving into the third part of this series. Please tell me I have kept your attention… Yes! Anyways, let’s get on with the post.

The third point was stated briefly in part 2, and that is the potential employees of your company. If you have already been able to initiate the culture change into your current employees, and throughout the rest of your business, then this should be fairly easy.

The hardest part of this part will be determining the hiring process. Some of you may have adapted the hiring processes of the people before you, which may be outdated. Others may have great hiring systems, so this will be much easier for you. Now that you have a set culture, you need to sit down with members of every part of the business and determine the hiring process.

To do this, you will need to ask what is important in your culture. What are the types of qualities, personalities, and motivations that fit your culture? From there you need to understand what are the types of tools you need to use to find the right and best candidates for your culture and company. Will it be multiple interviews or multiple interviews with role play and/or maybe even some personality/logic assessments. Or, maybe you give them some sort of creative project to submit back to you in a week. These are some examples, but there are many more.

The biggest idea of all this is that these potential candidates are interacting with your culture as they proceed through the hiring process. Remember, we said in part 2 of this series, that your culture should attract the type of talent that you would like working for your company. So, make sure that the way you are attracting your talent reflects that culture. The biggest mistake you could make is giving the candidate the wrong impression. Then, once you hire a candidate and they realize they had the wrong impression of your culture, they may become unmotivated or someone who can harm your culture. Which, we don’t want. So, remember when developing and going through your hiring process EVERYTHING SPEAKS.

One of the main reasons a culture change could be beneficial in a down economy is the amount of quality individuals in the candidate pool. For one, I am sure, to some degree your business has either cut positions, or not hired positions that you need, because you want to save resources. Therefore, you may have some opportunities that need filled. What better way to fill those opportunities than with the 10 million individuals who are out of work. There is plenty of talent in these individuals, and they may have encountered some bad luck. You should give these people the benefit of the doubt and the consideration they deserve. Maybe they didn’t fit into the culture they were currently in, and would fit perfectly with yours.

Since, you have designed your hiring process to cast the best employees you can and should have some key players in your culture. We know that your current employees will be the key decision makers and the driving force behind your culture, but these new individuals will be the lifeblood behind your company. They will be the ones most open to your culture, and will be the ones most adaptive to your culture. This means that you will have some of the most committed employees coming through your ranks. In saying that, you need to make sure that you create avenues for growth and an entrepreneurial spirit, because these employees will become the heart of your business.

On the other side of this, I want you to make sure that you don’t neglect your current employees. Each and every employee should be given the same amount of attention. No one in your company should be neglected.

I am not distinguishing on who is more important, but I am giving you ideas of ways you can grow and succeed as a business. So, remember, there are a lot of talented individuals out there, and this may be the best time to invite them into your culture and continue the change you have been making. This should provide another boost to your company and its employees.

Where Does Corporate Culture Fit in a Down Economy (Part 2)

2010-03-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

We are moving into part two of the series. So, I guess if you are still reading this then I have peaked your interest? Well, I guess we will find out.

The second major point I want to hit on is differentiation. When companies initiate culture changes and it succeeds through their current employees there is something different about them. Consumers see the company as different. And, I don’t mean that in a bad way. They are attracted to the company.

I am sure that the competition in your industry has increased in the past couple years, and you are probably scrambling to find a way to differentiate yourself. I am not saying that a culture change is your only option, but it surely can be a viable one. We know that consumers don’t just interact with your brand in any single area. They have a whole experience with your brand. If you can create a culture that is significant, not only to your employees, but also to your consumers then they will seek out your company.

Along with that, your customers are interacting daily with your employees. And, like mentioned in part 1 of this series, your employees are going to be the driving force behind your culture change. Be wary I am going to make another connection here. Therefore, if you have committed employees to your culture, then you will have committed employees to your customer. And even from that, you will have committed customers to your company, because they will see the effects of the culture.

You may not think it, but consumers see right through gimmicks such as an employee greeting them with a giant smile and saying “How can I help you today.“ I am not saying you or your employees are wrong, but if that employee doesn’t truly believe in the value of that interaction with the customer, then the customer WILL pick up on that. The culture will make the employee-customer interaction unique and authentic. This way the customer will enjoy the experience with your company and will come back for more.

Also, consumers are seeking relationships with the brands they interact with. They want to “feel” the reason they should buy your brand. They want to understand where you are coming from, and they want to be able to give feedback. They want to be involved in the decision. This is why your culture needs employees who believe in your company and in the culture. This way they will want to create that relationship with the customer and the customer will want to create that relationship back.

Now, these interactions with the customer can be extremely different from business to business. It may be very short-term transactional type relationships or even long-term building relationships. But, the key is that each and every interaction is an experience and a relationship for the customer. Your culture is what will make the difference. It will be what authenticates your business to the consumer.

My final point on this, which will lead us into the third point in this series, is that when your company portrays a strong culture, not only do your current employees see that, but potential employees see that. Strong cultures attract top talent. With that, even stakeholders and potential supply chain members will see that and they will want to do business with you. All of this will happen as long as your culture fits who you are as a business and is initiated correctly. It will affect the entire way you do business. For the better of course. Strong, unique cultures ALWAYS differentiate your company and will be beneficial to you.

Where Does Corporate Culture Fit in a Down Economy (Part 1)

2010-03-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

We are now going to enter a series about why I think you should start a culture change in this down economy. Hopefully, I didn’t already lose you. I know I joke around a lot, but this time I am being serious. I believe there are multiple reasons (Hence the series) why you should seriously consider a culture change.

So, to start off we are going to talk about your current company and mainly your current employees. Employees derive most of their self esteem from their jobs. (See previous posts about this subject) And with the current economy, I am sure that some of your employees have lost some, if not all, of their motivation to work. This is why I see a culture change as being motivational to your company.

Companies with strong cultures have motivated employees who are committed to the company’s goals and values. When this happens the whole business succeeds. If we can get your employees back to being motivated and not fearing their jobs then your business will surely succeed. See the connection I just made? I’m so proud of myself. But, seriously your employees would like a jolt. They are looking for someone to reassure them and let them know that “we” are going to get through these times. They want to know that leadership is looking out for them as employees and for them as a company. I think the culture change will send just that message!

Cultures brings a unison to the workforce. It will commit them to the purpose of why you are in business. And, it will commit them to go above and beyond in their jobs, because you just showed them that you care and that you will do the same for them.

Let’s take an example real quick. Since, I love pizza so much, so it seems, let’s focus on Domino’s Pizza. Here is a company who has been slacking in market share and overall quality for a while now. They didn’t let the current recession bring them down, they revamped their culture, quality of their pizza, and brand of Domino’s and now they are back on track. Their pizza is better, and their brand is stronger, which are both reinforced by the culture that is backing all of the change.

Hopefully, my motivational skills have made this sound easy… But, rest assured it may not be that easy. This will be the hardest and most beneficial step in the culture change, especially in these times. As I continue through the series, if this step is not properly financed, managed, or controlled the culture will not work. And your employees will not feel the value they need. As it happens though, the next parts of the series become easier as we go along, but not less important.

Finally, I would encourage you readers out there… Anyone? I would encourage you to post comments or let me know your concerns or worries about implementing a culture change in a down economy. I am sure we can find ways for it to work and for it to bring about the most success in your business.

When Culture Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie

2010-02-27T16:26:00.000-08:00

Let's take an example on the power of culture from Nick Sarillo, owner of Nick’s Pizza and Pub. (I pulled this from the article “Lessons from a Blue-Collar Millionaire” written by Bo Burlingham). Back to Sarillo, here’s a restaurant business (2 stores) who boasts an employee turnover rate of 20% compared to the industry’s 200% per year. As if that wasn’t enough to convice you, Nick’s has a net operating profit margin of around 14% compared to the industry’s 6.6% per year.

Ok, so now I have you convinced about the value of company culture… Maybe… Please… What if I show you how Sarillo has put together a culture that is able to do $7 million a year between his two stores?

Sarillo started with a vision of developing a company using the “trust and track” system. Along with this he says “I wanted a place where everyone worked hard and cared a lot; where people enjoyed coming to work, felt good afterward, and weren't motivated to steal. If I couldn't have that kind of business, I didn't want to have a business."

Good start huh? I think so. (Remember the 20% TO rate) Sarillo’s business is based off this philosophy and focuses on giving back to the community. From ½ price Monday’s and Tuesday’s to the time when he picked up the tab for everyone in the restaurant one night. Cost him $20,000. Worth it? If your’re developing the type of culture Sarillo is going for then it is crucial. Along with this, Sarillo has multiple benefit events and charity organizations that he supports. Doesn’t seem to be anything more than your everyday business, but it is the commitment to this. Ever heard of employees giving their tips to help out the benefits? What makes it different is that it is each of the individuals voluntarily giving back. In fact check this out, Nick’s was given the Community Improvement Award two years in a row. (http://www.nickspizzapub.com/news/)

One of the greatest aspects of Sarillo’s culture is his casting and training of his employees. Interviews consist of a personality test, role-playing exercises, and questions such as “What are you doing to improve yourself physically, mentally, or spiritually?” Ever been asked that one before? When you look at your company you want to be able to apply this type of dedication to your hiring process, however that may look, to fit your particular culture. It may, and probably will, be completely different from Nick’s.

Once employees are hired they are then ushered through (involuntarily after basic 101 and 201) a set of training classes. Numbers are given to the classes and continual training is emphasized. Maybe Sarillo read my book… Doubt it. Anyways, 101 consists of a 2-day orientation that includes the company purpose, culture, and values, and then a 4-hour kitchen prep. I’ve never spent 4 hours in a kitchen! Graduates of 101 are sent to 201 and so on. Employees are then encouraged to take additional courses and learn different jobs within the restaurant. As they graduate, they get an increase in wages and a different colored hat!

The final point I want to take from Nick’s, is that culture doesn’t happen unless top management is on board. Sarillo can be found in the kitchen helping out on busy nights. He has built his two stores on a foundation of trust. One in which he even got called out by a team member for. Ever call out a CEO in your company? At Nick’s there is trust and understanding through all the employees and no one is exempt from that. This allows the employees to focus on their jobs and not worry about management hovering over them.

Now don’t get me wrong. This sounds easy, but Sarillo can attest to the fact that it wasn’t. He will admit that it almost got out of his control, but he was able to revamp the culture he was going after. Luckily, he found the right employees (186 in all) and people to get on board. Now, he plans on expanding and spreading his impact of improving the community.

I read this from: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100201/lessons-from-a-blue-collar-millionaire.html

Container Store CEO gives the inside scoop on We Love Our Employees Day

2010-02-15T08:38:00.000-08:00

Just read this from Ellen Davis at NRF. I have blogged about Container Store before, so I wanted to share this with you.

Container Store CEO gives the inside scoop on We Love Our Employees Day

By Ellen Davis, VP and NRF spokesperson
Published: February 14, 2010

This entry was posted in Retail Companies, Retail TrendsAt NRF, we’re pretty good at keeping secrets. So when The Container Store reached out to us last week with inside information on their latest initiative – an inaugural “National We Love Our Employees Day,” slotted for Valentine’s Day – and asked if we’d consider blogging about it, we were more than happy to oblige. And keep their secret.

Kip Tindell

So last week, in the midst of all the chaos and excitement gearing up for this huge surprise to employees, The Container Store Chairman and CEO Kip Tindell set aside some time to answer a few questions from us on how this day came about, why he believes in treating employees even better than customers, and what’s behind The Container Store’s mysterious customer mantra about “the man in the desert.”

The Container Store is surprising its employees today with its inaugural “We Love Our Employees Day.” Tell me about this.

The idea actually came about many months ago as we were getting ready to launch a new section of our website, “What We Stand For,” which for the first time really tells the story externally about our employee-first culture. In one of those conversations we were all reveling in how amazing our employees have been in this recession, holding hands, getting through this, working so hard for our customers and each other. So, we wanted to celebrate everyone and really scream it from the roof tops how proud we are of each other.

Valentine’s Day seemed the perfect day to send this “hug” out to all of our employees – it’s the day before our annual elfa Sale ends, everyone has been working so very hard, and we wanted to do something fun to honor our folks across the country.

The press release says that employees at The Container Store will be “treated to special celebrations and recognition at the retailer’s stores, home office and distribution center” all week long. Can you share any inside scoop on what some of those festivities will be?

Our amazing vendors really came through! We assembled 4000 goody boxes filled with fabulous products donated from our vendors – one for each employee. Our vendors are a crucial component of our interdependent circle of stakeholders and it’s part of our core principles to craft mutually beneficial vendor relationships. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s an employee and who’s a vendor here at The Container Store. These vendors feel a part of the culture, so – sure – when something like this comes up they are happy to participate.

Employees are also receiving fun Valentine’s Day inspired National We Love Our Employees Day t-shirts, sweet treats in the stores, and we have a full-page ad in The New York Times’ Sunday edition that includes a thank-you to employees and even lists every single employee’s name.

You’re encouraging other businesses to embrace Valentine’s Day as a day to recognize employees. Why?

Creating and nurturing an employee-first culture is the most fun, productive and profitable way to run a business. There are some really great companies – retailers – that are doing a good job at this. But think about if the thousands of the companies across the country would put their employees first, communicate to them, make them feel a true sense of ownership in the business. Can you imagine what the business world in America would look like? And talk about customer service. When you have happy employees, there’s no doubt you’ll have happy customers.

Congratulations on your recognition – for the 11th year – as one of the 13 retailers on this year’s Fortune list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. What’s the rationale behind The Container Store’s employee-first culture?

The FORTUNE honor has been a great boon for our business both internally and externally. Two-thirds of the honor is employee driven through an anonymous survey, so we’re very proud of that.

It was Milton Friedman who said, “the only reason a corporation exists is to maximize return for the shareholders.” Well, no. Not really. We actually put the employee first. We don’t even put the customer first. Now, you know we love our customers. But we put our employees first. We believe that if you put the employee first and take better care of them than anybody else, they will take care of the customer better than anybody else. And if those two are happy, if you have the happiest employees and customers around, ultimately your shareholders are very, very happy as well.

We hire GREAT people – who are inspired every day to do what great people do and are inspired every day by the folks they are surrounded by. That’s one of our seven Foundation Principles – 1 GREAT person equals 3 good people in terms of business productivity. So why not insist on hiring ONLY great people?

We work to pay them well (50-100% higher than the industry average) and we’re obsessive about training them well (first year, full-time salespeople receive 241 hours of formal training…and that’s just the beginning). Those of you know in the retail business know, sadly, the average salesperson receives 7-8 hours of training.

And so that’s one of the real doctrines of putting our employees first.

The other aspect is serving our entire, interdependent group of stakeholders that includes our employees, our customers, our community, shareholders and our vendors. It’s actually pretty difficult to tell who is an employee and who is a vendor at The Container Store. The relationships that we have with our vendors are the same as we have with our employees. Our vendors always say that they feel like they work for The Container Store. They love it. We love it. It’s the most sustainable form of business. It’s the most profitable form of business. It’s the most fun for the customer, for the employee, for the vendor, and yeah, even the shareholder! And it’s something that I’m so fanatical about.

I’m really thankful to have our “culture” during an economic climate like this. When you’re having to make difficult decisions that are going to protect the future of the business…it’s vital.

As part of Fortune’s “100 Best” issue, you traded places with Build-A-Bear CEO Maxine Clark for a day. What was that experience like, and what lessons or insight were you able to take back to your own company?

It was such a fun experience! I learned a lot about their business and the customer loyalty they’ve built. It really validated that, yes, retail is a hard business, but you can have fun, create an air of excitement, differentiate yourself and you’ll craft a retail experience that transcends value for the customer. I did love their “Strive For Five” selling metric. That is, work with the customer to find four more items that would make their Bear/animal complete.

I’m curious if you’ve tuned into the new CBS show “Undercover Boss,” where company executives spend a week incognito working rank-and-file positions throughout their company. If you went undercover in your own organization, what do you think you’d learn?

We were actually contacted early on to participate in that show – they really wanted The Container Store on board. But our structure and communication style is such that we didn’t think there would be a way to effectively have any of our executives go undercover in our stores or distribution center without anyone recognizing us.

We do encourage feedback from each and every employee. When I go into our stores, I say, “Folks have been telling us the great things we do for the last 30 years, but tell me what we’re doing wrong – what are some things we could do better?” That’s what I want to hear.

I’m all for that feedback and thrive on it. We use voicemail, email – a real open door policy for employees to have a voice. And this year we want even more of that. Maybe through employee surveys and such.

While the retail industry shed over a million jobs during the recession, The Container Store hasn’t laid off a single employee. One question I’m sure retail executives everywhere are asking: How?!?

For us, it was about driving costs out of the system and strict expense management. And really challenging every employee in the business to look under every rock to help drive sales today. We did have to make some tough decisions like a salary freeze and a 401K match freeze, but those were sacrifices we were all really make to save thousands of jobs and secure the future of company.

Tell me about “the man in the desert.”

This is our selling philosophy and we use it to illustrate how we astonish our customers by exceeding their expectations. Imagine a man lost in the desert. He’s been wandering for weeks. He stumbles across an oasis, where he’s offered a glass of water, because surely he must be thirsty. But if you stop to think about what he’s experienced and what his needs really are, you know that he needs more than just water. He needs food, a comfortable place to sleep, a phone to call his wife and family, maybe a pair of shoes and a hat to screen the sun’s rays.

When a customer comes to our store looking for shoe storage, for example, we equate her to a “Man in a Desert,” in desperate need of a complete solution. We start asking questions about what her needs are. “How many shoes do you have?” “If shoes are a big problem for you, how does the rest of the closet function?” By anticipating her needs, we know that she needs an organization plan — a complete solution — for her entire closet.

Most retailers are pleased with helping her find a shoe rack — that glass of water — but not at The Container Store. We don’t just stop with the obvious. Providing our customers with a complete solution through our Man in the Desert selling philosophy has been key to achieving one of our main goals of having our customers dancing in their organized closet, pantry, home office, etc., because they are so delighted and thrilled with the complete solution we provided them.

What do you believe is the largest misconception of retail careers, and how – as an industry – can we change that?

I think the largest misconception is that it is not challenging and has to be low pay, long hours and can’t offer a long-standing career. For us, we want to provide a team-oriented environment where you’re highly trained, motivated every day to change our customers’ lives and can make a great living working on the sales floor. It really goes back to the core culture of the retail environment. As retailers, we must focus on creating a nurturing environment, differentiate and communicate to our employees so they are a true part of the business.

Microsoft Store - when will they learn?

2009-11-19T07:56:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has opened a store. Actually, I think this is a good idea. They are losing market share and dominace over the category. They play in lots of places that people do nto relaize connect. They just launched Windows 7 (which is really Windows Vista Service Pack 3 - I guess they learned their lesson on that) and they have some "sharing" strories they can tell.

The true purpose of a "branded" store is not for customers. It should be for retailers! You want Best Buy to see how to dsiplay and demo your product in their stores. But alas, Microsoft, with all their rooms full of cash, fell far short of developing a brand experience that they can be proud of. But they did develop a brand experience that is relfective of their culture.

Below are the observations of a Scottsdale Microsoft store visit. They really emphasized the Microsoft Signature experience, where all of the free trial and crapware is not installed on any of the systems they sell. The storyline was similar when I asked an employee what the benefit was to buying a laptop there vs. Best Buy direct from the manufacturer like Dell and he immediately answered that it’s all about the Microsoft Signature experience vs. what you get from those other places.

1. Design – as noted in the press coverage, very much a copy of Apple’s store design, but it just doesn’t have the same refinement. The materials, the lighting, everything just felt Toyota-like as compared to say a Lexus-like experience at Apple

2. Traffic – it was about 6pm and there was four or five customers in the store and probably 15-20 or more employees. I wish there had been an apple store in this mall to compare traffic at the same time of day. The employees look pretty bored.

3. Software – in the back corner of the store there is a small software section with a mix of entertainment and security/utility titles with a couple of titles from Norton and Kaspersky. After asking one of the employees about the different type of software available, I learned that they have around 400 titles that are accessible via a touchscreen display (see attached photo) and you can select any of those titles and they will burn a CD with that software in their back room and install it for you if you wish, for an additional $49 of course. This was actually a good idea. Lots of titles with minimal space. However, unless someone tells you abotu it, you will miss it.

4. Laptop displays – the laptops are displayed in groups, each table representing a different group: netbooks, think and lights, featured systems (rotates, but current a Dell Studio model), large screen and gaming systems. Each of the displays seem to have the same image, optimized by removing all of the crapware and only leaving some of the basis oem-specific programs installed. This is called “Microsoft Signature”. All of the laptops on display are supposedly in stock and available for purchase and are all Microsoft Signature optimized. They also sell extended warranties on the laptops, these are branded as Microsoft extended warranties not the OEM extended warranties.

Overall, its easy to say that the Microsoft store is a terrific represenatation of the brand. Lots of good thinking, lots of poor execution, lots of lack of integrating or playing well with others. I could go on with other observations of the store experience, but the point here is to affirm that corporate culture is real and it shows up everywhere. Knowing the Microsfot culture the way I do, this store is exactly what I expected - underwhelming and unimpressive with lots of work to figure out.

Sound familiar?

The Future is So Bright...Not

2009-10-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

My partner (and founder of Penumbra) is Jennifer Shirkani. We make a great complementary team because she loves to do the parts of the business that I do not and vice versa. She is an expert in Emotional Intelligence (we made the DVD!) and leader in interviewing and selection. While I do the corporate culutre part, she is more the expert in true human asset management.

I say this because I like to brag about her, but more to set up today's story. Like myself, Jen gets asked to speak at a lot of conferences, especially SHRM (Society for Human Resource Managers.) I get to tag along with her sometimes - which is a real plus for me becasue I get to watch and engage with the HR leaders of today and catch a glimpse of tomorrow.

In last week's session, we asked for a show of hands - How many HR people in the room are also the trainers for their company? In other words, how many have double duty versus how many dedicated training people were there. 2/3rds of the room raised their hands. Now you might be saying, of course, you were at an HR conference not a training conference. True, but you are missing the point. These people were saying they were the trainers; that trainers did not exist with their company.

HR is the heart of any company. Most may not like to admit it. Sales will argue they are more important, but there is no other department in the org that touches every single employee. So it makes sense that if HR is the heart and the ELT (CxOs) are the head and the employees are the hands and feet that you need HR to be as strong as possible if you want to build an engaging, sustaining culture.

But alas, the room was filled with people who were being asked to do double duty. The % of people who had actual college degrees in this field was in the single digits. The rest of the group (like much of HR in business today) got their roles becasue they are real "people persons."

I am afraid for the future. We are not rasing up warriors and champions to serve the heart of the organization. Is it any wonder 90% of all culture changes fail? The people we are asking to do the change have no training!

The people I met at this conference were real and sincere and desirous to make a difference. But they lacked the knowelge. We have failed them. ELTs have failed them when they look at P&Ls and manage head count versus talent and they make budget decisions based on salaries versus cultural significance.

"Man, you are being very critical Matt!" (I just inserted your comments into the blog, impressive huh?) Yes, you are right. I am being critical. But as each day passes and I meet with more and more companies I am beginning to feel like I am the only one who truly cares about corporate culture any more.

It has been de-prioritized so many times and the companies have been "right-sized" so many times that the keepers of the culture and the personalities that will "Preserve the Core" as Jim Collins directs us are all gone.

All over this country, ELT's meets quarterly and say "We need to make HR a priority!" But they never do. In fact, they never will. They do not understand culture. And when their stock fails to perform and the analysts start to move them to sell status, they will look around the room and wonder what happened.

It is true. History is just the present happening all over again.

Who Am I? The RadioShack story

2009-10-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

This week, I needed a "doo-dad" so I went to the official headquarters of doo-dads - RadioShack. (Or The Shack as they now like to be called.) Now, my first retail job in 1983 was in a RadioShack store. I spent 10 years with the corp and owe them a lot for my retail education.

What strikes me is the new commercial campaign going on for RS. The have started an all out blitz trying to get people to refer to them as The Shack versus RadioShack. Its actually a pretty clever idea. They are trying to make their name mainstream, viral and cool.

To dat, this is probably there 854th attempt at trying to make their brand cool. But here is the problem - Who the heck is RS? I mean it is the most confusing brand I have ever seen. The merchandise is sporadic and confusing - no flow and no connection. Its a s if they are trying to be the Restoration Hardware of consumer electronics (which actually is a cool idea - but I seriously doubt that this is what they are doing.)

The shelves look empty. The merchandise is dull. The employees are frumpy. And there are 4 different store designs. I know this because after visiting the 1st store I got curious and went to 7 others. Its an occupational hazard of someone with 26 years of retail experience.

Ah, but there is the word - experience. There is none at RS. They are making the same mistake that thousands of businesses do every day. They are spending tons of cash on marketing to get people in the door promising hip and cool and when people arrive; the experience disappoints (a lot!)

Sales will spike up with the new ads (as they always do.) But the experience people will have in the stores is so miserable, that the sales spike will drop right back down. Aren't you tired of stores promising such great excitement only to be let down. We might as well all be Cubs fans.

It's a cultural thing. (You knew I would get there.) The company is still operating in silos. The marketing does not match the store design - the merchandise does not match the marketing - the people do not match anything.

RadioShack will continue to wander the retail landscape trying desperately not to be the latest entry in the retail graveyard until they decide to put in leadership who understand the power of culture and what it can do for you. No marketing campaign will ever fix you. Its like going on extreme makeover and coming out beautiful, but still being a raging idiot.

Now I am not saying RS execs are idiots; they are very bright people. But bright people act in accordance to what they know. If you do a Bing search, you will get billions of hits on business and marketing and human resources, but sadly, much fewer on corporate culture.

But then that is why we blog...

Crowd Control

2009-10-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

Its amazing to me when I witness people following "the crowd" versus searching their own way. Last night as I was out walking, I passed by the AMC theater in Scottsdale, AZ. There was a line to get tickets. That is not unusual, I know, but here is what caught my eye.

There were 20 windows to get tickets and only 1 was open. There was a line of 16 people (yes I counted) standing in that one line. To the right and left of the counters were self-serve kiosks where you could walk up and buy your ticket on your own and go right in. No one was in line for any of the 4 kiosks. They were all waiting for the ticket window.

I see the same phenomenon at the airport each week. There are plenty of kiosks to check in, but I still see a long line of people waiting at the counter. I have even reduced my arrival time becasue I know I can count on a check in of less than 5 minutes since everyone will line up in the cues for me and not use the kiosks. (Perhaps writing about this will hurt me, but...)

The point is this, if you woudl like a study in corporate culture, just watch the crowds wherever you go. Chnage is hard in companies - espcecially culture change. You have heard me talk abotu the rule of 1/3rds many times. Whenever you implement a change - 1/3rd of the people will hop on board and support you, 1/3rd of the people will resist and work against you and the last 1/3rd are the fencesitters. They wait to see whcih 1/3rd wins and then they change.

Its always important to know this going in so you cna plan for it and control it. 90% of companies do not and therefore they struggle in the purgotory of change. This struggle can go on for years. Why?

Because we follow the crowd. We watch what the others are doing and join in. Your job is to plan for crowd control. You need to ask yourself these questions:

1. How do I reach the hearts and heads of my employees?
2. How do I create leaders within the crowd who can direct and correct?
3. How do I involve the people who will be affected by this change in the change process?
4. Did I include these people in the decision in the first place?

Change is not evil. Change is necessary. Change can be good. But planning to change is the key.

Tastes as good as our original coffee.

2009-10-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in a Satrubucks writing this blog post and I am watching people take the "tatse test." They are trying the new Via coffee packets and comparing that to the regular coffee they are used to shelling out the big bucks for their fix. Will it work? I don' tthink so.

As I spoke with the employees (baristas) the only training they got was how much the Via costs and what its availability is going to be. Talk about a bold and dangerous move. If the person who is used ot dropping the large doillars on their coffee believes they can get the same great flavor from a packet that they drop in a cup in thier house, they will stop making the trip to the store. And the employees were not trained to deal with this.

This is the same company by the way who is testing selling alcohol in some Seattle stores.

Here is the challenge. You rise to a size of revenue and profit that you now start making decisions for your shareholders versus your customers. You have to build revenue - even if you are profitable at lower revenues. Its insane, but Wall Street runs our companies these days and not the ELT. How do you protect your culture and appease Wall Street? You don't. You change your model and damn the culture to make the analysts happy. Then you fail becasue you went against what got you there in the first place. Turnover, which up until now was never an issue, now becsomes your plague. After all, can you blame the employees? They worked for you becasue of the corporate culutre you created and now you are throwing that out.

So then the cycle begins. Companies rotate leaders and the leaders "reinvent" the business. It works for a short while and then they are gone and the next guy tries.

Here is the rub. When you read about corporate turnarounds that actually stick and work, notice how the new leaders all cite the return to their roots; a return to the orginal culture that got them started. Think about it. Is it really worth destroying your culture to make some analysts happy?

I remember sitting in the office of Howard Schulz (CEO of Starbucks) and asking him what he thought his biggest fear was for the future of his company. "Culture," he said. "I am worried about how we are going to maintain our culture and grow the company at the same time." Wise man. he said it right. Let's see if it goes right for Starbucks.

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

2009-09-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, for those of you who always write me and ask what i am like in person....

I love reality TV as long as it is Top Chef or Design Star. Hate it if it is The Bachelor or the like. I am not a reader, although I do read alot. I prepfer to think that if I need to know it - it will become a movie. Never read the Twilight series. Never saw Casblanca or Gone with the Wind. I am an avid racing fan - open wheel (IndyCar) that is. Here are the quick hits....

Born: October

Sign: Scorpio

Kids: Brayden Hudson (and wife Christine) currently at Ball State University

Education: PhD Organizational Behavior

Career: Principal, penumbra media & design & Penumbra

Author: Culturrific! & The Retail Sales Bible

Favorite Color: Purple

Favorite Movie: Father of the Bride

Favorite Band: The Clash

Favorite Artist: Madonna

Favorite Author: Patrick Morley, The Man in the Mirror Series

Favorite Meal: Buffalo Rib-eye Steak

Favorite Food Group: Chocolate (yes, it is its own food group in my house)

Favorite Vice: Diet Coke

Official Clothier: Robert Graham

Official Footwear: Mark Nason

Its a Small World After All... or is it?

2009-09-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

I am thinking about the irony of people standing in line waiting to ride the "Its a Small World" ride at Disney. (You know the one we have all been on and made the mistake of doing it in the morning so the annoying song stays in our heads all day!) The peson runs into a friend while snaking the lines and thinks "wow!" what a small world when they are going on a ride that says there is no irony in runing into a friend in Disney standing in line to ride Its a Small World.

Confused? Good, that was the point. It may be able to be a small world with technology and mental advances. In fact, the amount of information available on the planet doubles every 1150 days! But yet, we do not share and thus we are still woefully in a very, very large world.

For awhile, we thought the secret would be to work with Fortune 50 clients. After all, they had to have it all figured out to become a $65B company, right? What we discovered over time is that the problems that plague the $65M company are the same as the ones that plague the $65B company. How can this be? How can you grow your revenues to a point where you are doing such astronomical amounts, yet lack the ability to grow emotionally and intellectually?

Not saying we have the answer, just pointing out that if you are one of those smaller firms thinking the grass is greener in the larger ones - wake up! The principles of corprate culture are the same no matter the size of the company. Ultimately, your beliefs determine your values and your values determine your attitudes which determine your feelings which determine your behaviors which then feed your beliefs. Its a cycle - one that continues to play out every single day in every single company.

Hopefully, through this blog, you have found some advice on how to handle your corporate culture. Remember, it is a living, breathing part of your company. Period. Anyone who does not beleive that needs to go. Anyone who does not beleive that will go - becasue eventually the company will!

How the Mighty Fall

2009-09-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

Recently, I read Jim Collins new book, How the Mighty Fall. While shorter than his other books, I think this is a plus. Good to Great was a solid work, but a bit academic and wordy for me. This book was much more "to the point."

the interesting part of the book is the "phases" or stages as Jim calls them, that a company goes through on the decline. In our work with companies, we have witnessed this first hand. In fact, we have tried to point out the warning signs to some of our clients only to be "brushed off." It was fascinating for us to listen to another author (one much more renowned then we ever will be) to express the same difficulty in dealing with their clients.

Stage 1 - Hubris Born of Success (we call this normal)
Stage 2 - Undisciplined Pursuit of More (we call this one "sales cures all ills")
Stage 3 - Denial of Risk and Peril (we call this one common - especially higher up)
Stage 4 - Grasping for Salvation (we call this the consultant mode because it is when we usually get called in)
Stage 5 - Capitulation to Irreverence or Death (we call this inevitable)

It would have been nice to have this work years ago when had a hospital client. We tried in vain to help them see the cliff they were headed towards. They could not see it because they looked at the map and not the road. You know the map - its the spreadsheet or dashboard that says sales are up or csat scores are up or profits are up. Too many times we see companies find out that just because your P&L says you are profitable, does not mean you are sustainable.

Anyway, we ended up "firing" that hospital client. We told them we had a reputation to worry about and they were hurting it. Our straight talking truth did not work either. They simply said, "okay." and then dashed onward to the cliff and "lemminged" off the edge. (Yes, they are gone and so is the building.)

I think the best part of this work is the fact that Jim Collins always stressed the need to have team of people looking inward and watching against the stages. Honestly, most companies could do without our service if they only listened to their customers and or employees and got off their high horses.

But thankfully for us, they do not.

Customer Speak - Part 2

2009-09-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Excerpt form the book - Culturrific!

Customer Speak is a process of letting your customers speak to you about what they want. You should have several focus group sessions each year to find out what your customers are saying. Ask them what they wish you did differently and what they could care less if you did. Perhaps Coca-Cola would have not introduced the new Coke if they were listening to their customers. Their customers certainly spoke when it was introduced!

There is a great myth out there that you have to spend thousands of dollars and hire slick, professional data gatherers and researchers like the ones with the clipboards in the mall. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s so easy to hold your own Customer Speak sessions in all of your locations nationwide (even globally). Place a sign at the front entrance of your business that says:

“How would like you like to get 10% off today?”

Whenever you get takers, have them complete your 10-minute personal interview with one of your front line employees. There are two wins here. First, you are gathering information that will be invaluable to you in the future as you decide what services you should and should not offer. Second, you are rewarding top performers by asking them to participate in the research. Typically, companies will hire temps to do the surveys. What kind of message does that send to the customer? Do you really care what they have to say? Use the best to get the information. It will make them feel part of the total business and not just a pair of hands and feet.

This survey only costs you 10% off their purchase - which is probably something you have seventeen coupons and marketing gimmicks already available that do the same thing. For your business, you may use a different angle, but we have found that when you say % off a purchase, it means a lot more to the guest and you get a lot more takers than a free 2-liter bottle of New Coke.

Once you have the information, you know what to do with it. But you will need to make sure that what you heard is what they meant. Be careful not to read into what your customers are saying or put things into their mouths. Keep yourself separated from their answers. It’s very natural to impose our own opinions over the ones from the customer. After all we are customers to, right? Not of your own company you’re not. Do you buy from your company because of the way you are treated or because you get a discount? Think about it.

If you wait until you get the data back from your customers on your service, you will be reactive instead of proactive. Therefore, you will have to take a lead role in deciding and defining service from the Everything Speaks philosophy.

Customer Speak

2009-09-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

Except from the book Culturrific!

People make more bad decisions each day in business with the right intentions. A company decides to improve its service or processes within the company to raise the bar on customer satisfaction and customer service. The mistake they make is when they pass service “laws” in their company that are not from the customer’s point of view. You probably always wanted to learn a second language and now is your chance – the language of Customer Speak.

For example, you may pass an edict that all phones be answered on the first ring. You communicate, train and award this behavior to make it a part of your culture. You expend lots of money and time putting this into place. Why? Because you think it’s a great way to show you care. But what if your customers would be just as happy if the phone were answered on the third ring? How much more money does it cost you to get every phone on the first ring compared to the third? Most likely, you would need extra employees answering the phone. Who pays for this? The customer. This would be like FedEx automatically delivering every package by 10:30 am the next day. They wouldn’t make any big deal about it publicly. They would simply add the cost of this new “customer service” to the price of the delivery. But you are still paying for this service – a service you may not want or need.

Recently, I needed to go to New York. I had a ticket, but wanted to find out about flying standby on an earlier flight. I called American Airline’s 800 number and asked the girl who answered to check on flight 736 for me. She told me it was leaving on time. I said, “But I want to know how many seats are available to know whether I should risk the hour drive to the airport to fly standby.” She replied, “Sir, I cannot give out that information.” This was news to me and to any of you frequents flyers. I have been calling the airlines for years and they have been telling me the “plane is half full” or “there are only three seats left on the plane.” If you are attempting to fly stand by, this is very valuable information. When I explained that every other time I called I got this type of information, she replied, “Sir, this phone call is being monitored and if I don’t do what I am told, then I will get marked down for it and it will cost me money!” She was sincere and honest.

How many times have you heard the recording at the beginning of the hold tape that says, “This call may be monitored for quality control?” I never really paid attention to this before this incident. After sharing my experience with my colleagues, we decided to further investigate. Being in the DFW area, home of American Airlines, this should be fairly easy.

We contacted the corporate offices and were sent on the complimentary “transferred around the company a few times” trip (this is always the case in great service companies, right?). Finally, the right person got on the line and told us exactly what we wanted to hear. “This is part of our continuing efforts to provide superior customer service to our passengers on American.” We then asked the magic question, “Where did you come up with this idea? Did your customers ask for it?” “Uh, no this was a decision by upper management to create a better experience on the phones for our customers.” “Thank you for giving me this service!” we said as we hung up the phone. Here is a classic example of a program gone wrong. How can anyone provide superior service if they are afraid to think and act for themselves? We have laced this book with the theme that you must capture the hearts and heads of your employees if you expect them to perform as a service culture. This method of “checking up on you” says one thing to the employees – “We don’t trust you!” How will you ever capture the hearts and heads of your employees if they do not feel you trust them? Poor American. Their hearts are in the right place. But their wallets aren’t unless they are listening to the Customer Speak.

Everything Speaks

2009-09-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from the book Culturrific!

One of the exercises we do with companies is to have management complete a quick “Value Survey.” We give each manager a piece of paper with 10-12 blocks on it. Within each block is a statement that relates to their business and its service. We give each of the managers a role of pennies and ask them to stack the pennies on the paper across each statement. They are to read each statement and then stack a pile of pennies on top of it. The number of pennies in the stack represents how important they think that particular statement is to the overall scheme of things. The rules are simple. You must use all of the pennies in your roll and you can distribute them any way you want. You can even leave some blocks blank. When they are done, we have them discuss their reasons behind why they stacked their pennies the way they did. The metaphor is simple. The pennies represent value. The more pennies in a stack, the more value that manager placed on that particular aspect.

The important part of the exercise is not which block wins or looses. It’s that every manager’s paper is different! How can we be a Culturrific! service team if the players on that team have differing values?

This is the basis for Everything Speaks. Everything Speaks is much more than sweating the little stuff or paying attention to detail. Attention to detail is very important and it’s not being brushed aside here. We are trying to help you see service from a different angle. When it comes to service and your culture, everything speaks to the customer.

Service Cultures - Part 3

2009-09-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

So the question is, is the service I received at the Michael's store at 3215 Vicksburg Lane Plymouth, MN (yes, bad service will haunt you -especially if the guy has a blog) just an example of that store or is it indicative of a larger cultural problem?

The answer is Yes. The service culture of a store is always a product of the service culture of the company - when it comes to policy and how they handle the policy.

For example, every company, no matter how service-oriented they are, has employees who just suck at times. And the service they deliver misses the mark. But the story we told involved multiple stores and a store manager who was not empowered, encouraged, trained or evaluate on customer care. Its just that simple. The supervisor gave the same answer as the cashier. The store manager gave me the same answer as the supervisor (who I believe was the AM, but since she never introduced herself, I have no idea.)And so on.

This is not representative of a one store issue. These people were too well trained to not provide service for it to be localized to one spot.

Now, we do See quite often in organizations where the further from corporate you get, the less culturally relevant you are. But, to this we say - IT IS CORPORATE'S FAULT!

The leaders of any organization have the sacred responsibility to communicate, nurture and protect their culture. the fact that this incident happened to me is the result of poor corporate culture.

Look, we know it is tough out there in the economy. But this one story has made multiple entries in my blog and is now one of the featured stories in my speaking engagements. I do not think this was Michael's hope.

I do believe that the heart of the people at this company is good and right. (I start every engagement with a company with this thought.) I am not suggesting that the executives are weak, poor or do not know what they are doing. I am simply saying that if you read any of Jim Collins work, he will tell you what this blog has been saying forever - Preserve the culture and you will Preserve the company. Companies that fail are ones that fail to preserve what made them great in the first place.

I wish I could tell you this story was unique, but thankfully for me and my career, it is not. I am sure the people at corporate are reading this now and cringing. this is not the company they worked so hard to build.

But while they are focused on store design and warehouses and inventory control and loss prevention and shareholder meetings - who is minding the culture store?

Everything Speaks - ah, but that is another topic for another day..

Service Cultures - Part 2

2009-08-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

In our last posting, we were telling you the story of our "service" experience in Michael's, a national arts and crafts store chain.

As you know, I was not getting treated with much appreciation as I stood under the Customer Care Center sign in the store.

And, I certainly was not going to stand for this - especially from someone wearing a button that said, We love our customers. "Sorry, sir, this is our policy" as she directed me to the scotch-taped sing on the counter. "No receipt means I have to charge the 20% fee. Its our policy."

I asked to speak to her manager who in turn spoke to the store manager and then the store manager came over and had me explain it all again. The store manager then said to the cashier as if I was not there (in her best curt voice) "just do it for him this time, but only this one time." And then she walked away - no smile, no thank you, nothing.

the moral of this story is simple. Your culture drives your service. I do not care how many buttons you have printed (see "flair" in Office Space) or signs you have posted or marketing slogans you coin and play in cute jingles on XM radio. The service your employees will deliver is based on the culture they live in.

Signs do not make a culture, behaviors and values do. Obviously, in this store, service is valued as policy and nothing more. And here is why.

As I was leaving the store, 2 men carrying briefcases were entering. Aha! Our 26 years in retail told us that people with briefcases are not shoppers. District Manager with his Regional Manager! It has to be! So I returned inside to eavesdrop and then I heard it. The first thing the DM wanted to look at when he got there was their returns history.

No wonder they were so uptight; they knew they were about to get blasted for it. Blasted in the Customer Care Center!

In this case, the culture values what the boss values and the boss values controlling returns and exchanges - NOT making loving on their customers like the buttons said.

Now is this just a case of this one store and not indicative of the whole company? Well, that would be another blog post, now wouldn't it!

Part 3 coming up...

Service Cultures

2009-08-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

The best part about traveling is that you get all kinds of examples and stories to share -ones that are too good, so good that you could not have made them up. they have to be true.

This one involves Micheal's, an arts and crafts store. We were planning an event and were making the centerpieces ourselves so that they would match everything perfectly (See Everything Speaks post.)

the first set of containers we bought did not look good. So we sent someone to get a different version. (A part of this story that made it more frustrating is that we had to go to several stores to get the amount we needed and were never offered to have them gathered for us.) Anyway, when the person got back with the new size containers (which looked great) we realized on the receipt that the cashier only charged us for 1 container and not 8 (which is what we got.)

So, I took the original containers back to Michael's to return them. Now, I went back to the store where we got most of the original ones, not the store where we got mischarged. I explained to the cashier that we had not been charged correctly at the other store and that we actually owed more. She gladly rung up the other 7 containers for me. Then I asked to return the original containers. She looked at the receipt and said, "this is only for 4 of the items."

"Yes," I replied, "we had to go to multiple stores to get them." "Well, I will have to charge you a 20% restocking fee for the 5 from the other stores since you do not have a receipt."

Yes, my jaw dropped like yours. I had just brought to their attention they had lost money on my transaction and that they undercharged me. The amount was about $50. The containers we were returning were actually less then the new ones. (Am I confusing anyone here or are you following that if I had not been honest about the other store it would have been cheaper for me!)

Well, I certainly was not going to stand for this - especially from someone wearing a button that said, We love our customers. "sorry, sir, this is our policy" as she directed me to the scotch-taped sing on the counter. "No receipt means I have to charge the 20% fee. Its our policy."

Tune in next time to see how this story plays out. And keep in mind, its a cultural thing!

Your Culture as Your Brand

2009-06-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

You walk in the front door, and see employees rushing to and fro behind the counter with a look of panic in their eyes. You patiently wait at the counter to place your order, but drive through customers clearly trump all. After a couple minutes, a barista finally acknowledges your existence with an abrupt, "We'll get your order in just a second." You eye the door, weighing the option of a morning without coffee against wasting time being ignored. Just as you point your feet toward the door, the barista requests your order. You rattle off the same order you place every morning, and although she doesn't realize it, you catch her rolling her eyes. Eventually you receive your coffee and head straight out the door.

Starbucks customers don't pay $4.32 for a grande non-fat, two-pump, extra hot, vanilla latte (although it is indeed tasty!); they fork over that ridiculous amount of cash for the complete Starbucks experience. From the time they walk in until the time they leave, coffee-in-hand, customers have certain expectations:

* To be greeted as a regular, even if they aren't
* To feel like their "personalized" order is not obnoxious (even if it is) or an inconvenience to the barista
* To step out of the rush of the day into an oasis (with coffee) for a moment or two of peace and calm
* To hang out with friends or a good book in the neighborhood coffee shop, not a cookie-cutter chain

This experience is driven by their mission statement in action: "When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers- even if just for a few moments. Sure, it starts with the promise of a perfectly made beverage, but our work goes far beyond that. It's really about human connection."

Part of the Starbucks brand is their company culture. When a customer's experience in Starbucks is not aligned with the taste of the culture they have come to expect, disappointment and dissatisfaction abound, regardless of whether or not they received a perfect cup of joe.

What does your company culture convey about your company and its mission to your customers? Would a glimpse of your culture leave them satisfied or disappointed?

Netbooks are a Fad

2009-04-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, I said it. The "experts" are claiming that Netbooks will overtake laptops and replace them as our everyday tool. I saw they are wrong. I think Netbooks have a purpose for now - they fill a void in the space between laptops and smartphones.

But as technology works to close this gap, the need for these devices will diminish. Already, the iPhone can do more than a Netbook. And the future versions will be even better. Cloud computing is in our future, but it is still al ong way off. It will be very hard to get our society to trust a Cloud. We want our devices in our hands.

So, if you are selling all of your stock to invest in netbooks, then don't. You will be sorry. You will be just like GM who said, "lets close all of our SUV factories because no one will want then anymore." False. No one wanted them during the high gas price time, but they will want their big babies when the price goes back to normal.

I am not a futurist, but I wanted to put this in writing and post it for future record. I am not a "told you so" personality, but if I have this blog post, perhaps a year or two from now I can be!

Culture & Self Esteem Part Final

2009-03-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

As people, we have been conditioned or programmed to settle for less. We know that it is extraordinary to suggest for a company be responsible for an employee’s self-esteem, but there you go again buying that couch for your office. We are not supporting that you try to influence or control their self-esteem. We want to make you aware of the undercurrents that are at play in a culture change. When you encounter resistance or reluctance to your new ideas, understand where it is coming from. The source is much deeper than plain stubbornness.

Remember this, with a paycheck; you get the hands and feet of your employees. But you need their hearts and heads to build an organization that is legendary.

In these tough economic times, remember the link between your employee's self esteem and their job. When you have to lay someone off, you are not just impacting them financially, you are impacting them emotionally.

Many companies are trying the tactic of asking employees to take unpaid leave as a way of avoiding layoffs. While this is admirable, the attempt will only work in a culture that has engaged employees who trust and believe in the culture and know that if they make this sacrifice, it will pay back to them. Unfortunately, most companies using this tactic are "copying" others and because of the culture of that organization, this tactic will do measurable harm instead of good.

What is the legacy you are writing in the organization right now? If you left tomorrow, what would the people write in their blogs about working for you, with you and around you? What would you want them to say? You are not here for a paycheck either. You are here for something greater. Perhaps it’s a chance to make history. Perhaps it’s a chance to feed your creative monster inside. Or perhaps it’s to be part of building something that will last long past your tenure.

Cultre & Self Esteem Series Part 3

2009-03-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

People draw the majority of their self-esteem from their job.

Self-esteem is linked to service

If people draw the majority of their self-esteem from their job, then you have a responsibility to build a culture that allows them to do so - a culture of nurturing, praising and accountability. If your people are going to serve the customer the way you want them to, they need to feel good about themselves when they do it.

A few years ago, a company by the name of Performance Group Inc. in Dallas, Texas did a survey of 1,000 people who had just changed jobs. They asked these people to tell them why they left their last position. Guess what the number one answer was?

If you are being honest, you probably said money, as did we at first. But the overwhelming answer was “lack of recognition.” What were these people saying? They were saying they worked in a culture that did not value them and did nothing for their self-esteem, so they left.

Think about yourself. You might be working a position now that pays less than the last one you held. Why did you do this? The same reason these people in the survey did. You want to work for a place that allows you to come home to your family and be proud of what you do and who you do it for.
The person is always more important than the position. Remember that!

This pattern started when you were a little kid. You wanted be an astronaut or a fireman or a ballerina – you wanted to be someone important and what made them important was what they did for a living. Make what your company and its employees do for a living the most important job in the world. There are no small parts, just small actors.

The real resolution is for a person to learn NOT to draw their self-esteem from their job. But this book is not about what you can't control, but what you can! Culture change is an odds game. You must play the odds or percentages sometimes. We put this description in this book to help you understand the basis for many of the things that we suggest. A service culture must be a self-esteem-enhancing machine. Every policy, every award, every process you put into place will be impacted to will impact the self-esteem of your employees.

As you try to capture the hearts and heads of your employees, you will find that the main reason you only get their hands and feet can be traced to the regard they hold of themselves. You have adults who have spent their lives being programmed to settle for less than what they are worth and for less than they can achieve. And more importantly for you, less than what they can deliver!

Culture & Self Esteem Series Part 2

2009-03-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

People draw the majority of their self-esteem from their job.

It’s important to know about this connection for two reasons.

1. It helps you to understand that culture develops on a cycle. When you try to influence your people and your culture by coming into the middle of the cycle, you only make matters worse. You may have a temporary effect, but the patterns are developed already.
2. Studies have shown that people will protect their self-esteem at all costs. This does not mean they will keep a healthy self-esteem. People will put all of their energies into trying not to lose ground or in essence maintaining their current self esteem rather than trying to raise it.

As people, we eventually accept the role we have in life and spend our days rationalizing it and convincing ourselves that this is the way it’s supposed to be. Psychologists call this our comfort zone. The hardest thing to do is push someone out of their comfort zone and get them to perform. But this is exactly what you are doing.

Follow this pattern. If the culture cycle is the development of your culture then it stands to reason that your current culture is somewhat of a comfort zone for your employees. They may moan, gripe and complain about their current work conditions, but these people could get 40 hours pay for 30 hours worked and still find something to complain about. Why? Because that is who they are. This is the regard they hold for themselves. That is what their current state of self-esteem is telling them.

Another example of this is the badge of “busyness.” Employees in the organization try to fill their calendars everyday with meetings to “provide value” to the organization (so they think.) This means that at the end of the day, they have to go home and then do their real work or emails. People in these cultures feel that if there is an empty space on the calendar, then they are doing something wrong.

It gets worse when an organizational culture starts to feed this behavior by regarding it and rewarding it!

So if a person draws the majority of his or her self-esteem from his or her job and their job is really defined by your corporate culture, then their self-esteem is determined and impacted by your culture. As if you weren’t carrying enough weight on your shoulders, we have now added the self-esteem of every employee to the load!

We make this connection to help you understand where the employees are coming from. They will resist you in your efforts. Guarantee it. This helps you understand why.

Point of fact. We are not telling you all of this to make you amateur psychologists. Do not go out and buy a couch to place in your cubicle for your next set of employee one-on-ones! Ultimately, a person is in control of his or her own self-esteem. The culture and the company will definitely impact it, but to what level is still up to the individual.

We have heard many stories about people who work jobs that most of us would consider demeaning, but they have a smile on their face and take such pride in their work. Bill Pollard in The Soul of the Firm describes the majority of his company’s people as being this way. ServiceMaster cleans toilets as a business. But the people who do it, work with pride because they are members of a culture that values them as people and that strives to maintain an environment for their employee’s development of a healthy self-esteem.

These are the types of people you want on your team. They have learned to disconnect who they are from what they do. Unfortunately, you cannot go out and fire everyone and start over. If you could, you would not be reading this brief.

You must understand what you are dealing with when you start to mess with a corporate culture. Those 2nd graders did not learn to devalue someone who picks up garbage from school. They learned it from their peers and family. For many years, the rules mandating; hierarchical structured “ring cultures” have taught us all that there are two types of jobs - menial jobs and important (glamorous) jobs.

By the way, a “ring culture” is one where the company promotes from within and the only way to get to the top is by kissing the ring of the top guys in respect for their making it. If you have this type of culture, we pray for you. Someone who spent 20 years kissing everyone’s ring to get there will not easily give up the pleasure of now being the ring kissee. They will be a big challenge for you. Why? You know the answer. They draw their self-esteem from the amount of kisses they receive.

Culture & Self Esteem Series Part 1

2009-03-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

Based on requests from our readers, we are doing another series on the impact and connecttion between coprorate culture and self-esteem. With the current state of the economy in the US, it just seemed to be the right time...

People draw the majority of their self-esteem from their job.

It’s a fact no matter how hard we try to deny it that as humans we create and base our self-esteem on outside influences. Every great motivational speaker from Napoleon Hill to Og Mandino to Denis Waitley always taught us that we must take control of our self-esteem and what programs it if we are to be successful.

In order to have this discussion, we need a working definition of self-esteem. Our friends at the American Heritage Dictionary define it as ‘confidence.’ With this definition, we are not too impressed with our friends. We find it easier to understand if you deal with each side of the hyphen.

The word esteem when used as a verb (as it is here) means ‘to hold in high regard.’ When we give something esteem, we hold it in high regard and give it great importance. When you put the two together your definition becomes “to hold one’s self in high regard.”

This is certainly easier said than done. Most troubled people are such because on the outside they profess to hold themselves in high regard, but on the inside they know the truth. You probably know a lot of these people. These are people who try to put on an outward display of their positive self-esteem. This effort actually induces more stress on them than if they would just face the truth.

All the psychologists tell us, that our fears and behaviors are learned over time. As a matter of fact, as a baby we are born with just two fears – the fear of heights and the fear of sudden loud noises. How many of us still have just those two fears today?

As people we want to belong to something – a group, a team, a gang. We spend our whole lives trying to fit in. The programming that we receive in life is what shapes who we are. Part of that programming is the impact of your company’s culture. There is a definite connection between what we do for a living and our self-esteem.

The problem is that we learn this connection between our self-esteem and our job very young in life and that it becomes more than a connection to us – it becomes a definition of who we are. This is a very powerful statement, one that needed proof.

We wanted to test this presupposition so we visited a 2nd grade class of children one day to talk about “Career Day.” If you do not have kids of your own or your children have warped your mind so that you cannot remember back that far, these 2nd graders are about eight years old.

Before we had any discussions, we told them we wanted to play a game. We pre-made five signs and tied strings to the top corners so that the signs could be draped around the children’s’ necks. On each of the signs was a job type. We hung one card around each child’s neck and asked them to line up in order of importance. Who did they think was the most important? This person should stand on the left and work their ranking to the right.

The signs read: Doctor, Teacher, Lawyer, Garbage Man, and Farmer

Here is what happened. The two children labeled Doctor and Lawyer started to argue and push a little as to who was most important. They both felt they were the most important and should be first. But the teacher knew that he was not as important as the doctor or lawyer and immediately took his place third in line without saying a word. The farmer, knowing that people who wore ties or dressed up for work were more important, took her place fourth in line. The teacher and the farmer both stood quietly not saying a word. We looked for the garbage man, but he was not in line. Instead, the little boy with the label “Garbage Man” was sitting to the side quietly sobbing.

As the tears ran down his face, I questioned him what was wrong. “Please, mister, I don’t want to be the garbage man! I want to be important!”

If we were looking for proof that a person draws the majority of their self-esteem from his or her job, it was there in the teary eyes of that little boy. We have conducted this experiment other times mixing up the signs. We have tried nurse in place of doctor, factory worker in place of farmer and expanded into third graders. Each time the results were the same. There were always two kids fighting over first, the middle children knew their place and the last place person always cried foul.

Where do we learn this? Television? Role Models? Parents? The answer is D - all the above. The impact all of this media or personal contact has on a child’s life only gets stronger as we grow older. But the purpose of Project LEGACY is not to address this problem with our society. That will be for another mission.

The important part for you to remember is that people draw the majority of their self-esteem from their job. This means the more fulfilling your employees feel their role is in your company or organization, the higher their self-esteem. And we all know the connection between a high self-esteem and work productivity and quality.

Viva Las Vegas

2009-03-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, for those of you who always write me and ask what i am like in person....

Sign of the Times

2009-03-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

So, why is it that most companies spend all of their time telling you what they will not do versus what they will do? Do you ever see a sign when you enter a restaurant that says we happily take any form of payment that works best for you? Nope. We see the hand-written, scotch-taped, yellowed from the sun sign taped the door or on the counter next to the cash register.

As the times get tougher, watch closely. You will see companies spend more money on signs that tell you what they will not do than what they will (or do) do. You will see companies change their return polices to make them more restrictive. You will see the local car wash say, sorry we can no longer accept coupons from our competitors.

Are these the right decisions we should be making right now? Of course not. But the behaviors you see now will be a direct result of the culture they have cultivated throughout the years. Th's is the time when identity and image become apparent. What do I mean by that? Well, remember identity who is you are and image is how others see you. We spend billions on image and alarmingly less on identity.

so when the times get tough, our true identity shows. Stores that say customer service is the number one priority will change their return policy. Companies that say that employees are our most important asset will notify them they have been laid off via email.

Now, we are not trying to be soothsayers or psychics here. We just have spent so many years studying corporate cultures, that we know - when the times get tough, the real culture (identity) comes out. Often times, the culture the company has been trying to hide from the public.

Employees will start to make decisions not based on service, but based on expense control. And no email or memo will keep it from happening. Why? Because of the culture cycle. (to learn more about that you have to hire us) But suffice it to say, that to truly change your corporate culture, it requires commitment and effort at the right points of contact. But that is for another posting.

For now, watch for the "signs" and see if we are right!

The Retail Sales Bible

2009-02-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, so today's post is self-serving, I admit. But we are excited that the day is fast approaching for the release of our next book - The Retail Sales Bible. This book is co-authored with a retail great, Rick Segal, who has published several books already including Retail for Dummies. It has long been my desire to take the basic concepts of the retail sales model I have worked with over the last 26 years and put it into a book.

If you are in retail, you know how complicated people can make the sales process. Too many times, people try and bring B2B models into retail. Rick and I both have a retail background, in fact, I am still in retail with a footwear business. (But that is another post) This has been an interesting project because I play the role of the book smart guy and Rick plays the part of the street smarts guy. Together, we form one very large smart guy. (Maybe I should say wise guy!)

In this book, we will introduce you to some sales techniques that have have been proven to work time and time again in building lasting relationships - which is the purpose of selling anyway! Most sales books are about "closing the deal." This one is about "making a customer for life."

If you are interested in being one of the first to receive this book, simply email me and I will make sure you are on the list for an autographed first edition.

I would also like to highlight a service we are both involved in called The Retailer's Advantage. This online community features advice and tips for retailers and is a terrific resource - especially for the independent. Check it out. You will find us on there as well.

Okay enough selling, back to culture and design....

Culture Sells

2009-02-21T12:27:00.000-08:00

Our last post featured a video interview with a friend of mine, Tony Hsieh of Zappos.com. This is a name and company you will start to hear a lot about. They passed over the magic $1B threshold in sales.

But that is not why you should pay attention to them. In all our years of work, we have rarely seen companies take the principles of corporate culture and drive them as well as Tony does.

I first met Tony back in 1999, their first year in business. We spoke many times about how to sell shoes online. My advice to Tony then is the same to you today - do not try to sell online, try to be online. Okay confusing yes, But let me explain. If Zappos wanted to be successful at selling shoes online, they needed to take the experience of buying shoes in a upscale, independent shoe store - not some department store who has forgotten the true art of fit and service.

My example was Barnes and Noble. Amazon.com was first to the web with books right? Well, Barnes and Noble wanted to compete so they put up their own website. Only who is still the best at book sales? Amazon.com - the one who does not even own a book store. Simply put, they missed the most important rule - the one I shared above.

If Barnes and Noble had focused on bringing their store experience online instead of processing sales of books, then, I believe it would be a different story today. You know what I mean. The warm embrace of the store when you enter. the escape from the outside world you get when lounging in a chair in the back corner reading. Imagine if they had brought this online?

But the lesson for today is this - your culture is your culture. When you try to be something you are not, you will FAIL! People who interact with you in a store, need to get the same vibe and experience from you online. Otherwise, you are not only schizophrenic, but your employees start to lose focus on the true you - and your culture suffers.

That's how it happens. Slowly, over time. And then its gone.

Corporate Culture at Zappos.com

2009-02-17T16:14:00.000-08:00

Here what our friend Tony Hsieh has to say about corporate culture.

Experience is the best teacher

2009-02-14T14:09:00.000-08:00

It will never cease to maze me the number of people who worry about and fret over customer satisfaction int heir business. Do you know that a satisfied customer is simply one whom you have met their expectations? Did you also know that studies have shown that if you meet their expectations (i.e. have a satisfied customer) that they are only likely to come again and do business with you 50% of the time!

Hello! why do we care about customer satisfaction? What we need to be worried about is the customer experience. There is a huge difference. Why? simple. Even if you have the best policies int he world and the best prices and the best this and the best that, it is still dependant on people to deliver on those programs.

Walt Disney said it best, "You can dream, design, create and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires to people to make that dream a reality." Truer words have never been spoken.

When we spend time with a company its about how to improve the "experience" of the customer (or employee depending on the case) when interacting or doing business with the business. And what is the determinant of that? You guessed it - the corporate culture of the organization.

We need to build organisations that are more concerned with experiences than they are with numbers on a survey. If you have a strong corporate culture with the values of delivering remarkable experiences woven into the fabric of your culture, then you have a chance. But if you are like 90% of organizations our there who do not.... well then we thank you. You provide us job security.

Provide an experience and you will win. Just say that word over in your head and then let the thought sink in. Have you ever been satisfied at retail for example without an experience? Of course. All the time. But are you loyal to that place? no way. They have to exceed your expectations before you become loyal. and they exceed them by providing an experience.

Microsoft is in the planning stages of opening stores. They need to do this to push back against Apple. However, will they open a retail store or an experience store? Or will they open a retail store and call it an experience store like AT&T only its just an experience store in name only. My guess is Microsoft will be more like AT&T than Apple. But that's just me.

Did you know?

2009-02-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks to those who put this on You Tube. Thought it would be a great entry to our blog.

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Harvard Business School Working Knowledge: 10 Reasons to Design a Better Corporate Culture

2009-02-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

Q&A with: James Heskett and W. Earl Sasser

Every now and then, we find a great article and want to pass it along. This is from HBR.

Organizations with strong, adaptive cultures enjoy labor cost advantages, great employee and customer loyalty, and a smoother on-ramp in leadership succession. A book excerpt from The Ownership Quotient: Putting the Service Profit Chain to Work for Unbeatable Competitive Advantage by HBS professors Jim Heskett and W. Earl Sasser and coauthor Joe Wheeler. Key concepts include:

* Organizations with clearly codified cultures often become better places to work.
* An operating strategy based on a sturdy, effective culture is selective of prospective customers.
* High-performing organizations periodically revisit and reaffirm their core values and associated behaviors.

Organizations with strong, adaptive cultures enjoy labor cost advantages, great employee and customer loyalty, and a smoother on-ramp in leadership succession.

Editor's Note: Why is it that many of the same companies appear repeatedly on lists of the best places to work, the best providers of customer service, and the most profitable in their industries? In their new book, The Ownership Quotient, HBS professors Jim Heskett and Earl Sasser and coauthor Joe Wheeler assert the answer lies in recognizing that strong, adaptive cultures can foster innovation, productivity, and a sense of ownership among employees and customers. They also outlast any individual charismatic leader.

But how can you as a manager create and nurture that special culture? In the following excerpt, the authors outline the top 10 lessons of the best practitioners, from ING Direct to Build-A-Bear Workshop to Harrah's Entertainment.

We can learn a great deal from organizations whose strong and adaptive ownership cultures give them a powerful competitive edge. Here are our top 10 lessons.

1. Leadership is critical in codifying and maintaining an organizational purpose, values, and vision. Leaders must set the example by living the elements of culture: values, behaviors, measures, and actions. Values are meaningless without the other elements.

2. Like anything worthwhile, culture is something in which you invest. An organization's norms and values aren't formed through speeches but through actions and team learning. Strong cultures have teeth. They are much more than slogans and empty promises. Some organizations choose to part ways with those who do not manage according to the values and behaviors that other employees embrace. Others accomplish the same objective more positively. At Baptist Health Care, for example, managers constantly reinforce the culture by recognizing those whose actions exemplify its values, its behaviors, and its standards. Team successes are cause for frequent celebrations. In addition, BHC rewards individual accomplishments through such things as "WOW (Workers becoming Owners and Winners) Super Service Certificates," appreciation cards for 90-day employees that list their contributions to their team, one-year appreciation awards, multiyear service awards, employee of the month awards, and recognition of workers as "Champions" or "Legends" for extraordinary achievements or service. Managers at all levels offer frequent informal recognition and send handwritten thank-you notes (which stand out in the age of e-mail). Those who aren't living up to BHC's values soon get the point.

3. Employees at all levels in an organization notice and validate the elements of culture. As owners, they judge every management decision to hire, reward, promote, and fire colleagues. Their reactions often come through in comments about subjects such as the "fairness of my boss." The underlying theme in such conversations, though, is the strength and appropriateness of the organization's culture.

4. Organizations with clearly codified cultures enjoy labor cost advantages for the following reasons:

-- They often become better places to work.
-- They become well known among prospective employees.
-- The level of ownership—referral rates and ideas for improving the business of existing employees—is often high.
-- The screening process is simplified, because employees tend to refer acquaintances who behave like them.
-- The pool of prospective employees grows.
-- The cost of selecting among many applicants is offset by cost savings as prospective employees sort themselves into and out of consideration for jobs.
-- This self-selection process reduces the number of mismatches among new hires.

5. Organizations with clearly codified and enforced cultures enjoy great employee and customer loyalty, in large part because they are effective in either altering ineffective behaviors or disengaging from values-challenged employees in a timely manner.

6. An operating strategy based on a strong, effective culture is selective of prospective customers. It also requires the periodic "firing" of customers, as pointed out in our examples of companies like ING Direct, where thousands are fired every month. This strategy is especially important when customers "abuse" employees or make unreasonable demands on them.

7. The result of all this is "the best serving the best," or as Ritz-Carlton's mission states, "Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen."

8. This self-reinforcing source of operating leverage must be managed carefully to make sure that it does not result in the development of dogmatic cults with little capacity for change. High-performing organizations periodically revisit and reaffirm their core values and associated behaviors. Further, they often subscribe to some kind of initiative that requires constant benchmarking and searching for best practices both inside and outside the organization. For example, at Baptist Health Care, all employees are expected and encouraged "to search until they find 'the best of the best' in their area of expertise and benchmark against them (and possibly emulate them)." 1

9. Organizations with strong and adaptive cultures foster effective succession in the leadership ranks. In large part, the culture both prepares successors and eases the transition.

10. Cultures can sour. Among the reasons for this are success itself, the loss of curiosity and interest in change, the triumph of culture over performance, the failure of leaders to reinforce desired behaviors, the breakdown of consistent communication, and leaders who are overcome by their own sense of importance.

We have learned repeatedly that there is a pattern in the actions and activities involved in developing strong and adaptive ownership cultures. When an organization consistently builds and reinforces such a culture, it creates a competitive edge that is hard to replicate.

Corporate Culture in a down economy

2009-02-02T15:05:00.000-08:00

okay, so we are not supposed to use the recession word, but it my father always had a saying, "it is what it is." So the question I just got asked today was, "can a high performing culture help a company maintain during the tough economic times?"

Simple answer - YES!!!! In fact, Tom Peters and Jim Collins have made millions of the study of this very topic. Built to Last (one of my favorite books and one I recommend everyone who reads this blog pick up) surveyed the companies that were able to handle tough situations including wars and economic depressions. Overwhelmingly, they found that the companies who had strong cultures rooted in solid values were able to stand the test of time. It was the weak cultures who practiced the "program of the month" mentality of business that failed.

Many times, we have shared in this blog that a solid culture will sustain. Why? Because people within that culture do not act on their own gut or instinct; they act on the unified "gut" of the culture which is based in years of history and steeped in a rich tradition of contemplative decision-making.

Its hard not to be reactive. I find myself fighting that battle all the time. And if your corporate culture is the collective values of its people, then you can only imagine why this is so hard. but today, I see too many people making decisions not based on the cultural value system, but on what they see their contemporaries doing. A CFO sees that a company has frozen all travel, so they think this must be good CFO practice, so they do the same in their company. However, their company culture is based face to face contact. And now the entire sales force does not know how to react because they know the new policy is in violation of their culture.

Here is the rub. It only takes one decision like this made outside of the culture to start the ball rolling. And before you know it, the people start to revolt and the company starts to unravel. What's the moral of the story for today? Never, never, never make decisions outside of your culture. You may save a little today, but ti will cost more in the end.

autonomy

2009-01-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

Autonomy is defined as the right to self-govern. It connotes an atmosphere of independence and freedom to create the rules and build a new structure. This process works, but at what cost?

There is a phenomenon in nature similar to this situation. Whenever you fire a gun into a field full of birds, the birds fly wildly out of the field in many different directions. The mass chaos seems to be coordinated because interestingly enough, none of the birds ever run into each other. But do the birds avoid crashing into one another because of their care for each other and the good of the team, or is it out of a desire to protect themselves and do what is best for the individual?

As we study corporate culture, we cannot help but study the behaviors of animals like described above. We often hear employees tell us they wish their companies gave them more autonomy. so we have to study this word and see if it has a positive impact on their culture or a negative one.

Guess what we found - People have to want to be autonomous! Managers have to want their people to be autonomous! We rarely find this to be the case. What we do find is the Executives want autonomy. so they put out the edict and declare their company autonomous. But, as we know from reading this blog, the cycle of culture development will seen eat this edict for lunch and it will be relegated to the hall of "programs of the month."

Optimism

2009-01-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

There was an older gentlemen taking his daily walk through the park when he happened by the little league field when he decided to stop and see some of the action. He took a position standing behind the dugout of one of the teams - the Red Sox. He noticed that the game was already in full swing and scanned the dugout of the Red Sox team. He noticed that they were a little quiet and down, except for one little boy near him who was cheering and spurring his team on. He looked to the scoreboard and saw the score. He was surprised to see that the Red Sox were down 20 to nothing. Well, that explained the dugout of Red Sox players, but what was the story with this happy one? He asked the boy how it was going. “Well, the boy said, this team is pretty tough, but I think we got a chance!” The old man was surprised by the boy’s response considering the lopsided score. Got a chance, thought the man to himself, how could this little boy say that? Wasn’t he looking at the score board? He decided to probe further into the enthusiasm of the little ball player. “I must say, you seem to be in pretty good spirits,” the man said. “You bet!” said the boy. “But how can you be so excited with the score so bad?” asked the confused and doubting gentlemen. “Heck, said the little boy, we haven’t even been up to bat yet!”

Don't you wish your corporate culture had this type of optimism? When we are working with companies on Emotional Intelligence (EQ) we often times talk about the difference between attitude and optimism. As we all know, you cannot hire or fire someone based on their attitude. But you can predict their behavior based on their EQ. Got you thinking? Check out our penumbra.com site for more.

Believing is Seeing

2009-01-23T07:57:00.000-08:00

Vision

2009-01-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

Corporate Culture and Advertising

2009-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Recently, we created an experience for a client at a trade show. What was illuminating about this project was the study of the other booths at this show. It never ceases to amaze me how much money people spend on advertising and branding their company. After years of following this phenomenon and walking the thousands of trade show booths, it has become very apparent.

There is a direct correlation between corporate culture and ad spend.

The biggest issue companies face is not that their product does not live up to expectations, its the experience with the company that falls short. Take Apple for example. their out-of-the-box experience on a new product is tremendous. And their technology is way cool. However, their biggest Achilles heel is their culture at retail. Too many people who look down on you or lack patience with you when you do not understand. And let's face it, it is not the difficulties of Vista that confuse us - its any OS on any computer. The Baby Boomers especially are just trying to catch up.

So the arrogant air about many of the Apple employees is turning people off from the brand. "Ah, but you say, they are doing wonderfully well in this economy. Doesn't that disprove your point?" Not in the slightest. It might if there was not an Apple commercial every time I turn on the TV. In the early days of Apple, they did not rely on TV and advertising to sell their product. But today, they are - to compensate for their culture.

Think about it before you pass judgment on this entry....

Holiday Cheer

2009-01-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

In the book Raving Fans, one of the lessons Charlie would want us all to know is about the service we can provide each other this Holiday Season. We all need support. We all need each other. Don’t forget to smile at your work family the way you do your customer. There is an old story about two friends walking in the sand their feet leaving impressions in the sand as they go. Then one day, the men were discussing the past and they turned to look at the footprints in the sand. One of the men noticed that during one of the critical times in his life when he needed the support of his friend the most, there was only one set of footprints - his. “See how you deserted me during those times,” he exclaimed. “I needed you and you weren’t there!” “Oh yes, I was there,” the other friend replied, “you see during that time, I was carrying you!” Wow! What a powerful story about support and friendship and family. Take some time today to thank those people around you who have been supporting you - even when you didn’t know it like the man in our story. And then, take some time to provide support and service to someone else. During this hectic time of the year, stop and think about the people of your culture and remember what they mean to you. Be a Raving Fan provider to your peers, your boss and yourself. We wish all of you and your families (both of them) the very best this season! Thanks for all that you do! Thanks for being you!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

Well, its that time of year when we all stop for a few hours and set aside our laptops and turn the ringers off of our cell phones to celebrate our families and our faith. Regardless of your faith, we wish you all a very joyous holiday season. And a very prosperous new year with your families and your business.

So, in the spirit of following my own blog, this will be the last post for 2008.

Thanks for reading and supporting us in 2008. We look forward to 2009!

Culture & Self Esteem Part 2

2008-12-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

If people draw the majority of their self-esteem from their job, then you have a responsibility to build a culture that allows them to do so—a culture of nurturing, praising and accountability. If your people are going to serve the customer the way you want them to, they need to feel good about themselves when they do it.

A few years ago, a company by the name of Performance Group Inc. in Dallas, Texas did a survey of 1,000 people who had just changed jobs. They asked these people to tell them why they left their last position. Guess what the number one answer was?

If you are being honest, you probably said money, as did we at first. But the overwhelming answer was “lack of recognition.” What were these people saying? They were saying they worked in a culture that did not value them and did nothing for their self-esteem, so they left.

Think about yourself. You might be working a position now that pays less than the last one you held. Why did you do this? The same reason these people in the survey did. You want to work for a place that allows you to come home to your family and be proud of what you do and who you do it for.

The person is always more important than the position. Remember that!

This pattern started when you were a little kid. You wanted be an astronaut or a fireman or a ballerina – you wanted to be someone important and what made them important was what they did for a living. Make what your company and its employees do for a living the most important job in the world. There are no small parts, just small actors.

The real resolution is for a person to learn NOT to draw their self-esteem from their job. Culture change is an odds game. You must play the odds or percentages sometimes. We talk abut this to help you understand the basis for many of the things that we suggest. A service culture must be a self-esteem-enhancing machine. Every policy, every award, every process you put into place will impact the self-esteem of your employees.

As you try to capture the hearts and heads of your employees, you will find that the main reason you only get their hands and feet can be traced to the regard they hold of themselves. You have adults who have spent their lives being programmed to settle for less than what they are worth and for less than they can achieve. And more importantly for you, less than what they can deliver!

Nametags! We Don't Need No Stinking Nametags! Part Deux

2008-12-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

Let’s analyze the nametag situation from our last entry. What message did the nametags send to the employees? We are different. What message did changing the nametags send to the employees? We are only different if the employees say so. Now, the employees of this company will not take anything else seriously. And why should they? All they have to do is complain and they will get their way. But the ones complaining are the vocal third that will complain no matter what you do!

Never let the resistant third decide your culture.

The truth is up until now; this resistant third probably has been running your culture. These are the first steps you are taking to take control of the culture. They are not going to want to give up that control so easily.

What we will say about the conference center management staff in this story is that they had their heart in the right place. Management was trying to be empathetic to the voices of its employees. This is not something tried by most companies, so we will give them credit for that. The mistake they made was who they were trying to be empathetic towards – the resisters. This is the wrong third to cater to. Remember in the “Casting” chapter, what did we say to do with someone who does not like the new plan? Either recast them in another role where they will be more comfortable or move them on. The saddest part to this story is that the most vocal opponent to the nametag quit five days later anyway. If the conference center would have stuck to its plan…

Be open to resistance. Do not form the secret “culture police” whose job it is to find the resisters and convert them with any means possible or snuff them out. Let everyone know that they are entitled to their opinion and you are happy and willing to listen. Keeping it out in the open like this actually diffuses a lot of the resistance.

For the resistors, speed is their worst enemy. As we stated earlier, SPEED, SPEED, SPEED. (You see there is a reason we use a bus as our analogy many times!) Actually, resisters are not trying to slow you down to mess you up; they are trying to slow you down to give themselves time to formulate a plan. If you slow the pace of change, then they are winning. The slower the change rate, the more dangerous it is for you. Keep the pace up to a speed that only allows the resistors to play catch up. When you achieve this, their impact will be minimal. This will keep them off balance and destroy the resister’s campaign.

The most important thing we can leave you with is this – You must get to the heart of your culture to change it. It is very easy to get a culture to change its mind (as we saw with the nametag story); but, it is very hard to get it to change its heart. Your employees will always take the path of least resistance for themselves. It will be some time before they will take on this new vision as their own.

Nametags! We Don't Need No Stinking Nametags!

2008-12-01T07:21:00.000-08:00

Whatever you do, do not give in to resistance! Many times companies invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to change their culture, but they change their plan so many times that by the time they hit the finish line, it has moved two miles away. And suddenly, guess what? You are now ready for another culture change!

When we were helping a conference center put in a service culture, one of the ideas was to change the nametags of everyone to include their nicknames. We briefly mentioned this example in the “Casting” chapter.

In the travel industry, it is very common to place your hometown on the bottom of your nametag or the number of years you have been with the hotel. If you travel at all, you have seen this many times. This company wanted to do something really unique with this idea by adding the employee’s nickname on their nametag.

Two months after the nametags were passed out (in a very nice ceremony, we might add), there were two cast members that became very vocal about the nametags. So management decided to hold a meeting and vote on the nametags.

Before we go any further, some background that you need here is the response from the customer to the new nametags. It was wonderful. When a letter was sent in praising employees, the customer always mentioned them by his or her nickname instead of their real name. One manager told the story of running into someone at a convention and that person was not sure what her real name was, but he sure remembered “Sweet Pea”—her nickname! So the idea was working wonderfully. The problem was that there were a few “vocalizers” who personally did not care for the new nametag.

The vote caused confusion among the employees. It divided them. Obviously, the resistant third voted against them, the supportive third were all for them, but the third on the fence were afraid where to put their support. The result, management changed back to the old nametags. The damage? The people started commenting to us (including one of the customers) how different thing were since they took the new nametags away. The regular customers had noticed a positive difference in the service of the conference center employees since their last visit.

The nametags were a visible sign of the new culture. Everyday, each person was reminded that they were supposed to think and act differently now. Unfortunately, with this reneging of the plan, this company has set its culture change back by six months. “Come on. All this over a nametag?” you say. “I don’t know about that!” Well, it’s true.

tune in next time to see how we analyzed this situation...

A Culture the Sells

2008-11-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

Recently, we did some focus groups for a client and one of the comparisons we drew was home improvement stores. We asked the participants what was the favorite home improvement store ans why.

The big winner was Home Depot (sorry Lowes.) When we asked why Home Depot was the favorite, the respondents said "because they offer those free how-to clinics." Makes sense. People want to feel empowered, right?

Well, after the first couple of sessions of hearing this recurring theme (even when they picked Lowe's the how-to clinics was still the main reason) we decided to ask a very thought provoking question. "How many of you attend these how-to clinics?" Guess what kind of response we got?

NONE! In all of the focus groups we did, only 1 person actually had taken advantage of these clinics.

Now, the operational reader would say, "we need to cut those how-to clinics. We are not getting much attendance and the payroll is costly." The cultural reader would say, "aha, see the power of a culture at work."

We have long said that the best companies let their corporate culture show. Because Home Depot wants their product to be "advice" they promote it internally and externally by offering a program of how-to clininci. And this program feeds the advice part of the culture and that feeds the minds of the employees and that translates into behavior and that translates in customer perception of your organization.

the next time you are in a strategic planning session at your organization, think about this; wwcd. That's right, what would our culture do? If you are trying to develop a culture of service, then that means you cannot cut your expenses or drive efficiencies to profitability - you must drive service.

Start strategic thinking instead of strategic planning. And start thinking about your culture and not your operational effectiveness.

Deception

2008-11-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite TV shows is Survivor. It is a true laboratory of cultural undercurrents that drive decisions and alliances in a vacuum. If you are not familiar with the show, the concept is to outwit, outlast and outlplay the other people stranded on the island with you.

As the game unfolds, what appears to be people sharing common values and beliefs, but ironically what value they do share is deception. The game is supposed to be based on trust, but trust is the one thing that is missing.

Each week, players show faces and say things that communicate they are with you and "aligned" with your plan. But at "tribal council" we find out that everyone was lying the whole time. And the true irony of this game is that the "winner" (who gets $1M) is the one who can fool everyone into believing they are trustworthy.

We have said many, many times that the true "face" of your corporate culture really lies beneath the surface. The people who will do the most damage to your culture can often times be the ones that are causing the most damage. They play the game in your presence, but tear it down in your absence.

Unfortunately, most companies only do reviews once a year; so whatever damage has been done is not managed as it happens. The message today? Deception. The one thing that brings down more cultures or kills culture change initiatives is deception.

I'm often amused by sales companies who believe everything their salespeople are telling them. They are salespeople. Its what they do - sell! They tell us they get and are going in the new direction with us. They are great at convincing people. they are great a garnering trust.

But always remember, learning is a change in behavior. Listen to their actions and behaviors, no their "pitch." Don't let the art of deception bring you down.

Employee-centered Service

2008-11-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

I once bought an air pump at a Target store in Fort Worth, Texas. Now, remember we like Target, but this story will show that even the good ones can make mistakes.

Anyway, the air pump I got was the super-deluxe-blow-the-tire-of-a-monster-truck-up-in-four-seconds-version with color racing stripes on the side. A real man’s air pump if you know what I mean. This pump was amazing. It could do everything…except pump up my basketball, which is why I bought it in the first place! So I had to return it.

When I arrived at the Target store, I took my place in the line at the “Guest Services” counter. (Everything Speaks in action.) The gentleman in front of me was returning a defective videotape he had purchased three days prior. He had his receipt so it should be no big deal right? One would think so.

There were two girls working behind the counter and when the man in front of me placed the video on the counter the girl looked at it and said “Oh, great! One of these!” holding it up to show her partner. “I hate the way we have to do these now. Do you know where that new log book is?” she asked her friend. “Not me” the friend answered, “look in the back.” The girl went to the back and like your favorite Warner Brother’s cartoon, a loud series of bangs ensued. Emerging from the back, the girl held up her trophy, the elusive log book, used to process returns of videotapes.

During this process, the gentleman in front of me did what we all have done before. He turned to the line behind him and apologized like it was his fault! Have you ever done this? The girl continued her disapproving comments to her fellow team member (another Target culture vocabulary word) while she processed the man’s return. People behind me started to switch lines. They didn’t want to be responsible for messing up this girl’s day. No way!

Imagine how this customer, excuse me, guest felt. Imagine how the Target team member felt as she was processing it. Imagine how the other guests in line, like me, felt. What do you think the impact was on the business? Exactly. In all likelihood, that Target team member cost her team money and future business that day. We know that it cost Target the gentleman with the video’s business. He expressed this to everyone in line after he got his return processed.

Now this is not an indictment of Target. Target has been very successful at achieving change to a service culture (without our help we might add), but today was not their day.

Let’s examine this incident. The new process for returns was probably a wise decision for the business because it kept the cost of the return down which in turn kept the cost of the newer goods down. (Target does not have to inflate pricing to recoup lost income.) Okay, so we passed one question. Obviously, this was a good policy for the guest or customer because they receive the benefits of lower costs and, with Target giving 5% of their profit back to the communities they serve, the customer benefit is even greater. So, we pass question two. But what about question three? How does it impact the employee? Here is where Target got bit.

Somewhere in the implementation of this new process, Target forgot to consider what the implication would be on the employee who had to carry out this new procedure. This is where we see many companies trip up. They fail to recognize the impact their decisions have on the employee.

If you are customer centered, then you better think about who services your customer as much as you think about the customer!

Here was an example of a policy designed to help the customer that backfired. It failed to consider the service provider. Your best service is only as good as your best service provider. One little known fact is that Disney spends more money on litigation each year than any other company. Who would want to sue Mickey Mouse?

Culture Change - The Opening Move

2008-11-17T07:18:00.000-08:00

At times, culture change has been likened to a chess game. Your opening move sets up your whole strategy and says a lot about how well you will do. The bottom line is how you launch your culture change is critical. Here are some rules to remember when planning your opening move:

1. Make it an event. Give employees plenty of notice that something new and wonderful is coming. Do not give them too much detail ahead of time. This is like the marketing we talked about in the “Creating Your Corporate University”. Tease the event, but most importantly, make it an event. Hype it up and get them excited for the day.

2. Theme the event. All great team efforts had a rallying cry or slogan. The most important part of your advertising campaign for your company is your tag line. Why? Because it constantly reinforces who you are and what you sell.

3. Put something tangible in their hands day one. This is a very common mistake companies make. They hold tremendous pep rallies with all the pyrotechnics and live music, but do nothing more than give speeches about the future. This event must be different from anything else they have experienced before if you want it to succeed. When Bell Atlantic started its drive to culture change, they created a set of values for its new service culture called the “Bell Atlantic Way.” This was printed on a card and given to every employee along with the pomp and circumstance.

4. Do not expect ANY changes from your event launch. Wouldn’t you be skeptical if you were your employees? It will take time to program your service culture. Prepare for this in advance. Do not be discouraged if two days after your launch everything seems back to normal. It should be. Two months after the launch, well that’s another story.

5. Have a plan for your next five moves already in place before you launch. Many companies launch well, but they get caught up in the day-to-day activities and start to let the culture change initiative slow. Prepare in advance, the first five moves you will make, including your culture training classes; your restructuring of positions if necessary; your vocabulary change; any signage that needs to change; and your training program to communicate your product, vision, mission, and service formula. (Do not try to do the latter all in one class!)

6. MAKE SURE PEOPLE/HUMAN RESOURCES IS INVOLVED! We cannot stress this part enough. The laws of today’s land favor the employee, even in the so called “at will” employment states. When you make the decision to cut someone from the team, make sure you do it following the proper processes. The cuts are not immediate in all cases (although your decision to cut the person is immediate). Make sure you have all of your documentation in place and all of your bases covered. The last thing you need is a wrongful termination lawsuit! The distraction alone will cost you the culture change – not to mention the financial hardship when you lose. By involving your People/Human Resources (Casting) team, you get a partner to make sure that you cover all of your bases. They know the laws and, better yet, they know what will really happen regardless of the law. Use them, but do NOT let them scare you off your path. Always focus on BEHAVIOR and you’ll be fine.

7. SPEED. SPEED. SPEED. Gradual change may seem like the right way to go, but trust us, you will lose. Keep your pace up and rolling and do not let the negative third derail you, as they will try. Never let the bus drop below 55mph!

Culture & Self Esteem

2008-11-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

People draw the majority of their self-esteem from their job.

It’s a fact, no matter how hard we try to deny it, that as humans we create and base our self-esteem on outside influences. Every great motivational speaker from Napoleon Hill to Og Mandino to Denis Waitley taught us that we must take control of our self-esteem and what programs it if we are to be successful.

In order to have this discussion, we need a working definition of self-esteem. Our friends at the American Heritage Dictionary define it as ‘confidence.’ With this definition, we are not too impressed with our friends. We find it easier to understand if you deal with each side of the hyphen.

The word esteem, when used as a verb (as it is here), means ‘to hold in high regard.’ When we give something esteem, we hold it in high regard and give it great importance. When you put the two together your definition becomes “to hold one’s self in high regard.”

This is certainly easier said than done. Most troubled people are such because on the outside they profess to hold themselves in high regard, but on the inside they know the truth. You probably know a lot of these people. These are people who try to put on an outward display of their positive self-esteem. This effort actually induces more stress on them than if they would just face the truth.

As people we want to belong to something – a group, a team, a gang. We spend our whole lives trying to fit in. The programming we receive in life is what shapes who we are. Part of that programming is the impact of your company’s culture. There is a definite connection between what we do for a living and our self-esteem.

The problem is that we learn this connection between our self-esteem and our job very young in life and it becomes more than a connection to us – it becomes a definition of who we are. The important part for you to remember is that people draw the majority of their self-esteem from their job. This means the more fulfilling your employees feel their role is in your company, the higher their self-esteem. And we all know the connection between a high self-esteem and work productivity and quality.

It’s important to know about this connection for two reasons.

1. It helps you to understand why the culture cycle is so important. When you try to influence your people and your culture by coming into the middle of the culture cycle, you only make matters worse. You may have a temporary effect, but the patterns are developed already.

2. Studies have shown that people will protect their self-esteem at all costs. This does not mean they will keep a healthy self-esteem. People will put all of their energies into trying not to lose ground or, in essence, maintaining their current self-esteem rather than trying to raise it.

As people, we eventually accept the role we have in life and spend our days rationalizing it and convincing ourselves that this is the way life’s supposed to be. Psychologists call this our comfort zone. The hardest thing to do is push someone out of their comfort zone and get them to raise their performance. But this is exactly what you are doing. So if a person draws the majority of his or her self-esteem from his or her job and their job is really defined by your corporate culture, then their self-esteem is determined and impacted by your culture. As if you weren’t carrying enough weight on your shoulders, we have now added the self-esteem of every employee to the load!

We make this connection to help you understand where the employees are coming from. They will resist you in your efforts. Guarantee it. This helps you understand why.

Culture Casualties Part 2

2008-11-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

In this blog, we have discussed self-esteem and culture earlier. Is it any wonder we can predict the rule of thirds? The third who support you are the ones who have already separated who they are from what they do. That is why they can so easily support you. The third who rides the fence is just waiting to see who wins. Why go to all of the effort if it’s all for naught? The resisting third is your outwardly vocal group. You must prepare for them. They will bolster together and try to gather support at lunch, coffee and smoke-break times. It will be informal. We have not witnessed a revolt or civil uprising from a culture change, so don’t worry. But this final third will be very frustrating for you.

The two-thirds who are not fully supporting you, can you blame them? Have you introduced new policies or programs in the past only to backtrack and remove or rescind them? You know the answer is yes, so don’t try to deny it. With this being the case, there is some merit to the case of the fence riders and the outright resisters. There is a chance you will change your mind. They need to know up front the difference between a culture change and introducing new parking procedures.

What we can tell you is that there are two basic approaches to changing your culture: one is the sneaky way and one is the brass band way. We prefer the brass band way. The sneaky way is when management tries to slip in bits of culture change little by little. This little-by-little approach is so subtle that it rarely has any impact on the culture cycle.

You are looking for dramatic change within your organization. You have arrived at this decision based on careful analysis and study. You have also decided that this change is necessary if you are to survive. So why delay it or try to soften the blow to your company? You need it.

The best approach is the dramatic, big show method. It is sort of like setting a bomb off in the middle of your company and then rebuilding the pieces. When you use this method, you are trying to capture everyone’s attention immediately. You want them to know that you are serious, this is not another fruit-of-the-month club program, and that you expect results.

Next time, we will discuss the key "opening moves" in culture change.

What is the Casualty Rate in Culture Change?

2008-11-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

What is the Casualty Rate?

At this point I would like to say, “Here are the statistics on how many people you will lose.” Unfortunately, that is not possible. There are no lines on exit interviews that ask, “Did you leave because of the culture?”—although there should be. We have no way of accounting for the reason people leave, and for the most part, people will not tell you the honest truth anyway. Remember, people draw the majority of their self-esteem from their jobs. They will fight and protect this to the death.

There are a few things we can tell you, though, to help.

1. Culture change follows the rule of thirds. A third of your people will follow you with excitement and support the change, a third will resist it and a third will ride the fence to see who is winning and then make their decision.

2. No matter what size the company, the amount of resistance and the splits will be the same. We have studied companies with 200,000 employees to the 25,000-employee size and some with less than 100. In all cases the distribution of reaction was the same. (Our hypothesis was that the smaller the company the easier it would be to change the culture. That idea was wrong and also number three on our list.)

3. No matter what the size of your company, the culture change will be hard. Granted, the number of “converts” you have to make to your new service culture has a direct impact on the effort of the change, but it really does not affect the difficulty of the change. Problems will surface quicker in the smaller company, but the employee will stay longer and be more challenging. We tend to find the willingness to let someone go who does not fit the culture to be almost non-existent in the smaller companies. After all, you have been working with this person for quite some time and there is more of a family atmosphere in your company. How can you tell your “brother” that you have to let him go because he does not fit the new service culture? Tough!

Remember, there is something worse than an employee who quits and leaves the company - its an employee who quits, but does NOT leave the company. These are the ones you have to worry about.

Culture Casualties

2008-11-05T06:56:00.000-08:00

Over the next few posts, we are going to talk about resistance and culture change...

In the animal kingdom, there is a type of caterpillar known as the “line” worm. This worm gets its name from its simple behavior of always following in line one behind the other. A group of scientists were fascinated by this unusual behavior and wanted to see how far the worms would take it. So they “led” the lead worm in a circle instead of a straight line so that the lead worm came up behind the last worm. And what did the lead worm do? Exactly. He started to follow the last worm in the line.

The worms would continue this circular pattern for hours. Then the scientists did an amazing thing. (Actually, it’s probably the worms that were amazing.) They placed food in the middle of the ring of worms in plain sight. And the worms continued their marching following in line until – you guessed it – they died!

How does this relate to your company? Be careful of the line worms who will follow old systems, old processes and refuse to eat from the new “culture” even to the point of death. But that may not be so bad.

You must accept the fact now that there will be casualties. There are people working inside your organization right now who will not like, nor will they adapt to your new culture. They will resist and fight you all the way until either they leave you or you leave them. This is an unfortunate fact of culture change. It makes sense, though. When you have been involved in a project or organization outside of work and they have decided to change the “rules,” you may have decided to quit. There is nothing wrong with this. Believe it or not, there are people in this world who do not think integrity is such a great value to have. It’s better to let them go than to let them damage your new company. Accept the casualty fact now or do not attempt the change.

It will be okay. What you have is a vision of tomorrow. This vision must have visible and unvisible signs for the people if they are to understand it and accept it as their own. Plan for this.

Culture Change Agent - Paul

2008-11-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

During a recent blog tour with my book, I was asked a great question by the author of managementbygod.com. Besides Jesus, what character in the Bible do I admire most for culture change?

My answer, by far, Paul. Not because of the dramatic conversion of him as a person, but rather the significance of his impact throughout history. During his life, he was shaping the culture of the Christian church to be based on salvation and grace rather than the law. This was a dramatic departure from the Old Testament belief and values system. Imagine spending your whole life in a church that taught you were saved by the law and then suddenly being taught that you are saved by grace and through Jesus Christ alone? Even today, churches all over the world teach from the scriptures who penned in regards to how church should be lived out. Not only did he have an impact back then, but we still reference it today.

But you do not have to be Paul to impact change within your organization. You can make the difference. What was it about Paul that made his impact significant?

Well, first of all he was steadfast in hid purpose. Now I am not saying that yo have to be willing to go to prison for your beliefs, but your culture should. Think about it. If the core values of your company were put on trial today, would you stand behind them or change them to satisfy today's climate? There is not an easy answer to this one, but we do know that companies that change with the wind or have the "program of the month" mentality, never make it long term. They develop a culture of "non-culture" and the company will eventually implode.

Second, he ever let the internal people (inside the church) sway him from his purpose. Too often companies start an initiative and then stop it due to employee discontent.

Think about this, if the polls show that 56% of all employees would happily go somewhere else if the "grass was greener" then why on earth would you allow these people to derail you? Yet we do it all the time. Remember the rule of 1/3rds? Paul never let the bottom 1/3rd effect his message or mission. Most of his writings actually are to the bottom third who are challenging the culture.

So, even if you o not believe in the Bible, you certainly can relate to the principles. Be the positive change you want in your organization. And be the one stands against negative change. And follow these two examples from the story of Paul.

The rule of 1/3rds

2008-10-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that in addition to Penumbra Media and Design, I also have a retail shoe business. Today, we had the typical customer. The one who knows exactly what they want and everything else is ugly.

But what was fun about today is that we had 2 customers sitting next to each other (they were not together) and one hated the shoes and tossed them to the floor. They happened to land next to other lady and she immediately picked them up and exclaimed, "this is exactly what I was looking for!"

Isn't it amazing, no matter how hard we try, we cannot please everyone. For some what we do is perfect. For others, it sucks. the same is true in culture change. In fact, in culture change, it is the rule of 1/3rds. A 1/3rd of your employees will adapt quickly to the new direction, 1/3rd will fight the change and try to keep it from happening and 1/3rd will ride the fence waiting to see which 1/3rd wins out.

Unfortunately for too many companies the lower 1/3rd win and no change ever takes place. But according to the stats 1 out of every 3 employees will not support your culture change. That's scary - but true. The good news is that if we know this going in, we can plan for ti and be prepared. This is the reason we always say that driving culture change it like driving the bus in the movie Speed - never slow down once you get started.

By the way, statistics say that 1 out of every 3 people is ugly. So look to your left and look to your right. If you don't see any ugly....

Politician Say What?

2008-10-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

Are you starting to feel like its time for this election to be over and that we need to move on? Well, I do. The last weeks of a national campaign (or any campaign for that matter) turn so negative and "off-topic" it is disgusting. Not because we get tired of hearing all the he said she said stuff, but because eventually one of these two men will be the President of the United States. And all of the negative name-calling and political misdirection will leave part of the country doubting our new leader.

Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or other party supporter, today's blog is about culture in political parties. Remember when the Republican party was about the conservative christian right? Not today. No conservative christian would pull the stunts the RNC is pulling right now. A conservative christian would stay on topic and stick to the issues and not let petty things take over. (At least they are supposed to.)

So watching the dramatic shift in campaigning for the RNC since Karl Rover took over several weeks ago leads us to ask, "Is the Republican party about conservative, ethical, moral values or about getting elected at whatever the cost?" Because in the last weeks, this last thought is all that this campaign has been about.

Say what you will about our current President, but he has stayed consistent to his conservative christian values. His strategies may not have worked, but he has been consistent and he has not changed with the wind.

Now, my intention is not to trash one party and sound like I am supporting the DNC over the RNC. Not at all, The DNC has made its share of mistakes as well. But this recent change in behavior by the candidate and the party really have me asking, "Is this the true culture of the RNC or just the culture of a few that will be rejected after the outcome?"

What we do know, is that if it is the true behavior and value system of the RNC, then it has changed. I think its not the true nature. Honestly, I think this attempt to win at all costs is going to cost the RNC this election.

And when it is all said and done, they should have stayed true to their corporate culture. They will find themselves no different than the Fortune 500.

Mission Statements and Parachutes

2008-10-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

A mission statement that is not known by the people (placed on their hearts and heads) is about as useful as a parachute on the first bounce.

We thought it would be intriguing to find out how many people really know their company’s mission statement. Over the past two years, asking people we came in contact with in all parts of our lives has become a norm for us. It’s very hard to serve us food in a restaurant or rent us a car or check us into a hotel without being asked, “What is your company’s mission statement?” We even took it so far as to call companies out of the yellow pages a couple of afternoons to ask the people we got on the phone what their company’s mission statement was. (This was the fun part because at times we posed as a radio deejay or as a braniac professor from Harvard. It was very hard to get people to take us seriously without the ploys!)

Well, throughout this investigative research process, we have come to this conclusion.

More people know the mission statement of Star Trek than know their own company’s mission statement!

(Now there’s a quote for you!) It’s true! We started asking people what the Star Trek mission statement was and they knew it! Oh, please! Don’t sit there reading and try to pretend you are not “boldly going where no man (or woman to be PC) has gone before!” You probably struggled with our first question, “What is your company’s mission statement?” but had no trouble with the Star Trek part. That’s okay if you’re Gene Roddenberry, but it really doesn’t do a whole lot for the profitability or service of your company.

Why do people know the Star Trek mission statement? The main reason people know the Star Trek mission versus their company’s is that they had actually heard the Star Trek one! Our experiences showed employees are never even told the mission statement of the company let alone their mission as a part of the company. Is it any wonder that people will give you only their hands and feet at work? If all I do is wait tables at Red Robin restaurants, then what are my chances that I will make a “happy guest”—which is their product?

Red Robin International is a great example of a company that has tied its mission statement to its marketing. They used to print on the front of every napkin this mission statement: “We create happy guests.” Definitely a page out of the Disney book, but who cares. Steve Udhus, Vice President of Operations for Red Robin says, “There is no set culture that you can go out and buy. But there is a blueprint (roadmap) that you can follow that builds and molds your culture successfully. We studied and benchmarked the best to discover the blueprint, but we had to do the building ourselves. Our culture is unique, distinctive, and of service.” We have found that it works and every employee of Red Robin knows that their job is to create happy guests, whatever it takes.”

Vision

2008-10-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

In our research, the terms “vision statement” and “mission statement” are used interchangeably by everyone. It’s as if what matters is whose seminar you attended or which book you just finished reading as to which term you use for your company. But for purposes of building a Culturrific! service team, we have found that these terms really represent two very different ideas with two very distinct and important purposes.

Your vision statement is the set of values, beliefs, and ideals you want to weave into the fabric of your culture. In the “Culture Cycle” chapter, we discussed how this “weaving” takes place. It is not enough to write down your values or beliefs on paper. You must program them into your culture. But one of the key stumbling blocks for many companies is they fail to put in writing what they mean. They feel that vision is a trendy buzzword. In fact, a vision is a unique design of the future.

Most vision statements usually end up as verbose poetic plaques on the lobby wall or great cover story material for the company’s shareholder’s report. A vision is a catalyst for a company. It is the set of expectations of the future. Whereas the mission statement is about today, the vision statement is about tomorrow. The vision statement sets the emotional tone for your company. It can stir the souls of your employees and inspire them to rise to the occasion.

There are three common potholes your bus will fall into when creating your vision statement if you are not careful.

1. Never use grandiose words that are over the heads of half the employees. A vision statement can demoralize and detract from your culture as much as it can inspire and develop it.

2. A vision statement must be about values, beliefs, and behaviors. Idealistic prose will only sound frivolous to your employees. They are looking for a reason not to believe as well as a reason to believe.

3. It must deal with all three areas of your business – the employees, the customers, and the stakeholders. A stakeholder is anyone who has a stake in your business being successful. This would include vendors, suppliers, your bank, and your shareholders.

Many times, vision statements are too simplistic. They say things like “We want to be the best!” or “We want to be profitable.” A business saying it wants to be profitable is like a paratrooper saying she would like her parachute to open before she gets to the ground. A vision statement is not about the obvious. It’s about the visible and the unvisible aspects of your culture.

You also must be careful that the words you are using tell the meanings you are looking for. For example, when you hear the word terminal, what is the first thought that comes to your mind? For some of you, you may say train or bus, while others may say the end. Some will say computer and still others will say death (this is not what we are talking about!). When we wrote the word terminal, we were thinking of the little metal pieces that go on the end of wires for connecting them to power.

So, if we were to tell everyone that our new plan is terminal, some of the people would think we are getting into PCs, others would think we were going on a bus trip (little do they know!) and others’ hearts would drop as they think the end is near. A little melodramatic perhaps? Probably. But the point is still well taken. Words in a vision statement are simply that—words. It is the behavior that you are looking for.

What is the role of the vision statement? It sets the culture cycle in motion. It is a bond with your employees. It is the guiding principles of your organization. In the movie “Jerry McGuire,” the lead character (the namesake of the title) had a revelation one evening at his company’s annual meeting. He ‘grew a conscious’ and wrote down his thoughts for the guiding principles of the sports agent business. The result was a dramatic stir in the organization, which led to his dismissal. He left to start his own sports agency. One of the key themes of the movie is when Dorothy Boyd, an accountant, leaves the big time sports agency that fired Jerry to go start the new business with him. Her reason, which she relates several times during the film, was the new guiding principles Jerry penned ‘moved her.’

Like Dorothy Boyd in the film, your people want to be inspired. They want to be a part of something. Your vision statement is a rallying cry of the expectations you have of anyone who comes to work for you. It is the stage for them to become great.

The Barracuda and the Mackerel

2008-10-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

A group of scientists built a fish tank for an experiment that had a clear wall in the center dividing the tank into two sections. On one side they placed a plump, juicy mackerel. On the other side, they placed a barracuda. The barracuda could see the mackerel, but it could not get to it. Within the first minute, the hungry barracuda spotted the mackerel and swam headfirst towards it and plowed into the center pane of glass. He swam away dizzied for awhile, but when the barracuda regained its senses, he went for the mackerel again! And like before, he slammed into the center pane of glass. This continued for quite some time before the barracuda decided “This hurts!” (It takes people a few knocks in the head sometimes to get it as well.)

The barracuda’s behavior began to change. It would see the mackerel and swim headfirst towards it, but it would turn right before it hit the center glass. This became a pattern – the barracuda would see the mackerel, think lunch and swim towards it, but right before it knocked its head, it would turn and swim away. This occurred enough times that eventually the scientists were able to take the center pane of glass out of the tank so that the barracuda could get to the mackerel and guess what happened? The barracuda swam right up to the same point and turned! Never getting the mackerel. As people, we have been conditioned or programmed to settle for less. We know that it is extraordinary to suggest a company be responsible for an employee’s self-esteem, but there you go again buying that couch for your office. We are not supporting that you try to influence or control their self-esteem. We want to make you aware of the undercurrents at play in a culture change. When you encounter resistance or reluctance to your new ideas, understand where it is coming from. The source is much deeper than plain stubbornness.

If you want to capture their hearts and their heads, you must develop a culture that cares for them as people and provides a nurturing environment for their self-esteem.

Not all Viral is Bad

2008-10-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

So, much feedback on the entry from the other day (everything Speaks) that I decided to load out another one of the viral "trailers" we are using for this client. Mostly I am doing this at requests of readers, but, honestly, I am doing ti to be lazy with today's entry.

Remember, culture is as culture does!

Everything Speaks

2008-10-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a video we recently completed with The Collective for a client. Today's entry will be an object lesson. (The video is the object, not me. I would be more of an objectionable lesson, but that's another blog..)

This client is a new "up-and-comer" and like most entrepreneurial companies, they are at the "tipping point" as Malcolm Gladwell would call it, in their history.

The goal was to communicate their product message to the public, but in a compelling way. (Not to say that this is not every company's goal!) But the key to good marketing is not just to relate the product story, but to relate the company story as well. And if you are doing it correctly, communicates the company's culture as well. (Remember our conversation on image versus identity?)

This company has a great story. Vigilance is one of their core values. Isn't that great? We need to create a "story" and not just a commercial. And we needed to use mediums that were viral and "quietly" working behind the scenes. After all, that is how their company works.

Whether or not you like the video, you can see how it relates not just a need for their product, but also taps into the raw emotion one feels when this happens to them. This company's expertise is being able to empathize and understand this emotion of being violated. And you can feel that in the video. While you do not see the company (intentionally) you do feel the emotion.

Now, will this be an award-wining campaign? Who knows. Hope so. But that is not the point. The point is that this company took a risk. Instead of following traditional models for their marketing, they stepped outside the box. BUT NOT outside their box? Make sense?

Too many companies are afraid to let their culture show. they feel that corporate culture is for internal use only. Nothing could be further from the truth. Today's human wants an emotional contact to the company or organization they are buying from or supporting.

Today's lesson? You will win more business by living out your culture in public than you ever will by placing your name on a NASCAR.

Last thing I will say on this topic - most companies that feel that corporate culture is for internal communication and not external are afraid or ashamed of what their current culture is! Is this you?

They Shall Wear Blue and All Will Be Good

2008-10-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

ever feel this way when your company makes a change like this? Perhaps you are the one making the change. Your intention is to make your employees more "something" as a part of changing your image. Unfortunately, it is your identity that must change before any difference will result in your organization.

Too many people think that you can fix a culture by changing its image. (I would say its like putting lipstick on a pig, but we all know what happens when you say that right now!)

Your image is how people perceive your company. Your identity is how it really is. While it is true that you can spend millions on advertising to convince people that your company is different and even make visual changes like new blue uniforms, but unless you change the identity - it is all for not. Eventually, the identity will crush the image.

Now, I do not mean to pick on TSA, in fact I am very glad they are there. But much like other stories I have shared in this blog, the uniform has changed, but the people inside have not. What has been done to enhance the level of officer? Why did I get through security and on a plane last week without ID? (Yes, I forgot my DL at the house and managed to get through. If only I could write (or blog) the way I talk)

Today's landscape is more competitive than it has ever been. Not only for customers, but also for employees. "It is harder and harder to find quality people" - that is the most common quote we hear from our clients. Employers are learning that the new workforce of Gen Y and Gen X know that they have a choice in where to work. And they also can see right through image and ask questions about the identity of the company.

Customers can simply log on and do business elsewhere. When will we learn that the Culture Cycle always rules (see Oct 1 post.) When will we learn that we cannot change a culture with t-shirts and parties and cheers?

True change starts at the top and begins with the programming of the organization. People still continue to be seduced into the trap of trying to affect change by starting with the attitude. Why, you ask?

Three reasons, I think. 1. Most people do not truly want change; they only want to talk about change. Change is hard. Change requires pain. And who likes that? 2. Trying to change a culture by working on the attitude has short term effect. So, again we get tricked into thinking we re having an impact. We get to go into the boss' office for our 1x1 and show him the result of the latest culture initiative. By the time the next 1x1 comes around, we have identified a whole new issue to smite. And 3, organizations need a zealot to lead culture change. It does not have to be the CEO, but it need to be a C-something - otherwise no one in the org will follow.

The C-something needs to lead a team of other zealots who reside inside the various parts of your organization. This "Culture Council" will lead, guide and protect the culture. They will protect against those that would change the culture to save a few bucks on the short term. They, more than any other group or person, will reduce your turnover. Now who doesn't want that?

But let's save the Culture Council for another day...

The Culture Cycle

2008-10-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

To change a culture, you must start at the beginning – the programming. You can modify any culture for awhile, but to initiate true change, you must start with the way it is programmed.

A culture develops over time. It is not an overnight process. It must be influenced time and time again before it takes shape. When a company is founded, its corporate culture is like an infant at birth. It is a living, breathing part of the company, which takes years to fully develop. Just as there is a cycle of development for an infant, there is also a definitive cycle that a culture follows as part of its development. When you understand this cycle, you will understand how your culture grew to become what it is today and, more importantly, you will know how to change it.

Exhibit 32 shows a snapshot of what this cycle looks like. Before we begin our journey through the cycle, there are two principles about this cycle theory that you must accept before it will work for you.

1. This is a cycle. It repeats itself daily. These are not stages over time: rather, they are a daily routine that feeds your culture - either reinforcing it or modifying it. When your company first started, this cycle was more of a stage-development process. Today you have a mature culture, which has already developed. You are looking to change this “adult” and the change follows the same cycle.

2. If this is a cycle, then it must follow the sequence outlined. You cannot let the people on the bus until the door is open and you cannot start the bus until there is gas in the engine. These facts about your culture bus are true for your culture cycle as well. There are no shortcuts in this process, so do not try.

The culture cycle states that your culture’s programming determines your beliefs, and beliefs determine your values, and your values determine your attitudes, and your attitudes determine your emotions, and your emotions determine your culture’s behaviors. As you can see, the cycle builds upon itself with each step. You cannot have a set of values until you have determined your belief system. You cannot control attitudes until you understand the values of your culture.

I am making this post today because this principle is at the core of everything I believe about corporate culture. And also, because it is at the core of why 90% of culture change initiatives fail.

For more on this topic, see Culturrific! available on Amazon.com

The Scorpion and the Frog

2008-09-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

There was a scorpion that happened onto a river on his journey home. Being a scorpion, he couldn’t swim across the river so he needed help. The scorpion spotted a frog sitting on the edge of the river. He approached the frog and asked him to let him climb on the frogs’ back and ride across the river. “I can’t do that,” said the frog. “You are a scorpion! You will sting me!” “I won’t sting you, “said the scorpion. “If I did, I would only be hurting myself because if you drown, so do I!” The frog thought it over and finally agreed. The scorpion climbed onto the frog's back and they started across the river. Halfway across, the frog felt a painful sensation in his back. The scorpion had stung him! “I can’t believe you did that,” said the frog. “Why?” Why did you do it?" asked the frog going down for the last time. “Because I am a scorpion,” he replied, “and that’s what scorpions do.”

What is the moral of this story? You must accept the fact that your corporate culture is a real entity, not just a buzzword. The definitions given above can be cold and well, “dictionary-like.” Once you have accepted the fact that your corporate culture is a living, breathing thing, then and only then can you initialize true change in your organization. You must realize that your culture has a heart and a head and that you must deal with both. The scorpion in this story is your current culture. Your warning is that you do not claim victory with your service culture change initiative too early. On the outside, the scorpion convinced the frog (management in this scenario) that he was all for change and would not practice old habits. But the further across the river (culture change) the frog and scorpion got, the harder it was for the scorpion to accept this “head” decision and he started to follow his heart and stung the frog.

You will get stung continually unless you accept the fact that true culture change is much deeper than a few rules and policy changes. That it goes so much further than dressing casual and calling everyone by his or her first names. You must get to the heart of the culture and change its identity.

Lipstick on a Pig?

2008-09-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

So, here is an interesting picture. Its the exterior of the latest design being tested by WalMart. Probably would not have guessed that when you saw it. Most people think it's a new Home Depot or a cross between Garden Ridge and Pottery Barn.

Whatever you think, this is the start of something big - the change to move WalMart from the "limiting" image of low prices for the lower class into more of a design conscious retailer (Ala their rivals at Target.)

Interesting you say, but what does this have to do with me, you ask? I'm getting to that. If you have been reading long, you know it eventually gets around to culture. But before I do, by the time you finish reading this blog post, WalMart will have raked in $1.9M in sales - REALLY? (Don't forget they do a $1B a day!) So, I am not trying to upset or throw stones at them - especially since people with that kind of money can make people like me disappear without a trace.

Inside this store, which is beautiful by the way, are new displays, new layouts, new looks and colors. But guess what is the same? You got it - the experience and the employees. Now, I am not saying that the employees at WalMart are of a different class than other retailers - not at all. I have relatives who work for this store. What I am saying is that with the dramatic change in their look, they are forgetting the one thing that must change if they want to reposition themselves in the marketplace - their people.

And no, again, I am not saying they need to fire everyone at the stores. I am saying that the same level of service (or really lack there of) same level of cleanliness, same level of training and support they give their employees still exists - even in their new beautiful store.

While the store looks very different, the experience was the same. The corporate culture of WalMart is low price and optimized costs. they are spending a ton on new looks and a new exterior, but what are they spending to enhance the one element that has more control over anything else in their culture - their people?

But, ah, the culture of this company is not about real change, they are about lipstick change. Will it work? Yes, for awhile. But people will learn quickly that it is still WalMart. And the people who already shop there will be happy they got a remodel. But it will not attract new customers - which is the point of the whole project to begin with!

why? Because the people who do not shop with WalMart now do not engage with their corporate culture. And they are making no change in that culture - ergo no new customers.

Never forget the culture cycle (if you forgot, its in chapter 3 of my book, Culturrific!) Your programming determines your beliefs which determine your values and so on. And the employees that I interviewed in the store in this picture all said the same thing - the outside looks different, but the inside is still the same.

You cannot beat your corporate culture. When will we learn?

Vote for Coporate Culture

2008-09-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

There was a small West Texas town that was typical America. Everything was fine until one day when someone decided to open a bar in that small town. The local church was outraged by this new business and set out to have it closed. They picketed, put up flyers, and even had weekly prayer vigils where they would pray that God would destroy the bar.

Well, one day it happened. Lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground! The bar owner decided to seek justice for what had been done so he got a lawyer. The lawyer filed suit against the congregation because they had prayed the bar would be burned down and it did. Well the church, not to be outdone, also hired a lawyer and the battle was on. The bar’s lawyer argued that the church was responsible because they had prayed for the destruction of the bar and their prayers had been answered. The church’s lawyer shot back that it was an act of nature, not a result of the church. The church lawyer said it was purely coincidental and the church could not be held liable.

The judge was about to retire to his chambers to make his decision, but before he left, he looked at the two lawyers and the crowd in the courtroom split neatly down the middle - churchgoers on one side and bargoers on the other. (There were probably some that weren’t sure which side to stand on!) He shook his head and said, “This will be the hardest decision I have ever had to make. I am not sure what to make about all of this. But I am sure about one thing. The bar owner believes and the church doesn’t!”

Wow! What a story, especially since it is true. It’s amazing to think that someone on the outside could see the power of what is going on on the inside.

Right now in our country, we are about to face a major election. The presidential race is heating up and the ballots are soon to be cast. The vote you cast is important since it determines who will be the shaper of our country’s future.

But there is another election in town - one infinitely more important. It is the vote for your organization's corporate culture. The candidate is you. The platform is your vision. What makes elections great is that people make a conscious decision to support a person or an idea. You need everyone to make that decision, the decision to dedicate 100% of their efforts to the cause and the future growth of your company.

The believers’ party is founded on people -powerful people like you and me! We got the Power! (Insert "Snap" music here - they were a rock group in the 80s in case you forgot!) The power to vote!

Corporate Culture and Vision

2008-09-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

At the opening ceremonies of EPCOT Center at the Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, FL, there was the usual glamour and fanfare typical of a Disney event. As they conducted the dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony, though, there was one person noticeably absent. It was Walt Disney. Walt had died before the completion of his dream from health problems. It was up to his wife, Lillian, to handle the ribbon cutting pomp and circumstance. After the ceremony, a stream of reporters flocked around Lillian to ask questions about EPCOT. One reporter commented on Walt’s absence asking, “Isn’t it too bad that Walt wasn’t here to see this?” And Lillian looked at him and smilingly said, “Honey, you just don’t understand. Walt saw this first!”

What a great story (my favorite Disney story) about the truth in dreams and vision. We have long discussed the importance of vision in our leadership principles of corporate culture. Tom Peter’s in his book “In Search of Excellence” profiled several successful companies to determine what the foundation of that success was. In each case, it was a strong vision. Jim Collins in his book “Built to Last” (my favorite between the 2) said the same thing. Walter Bennis in his book “Leadership” also wrote about the catalyst for a companies success - when the vision is born.

But the true defining moment of greatness for a company is that moment when the vision translates form paper into the hearts and the heads of the people. Because it takes people to make any vision a reality. When Martin Luther King gave his famous speech many years ago he said, “I have a dream!” What he was really saying is I have a vision! For he could see the future and he dedicated and sacrificed his life to helping others see his vision. And today, his vision is becoming reality. Through people. Now that was a leader.

Last month we talked about the believers in your company. Those individuals who still believe in what your organization stands for and what it means to be a member of your team. The believer’s message was simple. You either think, talk and act positively or you get out. The believers are the keepers of the vision. They are the ones who rededicate themselves to the realization of that vision everyday - even on the days they don’t feel like it. They are never without their “10” jacket.

For your organization’s vision to stay alive, it requires people to make it so. Vision gives us a sense of purpose. It does not say that we won’t try new things or new programs. Change in an organization’s business plan does not necessarily mean change in its vision. Sometimes the business plan must change to keep the vision alive.

Contrast in Politics

2008-09-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my 2 weeks of watching every night of TV are over and I must say the difference between the two were incredible.

Week one, the DNC was like watching Oceans 11 and week two, the RNC was like watching Cocoon!

Now, it does not matter which party I like because that is not what this post is all about. What I did notice is the change in tone between the two. A change that reflects the speakers. And once again, I can relate it back to corporate culture.

Your corporate culture is made up of the collective personal values of the people who work for your organization. The values of a culture determine the attitudes - the attitudes determine the emotions and the emotions the behaviors. And what did we see? A crowd full of people acting out the values of the speakers giving speeches to them.

The DNC was energized with class-filled speeches. Never mind whether I agreed with their thoughts or not, they elevated the debate above "name calling." Which used to be the DNC's main weapon. Instead, we heard inspiring speeches about possibility and promise.

Then we turn to week two and wee see Grumpy Old Men tearing down the other people. Critical of their speeches, attacking the people and not the ideals. I can remember a few years ago in 2004 when it was the opposite.

But my how things change. Whenever you hire a new person or select a new volunteer, always keep in mind that they will pour their beliefs and values into the culture well that is your company. It doesn't take long before the water in your well starts to smell.

Hire people who fit your culture. Whose ideals and behaviors reflect those of your culture. And let years of experience take a back seat - you can always train job function.

The World Outside

2008-09-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

So, I just got back from my high school reunion (pictures of us "getting the band back together" to the right) - which year is not important, but lets just say it was long enough for a Rogain booth at the entrance - and I lived the "out of the box" experience.

As I caught up with my classmates, there was a definitive line between those who had left my small town (lets call them the in-towners) and those who had not (lets call them the out-of-towners.) For my class, the out-of-towners crowd was very small, just a handful of us. Most people who thought they qualified for out-of-town status actually just moved to another really small town, so they still lived as in-towners.

The first question you always ask is, "so what do you do?" My answer - Creative Sensei for a boutique consulting firm on the East Coast - left most people with blank stares and polite, "that's nice" responses. Okay, maybe our clever use of titles at our company is a bit much, so I tried the real title - Creative Director - and that made no difference - at least not to the in-towners.

As I sat on the plane waiting for takeoff, it hit me. The in-towners are the group of people in companies who resist change, follow the old guard and never, never think out of the box! These are the real party poopers on the new idea or process you want to introduce. They not only like the fabric of the company as it was sewn 25 years ago when it was founded, but they guard against anyone seeing anything new into it.

The point I realized is that its not that the in-towners were not as smart as me or that they were somehow stuck in time. They just never got the opportunity to get out of town (or in this case out of the box.) We all have comfort zones and I wish right now the guy sitting next tome on this flight understood mine. Anyway, the culture of an organization is the culmination of the shared values of its people.

At my reunion, I felt like the guy trying to explain why the clock is not flashing on my VCR (okay I am into Blu-ray now, but the clock thing does not work for that.) I could not understand how these people had no idea what a Creative Director did. Doesn't everyone know?

Perhaps us people who think outside the box spend a little too much time out there and loose touch with those inside. What can I do differently to make sure that I am engaging the in-towners and not alienating them or making them feel like lower class citizens of the company just because they do not share my beliefs or love of life out-of-town.

The in-towners values are part of the culture and I need to connect to them if I want to make a difference. Not by blowing them away with my creativity or posters or slogans, but by living a life of openness and paitence - always listening to the in-towners and involving them in the process. Because after all, everyone likes to travel!

Apologies for MIA Blog

2008-09-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

Culture Fans -

So sorry, but there seems to be some technical difficulty in the blog world and all of my previous posts are in cyberspace somewhere. We will keep working on it, but until then thanks for reading.

It could be me. (Oh please don't let it be me that deleted everything!)

True Leadership

2008-08-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

My son has gotten to the age of responsibility and I felt it was time to write down for him what I believe to be the true essence of leadership. And since leadership has a lot to do with corporate culture, I thought I would share it with you.

....I wanted to share with you these thoughts from my years of studying Biblical examples and trying to discern what leadership truly means. Many times people (myself included) confuse leadership with being in charge or the boss. I have come to realize that while this is a part of the story, it is the smallest part and in the last chapters, not the theme of the book.
I have come to realize that leadership has a set of principles that have nothing to do with being charismatic, charming, or a great speaker. They have to do with one’s character. These are the behaviors of a Christian man of character that truly define his leadership.

Be the first to aid.
Whenever someone needs assistance, be the first to respond to the call. Whether its help carrying a bag or fixing a flat tire, or picking someone up when they fall, always be the first to their aid. Not because you know them or because you feel obligated, but because you care.

Be the first to give.
Whenever the need arises, be the first to give of your money. It may be just one dollar, but it is not the amount that matters, it is the heart of sharing what God has blessed you with.

Be the first to forgive.
Whenever you have a disagreement or argument or hurt someone else with your words or actions or they you, always be the first to forgive.

Be the first to pray.
Prayer should always come first in every situation. Some people feel uncomfortable praying aloud or leading a prayer – those people are praying to the crowd and not to God. Its not the words you speak to Him that matter, it is that you seek His counsel first.

Be the first to love.
The greatest of all commandments is to love one another. Always be the first to love others compassionately, unconditionally, and outwardly.

Be the first to serve.
Whenever a task needs to be done, be the first to step up and serve. It matters not the level of service or the profile of the task. What matters is your servant’s heart.

Be the first to submit.
Humility is the first component of leadership. Be willing to submit to the authority of God and the leaders of your church. Do not let ego enter into the equation. While you are greatly gifted, sometimes your best gift is to submit and serve at the call of others.

These principles, in no particular order, I’ve come to believe, are what truly define the character of a Christian leader. In it, is the knowledge of greatness. In my life, I have made many good choices and many more bad choices, but I have made few “wise” choices. Is there a difference between wisdom and knowledge? Yes. Knowledge is potential, but the dictionary defines wisdom as “the prudent use of knowledge.”

So, knowledge comes from the Bible and its scriptures, but the prudent use of that knowledge in our lives is wisdom. The true measure of a man will be the equation of his choices. Did he make good choices? Bad choices? Or wise choices? I believe if you continue to study and weave these principles into the fabric of your character, that you will truly be the wisest of us all.

Neighborhood Leadership

2008-08-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

I believe in servant leadership. A friend of mine gave me these principles below and I wanted to share it with those readers who are also volunteers and involved in their neighborhood like myself. Not sure who gets the credit, but I really liked the words.

Six Principles of Neighborhood Leadership

1. Create a Vision
Leaders begin with the end in mind. They keep the NA looking forward to the future and not focused on managing the status quo.

2. Encourage Informed Decisions
Leaders identify what issues need to be addressed and what information is needed to do so in a way that helps people make informed decisions. They never let the group move too quickly. A misinformed decision could cause permanent damage to the NA.

3. Identify Action Steps
Leaders describe possible actions to reach the desired goals of the NA based on the informed decisions. They also carefully weigh and explain the consequences that accompany each.

4. Cultivate Support from Others
Leaders need to interest and inspire people (and other organizations) to join the effort. They do this by communicating the why and not just the how. They make sure that everyone involves understands the process as well as the result.

5. Attract Resources for the Task
Leaders need to develop networks and relationships they can use to solicit funds, materials, services, etc from within and outside the NA that allow the goals of the NA to be accomplished.

6. Model the Way
Leaders need to nurture the commitment of others to the effort, and support development of leadership abilities in others to insure the task is achieved. They must mentor the next group of leaders. They are always looking to the future of the NA.