Former Southwest Airlines executive Ginger Hardage discusses five common lies about corporate culture, emphasizing that defining the culture is crucial. Topics include leadership responsibility in shaping culture, embedding values throughout operations, debunking the notion of culture as fluffy, empowering employees, and the importance of leadership unity in cultural evolution.
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Quick takeaways
Leaders should not assume culture building is solely the responsibility of executives, but should actively contribute to defining and promoting the desired culture within their organizations.
Mere display of values on the wall is insufficient to embed values into an organization's culture; values must be integrated into all operational aspects to authentically uphold the desired culture.
Deep dives
Culture Building is a Key Responsibility for Leaders
Creating a strong corporate culture is not solely the responsibility of executives. Leaders at all levels play a crucial role in shaping and nurturing the culture within their organizations. It is essential for leaders to incorporate culture building into their job descriptions, setting the tone and exemplifying the desired values to encourage a positive organizational culture. Best-in-class organizations recognize that culture is a shared responsibility among all employees, from frontline staff interacting with customers to top-level leaders.
Bringing Organizational Values to Life
Merely displaying organizational values on the wall is insufficient to create a strong culture. To truly embed values into an organization's culture, leaders must ensure that values are woven into every aspect of operations, from recruitment and hiring to onboarding, training, job delivery, recognition, and performance management. By integrating values into everyday actions and decisions, organizations can authentically bring their values to life and uphold a culture that aligns with their core beliefs.
Debunking the Myth That Culture Is Fluffy
Cultural initiatives are often misconstrued as frivolous or irrelevant. However, creating a strong company culture goes beyond superficial gestures like office perks or company events. True culture building involves focusing on tangible outcomes and metrics, such as revenue, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement. Organizations like Chick-fil-A and Southwest Airlines demonstrate that a strong culture can directly impact financial performance and customer preference, showcasing the tangible benefits of investing in culture.
Empowering Employees Without Losing Control
Empowering employees is a powerful strategy for fostering innovation and engagement within an organization. While leaders may fear losing control by granting employees more autonomy, providing flexibility can lead to delightful surprises and increased job satisfaction. Encouraging creativity and flexibility in problem-solving enhances customer service and empowers employees to take ownership of their work, ultimately contributing to a positive organizational culture.
Ginger Hardage: Unstoppable Cultures
Ginger Hardage is the former senior vice president of culture at Southwest Airlines. She led a team responsible for building and sustaining the organization’s legendary culture and communications enterprise, resulting in 23 consecutive years on Fortune’s list of Top 10 Most Admired Companies in the World.
Today, Ginger leads Unstoppable Cultures, a firm designed to help organizations create and sustain cultures of enduring greatness. She facilitates the annual Unstoppable Cultures Fellowship to help leaders of all kinds take practical steps to create the culture that will help their organization thrive.
In this conversation, Ginger and I discuss the five lies she’s seen come up again and again in her work with leaders who are struggling with culture. Perhaps most importantly, Ginger emphasizes that leaders need not accept the default culture, but should work to define the culture.
Key Points
The five lies Ginger has uncovered about culture:
Culture is someone else’s job.
Our values are on the wall.
Culture is fluffy.
If I empower my employees, I might lose control.
We can’t afford culture.
Bonus Audio
Defining a culture
Resources Mentioned
5 Lies About Corporate Culture document
Unstoppable Cultures Fellowship
Related Episodes
The Four Critical Stories Leaders Need For Influence, with David Hutchens (episode 148)
Notice and Change Dysfunctional Culture, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 327)
How to Create an Unstoppable Culture, with Ginger Hardage (episode 350)
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