Organizational Culture | Companies Are People, Too

Posts Tagged 'organizational culture'

Is Southwest’s famous culture in jeopardy?

Posted by Sandy Fekete, Companies Are People, Too on April 5, 2013

Over the past few weeks I have seen a lot of advertisements while watching March Madness. One ad in particular stood out to me, Southwest’s new spring campaign ‘Welcome Aboard.’ This ad is very different from the Southwest ads I am accustomed to seeing. It feels like a brand shift to me. The sense of humor is missing and the real employees are replaced with models and a slicker, more corporate look. Let’s take a look at the ad:

In the ad, Southwest claims to be the largest airline in the country. Read the small print at the end of the ad, and you’ll see it is based on Q3 2012, before the consolidation of American Airlines and US Airways. Is this campaign Southwest’s response to the “new” American, which is offering fliers more than 6,700 flights to 336 destinations in 56 countries, becoming the largest airline in the world? Here’s how American and US Air want us to view the “new” American:

Southwest’s culture is the glue that holds it together. It is a standard to aspire to, and a case study used by educators and lecturers (including me) to learn how to create a sustainable culture based on a strong set of beliefs and consistent behavior by every employee, each of whom lives its values every day.

In the wake of airline consolidation, I hope Southwest doesn’t lose its “Warrior Spirit, Servant’s Heart, and FunLUVing” personality, which enabled the airline to profit when others declared bankruptcy.

A brand means nothing if your people don’t live it every day. Is your brand in alignment with your culture? Take the Companies Are People, Too organizational assessment to find out.

Tags: Airline Culture, Airline Merger, American Airlines, company culture, Corporate Culture, Mergers and Acquisitions, New American, New American Airlines, organizational culture, Southwest, Southwest Airlines, Southwest Culture, US Airways

Posted in: Brand Alignment, Company Culture, Mergers and Aquisitions

Part 2: Behaviors Can Be Seen – Beliefs Can’t

Posted by Sandy Fekete, Companies Are People, Too on March 15, 2013

Because it was part of the culture of my family of origin, I believe children should be seen and not heard. That value (respect) drove my behavior as a child, especially in the company of adults. This very basic example of behaviors modeling beliefs can be extended to corporate America where I believe values should be lived and rarely, if ever, changed.

In Part 1 of our look at the clash of two cultures at the Chicago-based Tribune Co., we saw how disregarding the ingrained values of the 166-year-old company hampered efforts to enforce a new culture driven by opposing values. The example illustrates the difficulties of imposing change to a company’s culture without first understanding and embracing its long-standing beliefs. What’s the best way to validate those values? By observing common behaviors among the leadership and staff. Behaviors are the manifestation of beliefs! And that’s why values (and cultures) are extremely difficult to change. When merging two cultures, each with ingrained core va

lues, start with the commonalities. If there are none, watch out!

Now, let’s take a look at some thoughts about beliefs and behaviors:

“It’s easier to behave your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a different way of behaving.” – Chris Parker

“Beliefs determine Behaviors which influence Relationships which in turn affect Results.” – Tom Crane

“Behaviors can be seen. Beliefs can’t. Leadership’s behaviors need to model the beliefs (actions speak louder than words….and beliefs)” - Julie Kantor

“Core values are timeless and do not change, while practices and strategies should be changing all the time.” – Jim Collins

“It’s not a value if 99% of the people aren’t behaving that way 99% of the time.” – Sandy Fekete

Achieving alignment between beliefs and behaviors drives culture. In an upcoming post, we’ll look at the airline industry as many carriers struggle to combine culture, processes, and strategies in the wake of merger mania.

If you are interested in learning more about your company’s culture, take the Companies Are People, Too personality assessment.

Tags: behaviors, behaviors and beliefs, beliefs, cap2, company culture, organizational beliefs, organizational culture, organizational values, respect, Tribune Co., values

Posted in: Change Management, Company Culture

Finding Your Organizational Identity

Posted by Sandy Fekete, Companies Are People, Too on December 11, 2012

Remember the WWJD bracelets worn as a reminder to base our daily decisions on what Jesus would do? Because we know Jesus’ values, how he lived his life, and examples that he shared, the WWJD question is easy to answer across a broad spectrum of circumstances. We can be fairly certain we will make good decisions using this framework as our guide.

When your team is expected to make decisions that will greatly impact your company, what framework do they use? How comfortable are they that they will make the right decision? Will they opt to please the boss, or follow their personal preferences? Empowered employees need more than “let your conscience be your guide.” Ideally, everyone is well indoctrinated about the company’s core mission, vision, and values. There is no better framework…..assuming they can remember the company’s core ideology.

There is a way to embody these characteristics…literally. Creating a persona gives a human face to the otherwise intangible dimensions of organizational identity. What emerges is a fictional yet factual representation of the character of the company. Hoselton Auto Mall in Rochester, NY learned about their company’s personality with Companies Are People, Too. Using an Up Close and Personal exercise, they created Walt to personify the company. Everyone “met” Walt and knew his favorite food, most prized possession, best trip ever, cars he drove, where he goes for inspiration, what he likes most about himself, what it is he just can’t stand, what he does for relaxation…you get the picture. Walt was introduced at a pep rally to the entire team, who were given WWWD bracelets as a take away. Every existing and new team member refers to What Would Walt Do? as their framework for decision making.

Elford Construction’s “Pop” persona drives behaviors tied to each core value. The “Pop” award is given to the employee who best demonstrates behaviors that align with Pop’s core ideology.

You can find more examples of personified companies and get more resources to help you find your company’s persona on the Companies Are People, Too website.

The drive for consistency is strong in every successful organization. Decisions based on the values and preferences of the company deliver consistency, clarity, and alignment. What are you waiting for? Start your organization on a pathway to success today. Contact Sandra Fekete to learn more and take your FREE trial Companies Are People, Too assessment to get your company moving in the right direction.

Tags: building company culture, cap2, captoo, Companies are people too, company culture, framework for decision making, organizational culture, organizational identity, Sandra Fekete, Sandy Fekete

Posted in: Brand Alignment, Company Culture, Organizational Development, Organizational Personality

What does your tagline say about your culture?

Posted by Sandy Fekete, Companies Are People, Too on October 3, 2012

I was astounded to learn that Avis’ iconic slogan, “We Try Harder” has been replaced with “It’s Your Space” in an effort to target the profitable corporate user segment. New ads show businessmen driving Beemers, singing on their way to a meeting. What does this have to do with motivating employees, living its values, or delivering a brand promise? “It’s Your Space” makes a great campaign targeting a very specific audience. But it is not a tagline. There is no manifesto written around it as there was for We Try Harder (which, incidentally was named one of the top campaigns of the 20th Century by CNBC).

What does your tagline say about your culture? Is it motivating to employees–giving them something to act on? Is it promising something to your customer that your entire team can deliver? Does it align with your values? Here are a few other great taglines that accomplish those objectives. Can you identify the company they belong to?

You’re in good hands
You deserve a break
Just Do It
Think Different
The Few. The Proud.
We bring good things to life.
When you care enough to send the very best.

Tags: best taglines, Companies are people too, company culture, company taglines, culture driven taglines, great taglines, motivating employees, organizational culture, Sandra Fekete, Sandy Fekete

Posted in: Brand Alignment, Change Management, Company Culture, Organizational Development