| "The way people talk about their organizations shapes their behavior in them." - Kenneth Gergen
A few Saturdays ago my four-year-old daughter and I were baking our customary batch of homemade cinnamon rolls when my son, a Freshman in college, and his girlfriend dropped in for a visit. I have come to learn that the term "visit" is actually a metaphor used to denote dropping off laundry and replenishing one's net worth. Nevertheless, I always look forward to this ritual.
My son Chase has always been intrigued by my vocation and asked what I was currently working on. I told him I was performing an organizational assessment to inform a company's strategic planning process and then proceeded to explain the concept of organizational culture and how it influences outcomes. Since neither Chase nor his girlfriend showed signs of exiting my enthusiastic presentation, our Management 101 course continued as I enumerated the three dimensions of culture:
1) Core Values: The core level (invisible) of the culture consists of values, beliefs, and assumptions.
2) Expressed Values: How the culture is expressed in slogans, manner of dress, etc., but more importantly through symbols, stories, heroes, rites, and rituals.
3) Visible Culture: The visible level is the observable culture.
I was beginning to talk about the importance of aligning the three dimensions when my son's girlfriend joined the discussion. She offered, "A company could say they value employees but act totally opposite." My first thought was, "I am liking this girl more and more." The conviction in her voice begged me to ask her for an example of her assertion.
Without pause she proceeded to tell me the story of how much her mother enjoyed working for the Four Seasons hotel chain (see their "What We Believe, How We Behave" statement below). Her mother's management responsibility, in addition to other duties, included oversight of the valet parking services. She had enjoyed low turnover, low absenteeism, customer satisfaction, and high morale. Her success caused her to feel good about her job, the company for whom she worked, and herself. One day Four Seasons notified her that they had not renewed the management contract for the property where she worked and asked her to consider transferring to another of their properties. She was torn between a company she loved, a job she loved, and a commute that would severely impact the family she loved. She chose family and accepted the offer from the new management company to stay.
Within a few weeks it was apparent that the organizational culture was different. At first, she was puzzled. The once punctual and upbeat valets were now defecting or flaking. The contented clientele was now discontented. Her self-reflection did not surface a change in her management style. Being an effective manager, she then solicited information from her valets.
Four Seasons management had long granted the valets the privilege of allowing "regular clientele" to park on the curb nearest the hotel entrance. This practice produced highly rewarding tips and happy customers (in management nomenclature - high retention, job satisfaction, and customer satisfaction). In an effort to accommodate the valet's "tip potential," management parked in less desirable locations.
Her inquiry of the valets quickly yielded clear insight into the shift in their behavior. The new company's managers had used their positional power to seize the choice parking spots. This proved a powerful blow to the ecosystem of valet parking. If preferred customers no longer feel special, they don't tip. Or worse yet - they leave. If special customers don't tip, then valets don't receive compensation. Or practically speaking - they leave. If the valets don't show up or quit, then Chase's girlfriend's mother doesn't feel special or successful and she leaves. New valets come and go, new customers come and go, and ultimately the hotel will go - to a new management company.
The fact that the new managers seized the preferred parking spots was counter-culture to the Four Seasons' way. The new bosses saw fit to entitle themselves to the detriment of the customers and employees. The visible message communicated made the valets feel "less than." Can you imagine how they talked about their organization? "Management doesn't care about the customer or us, so why should we care?"
I have listed the value statements of each company below. It is interesting to see that the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts' statement positions the valet as a stakeholder and valued team member. The other company's statement is focused on external stakeholders and communicates relatively little about the significance or importance of the employee [valet] to the company.
Kenneth Gergen says, "The way people talk about their organizations shapes their behavior in them." It can also be said … the way organizations talk about their people shapes how their people talk about their organizations.
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
(source: http://www.fourseasons.com/about_us/about_us_9.html)
What We Believe: Our greatest asset, and the key to our success, is our people.
We believe that each of us needs a sense of dignity, pride and satisfaction in what we do. Because satisfying our guests depends on the united efforts of many, we are most effective when we work together cooperatively, respecting each other's contribution and importance.
How We Behave: We demonstrate our beliefs most meaningfully in the way we treat each other and by the example we set for one another. In all our interactions with our guests, customers, business associates and colleagues, we seek to deal with others as we would have them deal with us.
The Other Company's Statement of Values
- Serve as thoughtful stewards of our land, determined to leave a positive legacy for generations to come
- We are comprehensive master planners, community builders, real estate investors and asset managers who are committed to the highest standards of quality and service
- Dedicated to proven planning principles that create safe, balanced, sustainable master-planned communities where people choose to live, work, shop, play and learn
- Create lasting value and quality of life for our customers and neighbors in our communities and investment properties
- Give conservation and open space the same status and attention that we give the built environment in determining appropriate land uses
- Be a constructive corporate citizen, active in public affairs and generous in our community philanthropy with an emphasis on conservation and education
- Manage our land and assets to enhance their long-term value and provide a reasonable return to the company
- Employ the most talented, motivated people in pursuit of excellence
- Be honest, fair, forthright and ethical in all that we do
Self reflection:
- What entitlements do you enjoy as a means of your position?
- How do such entitlements align with your core values?
- What entitlements could you share with your staff or team that would better align core values, expressed values, and visible culture?
- Is there anything in your behavior that makes your staff or team feel "less than?"
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