Most will agree that culture is an important (if not critical) aspect of an organization’s success. Culture is an attractor of talent (employees), as well as customers. This blog will explore management’s role in building and affecting organizational culture.
Culture at Southwest Airlines
Herb Kelleher, the co-founder and retired CEO of Southwest Airlines was the chief architect of the organization’s culture. Numerous articles have been written about Kelleher’s leadership style and approach to running the most successful airline in the US, if not the world. Kelleher built a culture based on “employees first,” and created policies and practices that reinforced the culture.
For decades the airline has maintained a “no layoff” policy, as well as a profit sharing program that has paid out consistently over the years – something unheard of in the airline industry. These policies are not just words; they demonstrate the commitment of building the “employees first” culture in the organization.
Humor and fun is a major ingredient of the Southwest culture. Kelleher (also known as the “High Priest of Ha-Ha”) and his leadership team were known for their jokes, antics, and pranks that became part of the airline’s history, stories, and traditions. The Southwest stories and traditions act as “culture training,” and show employees that it’s okay to have fun on the job.
Even though Kelleher is no longer running the day-to-day operation, the spirit of the culture he designed still lives in all parts of the organization. When employees “look up” to their leaders at Southwest they observe behaviors that are consistent with the defined culture. That gives employees permission to follow in their leaders footsteps to support, and nurture the culture.
A Culture of Excellence Pays Off
Steve Jobs is another leader known for building a legendary culture. Job’s has developed a culture of excellence based on designing and delivering great products, as well as an extraordinary customer experience.
Job’s does not just demand excellence from his organization; he demonstrates how it’s done. One example of his commitment to excellence and customer experience is through his keynote speeches.
Job’s is known to begin the development process for his presentations weeks in advance, and then rehearses over and over again until he feels that the presentation is ready for his audience. Every word, every move, and every product demonstration is crafted to perfection. Job’s delivers an outstanding product and experience at each keynote address.
When Apple employees “look up” they see a commitment to excellence in action, and you bet they follow Job’s lead. Apple employees are inspired to deliver great products and customer experiences (supporting the Apple culture) through their leader’s action and reputation.
Southwest and Apple are good examples of how management style plays a major role in building a company’s culture.
Culture Tips
So if you’re tasked with building a culture for a new organization, or tweaking an existing one, here are a few tips to get you started:
First, define the desired culture. You won’t know how to get there unless you have a destination in mind.
Next, look up. The behaviors of your senior leadership team will give insight on where to begin, or what you will need to change to reach the desired state.
Finally, get total buy-in and participation from the senior leadership team. You must have total support and cooperation from the top to make it work. Culture is a team sport and everyone has to play to make it reality.
Most important, don’t forget that every employee is constantly looking up to the leadership team. Employees get cues from their leaders at all levels, and the behaviors (including policies and practices) of the leadership team will ultimately define your culture.
