If you’ve ever been to Epcot in Disney World, then you can appreciate the value of culture. Walk around the pavilions representing the World Showcase and your nostrils alone are in for an exciting ride from the scents of zesty marinara sauces out of Italy to the fresh baked buttery breads coming out of the ovens in France to the sesame oiled sautés simmering up in the woks of China to the poblano peppered plates flavoring up the fiestas in Mexico. And that’s just food! The clothing styles, architectural designs, literary themes, social etiquette practices, artistic patterns, and entertainment traditions are all equally important to the culture of each country. Culture, therefore, is a reflection of the common interests of a community. And thanks to the continuous efforts to honor what makes each of our communities unique, we humans are able to enjoy an exciting diversity of cultures today.
It is the same for companies. We all have our own cultures. Even the companies that provide exactly the same products and services are culturally different. Look at airlines alone. A recent survey in the Wall Street Journal showed that the majority of American travelers book their ticket based on price so the culture that airlines invite their customers to partake in only has so much room to fly, per se. But there is a clear difference between the experience of Delta and the experience of Southwest for instance. Conceivably they could fly the same Boeing models, bag the same brand of peanuts, and show the same movies. However by the time of arrival, their passengers can easily compare the two airlines and a true cultural difference will be noted (especially those who listen up during the announcements - Southwest's flight attendants and pilots crack enough jokes to be the in-flight entertainment themselves).
Go to each airline's website and you will get a glimpse into their respective cultures right away. Under "About Delta," the airline summarizes itself as: "Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. With its unsurpassed global network, Delta and the Delta Connection® carriers offer service to more than 350 destinations in nearly 70 countries on six continents."
Under "Why Fly Southwest," the airline simply answers: "Great value. Excellent service. Our mission. Fly Southwest because you want to be treated like a person."
There is no doubt that Delta also aspires to treat each of its passengers like a person and it's very likely Southwest aspires to lead an unsurpassed network of airways but the difference in their cultures results in different priorities and different tones.
Of course culture is not just about enticing visitors like the pavilions at Epcot or serving customers like the airlines, it’s also about inspiring your community of people to reach their full potential. Only through creating a remarkable experience for your employees can you create a remarkable experience for your clients and ultimately experience remarkable growth. To get there, leaders have to put clarity around exactly what their company’s mission, values, beliefs, and behaviors are. These foundational aspects formulate the mindset of your team and therefore the success of your company so it is vital that the culture be honored consistently within your walls and outside them when facing clients and the community.
Whether the sales momentum is at an all-time high or sales are sinking to new lows, culture gives us a reference point. It supports our continuous drive toward excellence and it refocuses us when we are not seeing the results we want to see. If Norway is losing visitor traffic to Morocco at Epcot, the solution is not to dress their employees in Arab accessories and cook up a sandstorm of couscous. Norway will have to consult its culture and creatively find ways to make itself better without changing what it stands for. And there are always ways to deliver something better.
The same goes for airlines. If, hypothetically, Delta is losing business to Southwest, their staff can’t paint their planes purple, orange, and red and try out an improv comedy act over the loudspeaker at takeoff. Delta must remain true to itself and creatively find ways to better serve its 160 million customers each year. And for a company that takes pride in carrying to more than 350 destinations, Delta should be completely capable of finding the right way.
Your company’s fuel and your company’s focus come from your company’s culture. The solution always rests somewhere in your story. Once you discover it, all you need to do is craft your processes and programs around it for a better operation and for better results. Put clarity around your culture and your team will maintain all the fuel and focus it needs to succeed.
For more information on how “Clarity Breeds Success,” read the article entreQuest published in SmartCEO Magazine at this link: http://www.entrequest.com/wp-content/pdf/07.06.ownersmanual.pdf?phpMyAdmin=d2c4aa6766ft5760658.
Joe Mechlinski is the President of entreQuest and has partnered with countless leaders to effectively improve their team’s performance, their clients’ experience, and their company’s profits.
(*Information Sources:
“About Delta.” Delta Airlines. http://www.delta.com/about_delta/index.jsp.
“Why Fly Southwest?” Southwest Airlines. http://www.southwest.com/html/why-fly-southwest/index.html?int=GFOOTER-DIFFERENCE-WHY-FLY-SWA.
"Carriers Keep Capacity in Check" by Doug Cameron and Jack Nicas. The Wall Street Journal. Wednesday 14 September 2011. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903532804576568922672945908.html?KEYWORDS=airlines#articleTabs%3Darticle.)
