A Culture of Character

“I believe it is the nature of people to be heroes, if given the chance.” – James A. Autry, Author and Businessman

This week’s blog is a brief departure from our discussions about sales and profitability. Instead I want to examine a facet of corporate culture, and invite your thoughts and comments.

Last week I vacationed in Indiana, my home state, and I was in Indianapolis when the Sugarland stage rigging collapsed into the State Fair crowd, killing five and injuring dozens. It all happened in a matter of seconds, and many people became trapped underneath the shattered structure.

Hundreds of concertgoers immediately rushed toward the scene, and instinctively worked together to lift and hold up the rigging so others could climb underneath and drag the wounded to safety. Let me re-state, they ran toward the trouble, not away from it. The skies were dark and ominous. Officials had acknowledged storm warnings in the area. These are people who are not strangers to violent weather, and I’m sure more than a few wondered if tornadoes were headed their way.

And yet they stayed, and they helped, and they did whatever they could to assist the authorities and medical personnel who quickly descended upon the scene. Because of the heroism of these “regular folks”, countless victims were rescued, received medical treatment faster than they otherwise would have, and were comforted during the ordeal. In his remarks the following morning, Governor Mitch Daniels stated, “That’s the character we associate with our state. People don’t have to be paid to do it.”

Does the culture at your company mirror this commitment to character? All too often management and employees fall into a habit of pointing fingers when things go wrong. They look around for scapegoats. Instead of putting forth 100% effort, they try to get by with as little effort as possible and still get a paycheck. They run from the trouble, not to the trouble. How many times have you raised a customer service issue, only to be told, “That’s not my job,” “I don’t know,” or “There’s nothing I can do?”

Shifting a corporate culture from one of apathy to one of commitment can be like turning the Titanic. But the result is a high-performance business whose employees are invested in the company’s success and are certain of their roles in it. This kind of culture needs to be bred not only from the top down, but from the bottom up.

Companies large and small can learn a lot from the good people of Indiana. What can you change about your business to inspire employees to run “toward the trouble?” How would that mindset that impact your customers, your bottom line, yourself?

We’d like our readers to tell us something about their impressions of corporate culture at their companies. You can email me at leeann@consulting2win.com or simply post a comment below. Our shared ideas may facilitate a shift toward a commitment to character, which is the foundation of a winning business.

Are you ready to win?