The ADL Associates HR Executive Forum
MAXIMIZING A BUSINESS’ RETURN ON CULTURE
(ROC) …
IT’S BACK TO BASICS
By Al Lucia and Brian
Gareau
What do a national study on future workforce
requirements…companies like Caterpillar Inc.,
Con-Way Transportation Services, RDV Sports, Fujitsu
Transaction Solutions, Watkins Motor Lines, and
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida … and a
new book just released all have in common? They
all focus on the effects of culture on a business’
bottom line (ROC) and the impact consistently
practicing “Back To Basics” can have
on these results. This was also the latest topic
of ADL Associates’ Annual HR Executive Forum
in Orlando, Florida.
Culture has been described as “the most
underutilized resource in business today”
… “something secondary to harder components
of a business strategic plans” … “hard
to assess or change it”. Participants at
the ADL Associates’ Annual HR Executive Forum
dispelled many of these assumptions and shared
a variety of best practices.
DEFINE IT
Bill Schneider, author of “The Re-engineering
Alternative” opened the forum making a case
for the essential nature of culture definition
and the need for specific steps to implement stated
values. This was emphasized during description
of the Four Core Cultures, Collaboration, Control,
Cultivation and Competence. In reality, each
organization has a combination of these and separate
facilities or divisions may also compound this.
What is key is reaching consensus on definitions
and then bringing the culture to life with policies,
practices and strategies that fit.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN’
Pat Jannausch, Vice President of Human Resources
for Con-Way Transportation Services with nearly
18,000 employees supported Bill’s message
with a detailed description of how they have defined
and reinforced their culture. Con-Way’s four-star
cultural values of Safety, Integrity, Commitment
and Excellence seem basic and they are. The true
test and return however comes from their disciplined
implementation, daily living and continuous reinforcement.
Is it working? Well, you be the judge. Con-Way
is totally non-union and the most profitable trucking
company in the United States.
RETURN ON CULTURE (ROC)
Measurement is a key to continuous improvement.
Caterpillar Inc., a Fortune 100 and global leader
in their industry, has a patent pending on its
Cultural Assessment Process. Begun internally
in 1999, the Cultural Assessment Process includes:
a detailed assessment, executive analysis &
summary, action planning and a post 100-day follow-up
measurement. Nearly 50 assessments have been done
worldwide, at Caterpillar, involving over 4200
employees. Brian Gareau, Caterpillar’s Corporate
Positive Management Initiative Manager, shared
specific business unit bottom line ROC results
including: multi-million dollar savings, more
efficient start-up of new operations, reduction
in grievances and significantly improved Employee
Opinion Survey results. This year Caterpillar
intends to license it’s Cultural Assessment
process in North America allowing other organizations
to benefit from their experience and share in
a comparative database.
WORKFORCE 2020
Donna Long of DML Training & Consulting in
Kissimmee, Florida provided a peek into the future.
Her involvement with the Workforce 2020 project
and concept was connected to the subject of culture
through a series of eye-opening statistics regarding
the workforce of the future. To maintain and/or
achieve an employer of choice status, organizations
must embrace a culture viable for the emerging
workforce – one that continues to get older,
more ethnically diverse, with more females and
more generations represented. Spirit (or employee
attitudes) will play an increasingly important
role. Donna believes that knowing what to do isn’t
enough and that creating a culture where people
are inspired to show what they know about
customer service and leadership is a critical
key to success. This level of spirit requires
continuous review and reinforcement activities
that are best owned by the employees and
supported with strong leadership.
LESSONS SHARED
An intimate roundtable discussion of critical
business culture basics that impact ROC was also
conducted. Best practices and lessons learned
were shared in a number of key areas including:
- Balance …reviewing Eckes’
(Q x A = E) formula and its’ impact on
culture
- CBWA … caring by walking
around and providing creative employee assistance
- Communications … balancing
high tech & high touch and the importance
of the “Factor of 7”- messages repeated
to ensure they are internalized.
- Leadership …impact of follow-up
and how leaders embed culture (consciously and
sub-consciously)
- Measurement … selection,
consistency, and accountability
- Performance management …
at the heart of results and accountability
- Pitfalls of POTY Activities
… programs of the year
- Process management … documenting,
measuring, supporting, and reducing variance
- Recognition … how to embed
in culture and the seven critical elements
- Technology… video and intranet
utilized to enhance a message and ensure investment
in legislated or voluntary initiatives
- Values… the litmus test
during reductions in force
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
Just released, “Back to Basics, Practical
Solutions for Today’s Leaders”, reinforces
the “tried and true” solutions for today’s
leaders. Remember BASICS are fundamental, essential,
indispensable, and not to be discarded or rejected.
Forum attendees agreed with the 30+ contributing
authors that the most important areas for paying
attention to basics are: Leadership, Commitment,
Communication, Recruitment, Recognition and Change
Management. The basic objectives to build employee
trust and commitment cannot waiver.
The true defining moment of a culture is what
people do and how they do it when no one is looking.
Organizations can increase discretionary effort
of their human resources by focusing in on BASICS.
It can and will produce better business results
(ROC).
Al Lucia has spent more that 25 years
helping organizations define their culture and
bring it to life. His clients include, GE, Ocean
Spray, Exxon Mobil, Southwest Airlines, Con-Way
Transportation Services, and many others. He has
co-authored a number of books including “Walk
the Talk and Get the Results You Want”, “144
Ways to Walk the Talk” Walking the Talk Together”,
“Rock Your Way To Happiness”, “Build
Commitment and Results Will Come” and his
most recent “Back to Basics, Tried and True
Solutions for Today’s Leaders”. He has
also published dozens of articles for management
periodicals.
Al is a regular speaker at numerous state and
national conventions and is the President of ADL
Associates, a group of consultants, speakers,
coaches, authors and trainers.
Al Lucia
1111 Holy Grail Drive
Lewisville, TX 75056
T- 972 662 3068
Web site www.adlassociates.com
Email al@adlassociates.com
Brian Gareau has been in both the operations
and the people side of Caterpillar Inc. for over
20 years. His experience as facility manager,
regional manager general manager and start-up
manager qualified him in a unique way for his
current responsibilities. Brian manages Caterpillar’s
Positive Management Initiatives (PMI) group which
provides internal consulting on educating, assessing,
and maximizing Return On Culture (ROC). PMI’s
goal is to leverage best practices and lessons
learned across the enterprise. They have successfully
completed work in the U.K., Northern Ireland,
Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Canada,
and the U.S. Since ROC is applicable to any setting,
PMI’s work has also crossed functional areas
like manufacturing, logistics, marketing, Finance
and Human Resources.
Brian is a member of the Advisory Board of the
ADL Associates HR Executive Forum and presented
recent updates on ROC at the Annual Forum in Orlando.
Brian Gareau
Corporate PMI Manager
Caterpillar Inc.
100 NE Adams St.
Peoria, IL 61629-3155
T- 309 675 6128
Email gareau_brian_r@CAT.com
|
