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Corporate culture is difficult to describe, but people are readily aware when they are in a good one. The cultures in High Performance Organizations (HPOs) typically have a common set of descriptors:
- Work is fun
- Expecations are high from self, team, supervision
- Lots of freedom, autonomy; bureaucracy actively combatted
- Work hard, play hard — enjoyable, social
- Team feel and collegiality, satisfying work environment
- Pride in challenge and accomplishment
- Standards and values are enforced; people "play by the book"
One writer has used the term "culture custard", picturing what goes on in an organization as being held together by this custard. Sam Walton said, "Culture is everything."
Managing Culture
GSM takes the point of view that culture is hard to manage directly. Management can introduce elements that are supportive of it, they can protect it against forces that may injure it, but culture is ultimately an outgrowth of the collective experience and perceptions and relationships among Associates.
GSM approach incorporates the following elements to assist culture development:
- Grow The Best People. This is seen as one of the 4 Key Results Areas, and the driver that creates the 3 other KRAs of Customer Satisfaction, High Quality, and Low Cost. Unless the people are managed correctly, there is no chance of business success.
- Ideation Mining. Implementation of ideas pouring out of the minds of Associates is so valuable that it must be an aggressive seeking process, not a passive receiving function like the old suggestion box. From a human perspective, there is no greater fun than creating something, and no greater sign of respect from management than doing what is recommended.
- Change Drivers. Setting up groups dedicated to continuously shaking the organization to meet key human needs (training, recognition, socialization, communication) has proven to directly benefit the business.
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