Comments on: Moving Culture Like Product

By: laptop battery

laptop battery — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 01:14:53 +0000

Gianandrea: true enough — Starbucks at least sees the problem; what may be missing is the deeper understanding of ‘why’ certain returns to the core brand are important, and not just the ‘what’.
Paul: I had that job too! Wierd. First day on the job, my new boss is leaving for two weeks, I have no desk, no phone, no laptop. They forgot I was arriving.

By: Stephen Denny

Stephen Denny — Tue, 15 May 2007 20:31:15 +0000

I think we’re all in violent agreement that this is a missing priority. It is virtually impossible to hire people who understand the nuances of your company — from culture to deep context — without someone actually teaching them what they need to know. It is far deeper and farther reaching than many companies are willing to admit. Some acknowledge this ommision, but most miss it completely, at their own peril.
Claire: interesting insight on turnover versus lack of cultural indoctrination.
Gianandrea: true enough — Starbucks at least sees the problem; what may be missing is the deeper understanding of ‘why’ certain returns to the core brand are important, and not just the ‘what’.
Paul: I had that job too! Wierd. First day on the job, my new boss is leaving for two weeks, I have no desk, no phone, no laptop. They forgot I was arriving.
Cam: there’s a huge gulf between passive and active learning, isn’t there? Culture and adaptation take very active and adaptive learning. Not Power Point.

By: Claire Ratushny

Claire Ratushny — Tue, 15 May 2007 16:25:50 +0000

Stephen,
Excellent post. Unfortunately, many companies do not invest in internal branding, as Paul pointed out. I quite agree with his assessment: “A successful company must view an employee as an investment instead of commodity”. Many companies view employees, especially in the lower echelons, as units of production with high turnover rates. Therefore, they rationalize that training and inculcation into the company culture, are a waste of resources.
Sadly, I think they’re missing the point: they should be viewing employees as a valuable asset, ie., human capital. Investing in employees pays huge dividends: less turnover, an understanding and “buying in” of the company’s mission and reason for being, and a solid representation of the brand to the customer. If employee-customer interaction falls down, because the employees are not part of the corporate brand, what good does substantial investment in marketing, advertising and sales support accomplish?

By: Lewis Green

Lewis Green — Tue, 15 May 2007 15:40:33 +0000

Stephen,
Great insight. Brands are built from the inside out (customer touch points) and it begins with knowledgable employees. They need to know where the company is going, why it is going there, and how it will reach its destination, if they are to be responsible and held accountable for brand building, marketing and sales. And I believe every employee should be responsible for each of those important missions.

By: Paul Barsch

Paul Barsch — Tue, 15 May 2007 14:16:18 +0000

Stephen, what you’re talking about here is an investment of time and resources. Sadly, I think too many companies adopt a sink or swim attitude for an employee’s first 30 days.
In my first week at a tech company in Silicon Valley I was handed a stack of tech manuals three bibles high. That was my training. Culture integration? Transfer of learnings form elders? Forget it, I was stuck in a cube with a stack of tech manuals and a fluorescent lamp.
I think as you point out, there’s a right way and wrong way to integrate an employee into the culture of a company.
A successful company must view an employee as an investment instead of commodity. It’s a mindshift change but one that needs to take place for companies to get a “return” from their HR investment!

By: Cam Beck

Cam Beck — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:50:24 +0000

Stephen – I’m working on a post right now that is using many of these same themes, but I’m having some difficulty putting it to words. I’m very grateful for your insight.
Becoming adept at promoting a product or service requires a deeper understanding than can be acquired through passive learning.

By: gianandrea facchini

gianandrea facchini — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:49:32 +0000

stephen, i agree with you but, there’s always a but, a lot of companies just cut off the elder people to hire newcomers with half the wage. this apparent money saving is a huge waste of experience, of knowledge, of history. during the european students movement in the 68, one of the most famous slogan was: let’s study history. are companies investing on this? don’t think so. e.g.: starbucks latest image was put under question by the big boss. no one of the other guys in charge felt the issue.