Comments on: Environment Matters http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/04/05/environment-matters/ Changing HR one post at a time. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:05:58 +0000 hourly 1 By: David Kasprzak http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/04/05/environment-matters/comment-page-1/#comment-31329 David Kasprzak Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:14:20 +0000 http://www.inflexionadvisors.com/blog/?p=226#comment-31329 What so many businesses, small and large, fail to realize is that their corporate cultures is, in fact, a strategy. When talking about airlines, it's easy to point to Southwest, who long ago declared, "employees first, customer second." with the realization that happy, energized, enthusisastic employees radiate that culture and personality outwards, creating happy, energized, enthusisastic customers. As you point out, the key is to create an environemnt where, as Deming put it, people approach their work with great joy. No one is joyful in persistently poor conditions. A general root cause model looks at 5 major causal forces: Man, Machine, Material, Method and Environment. A weakness in any one of these areas can lead to a problem. Failures such as you've seen on your American flights point to multiple problems in each and every one, to the point that they are reinforcing each other. For a similar post on this subject, check out John Jantsch's post over at Duct Tape marketing: http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2009/09/02/is-personality-a-strategy/ What so many businesses, small and large, fail to realize is that their corporate cultures is, in fact, a strategy. When talking about airlines, it’s easy to point to Southwest, who long ago declared, “employees first, customer second.” with the realization that happy, energized, enthusisastic employees radiate that culture and personality outwards, creating happy, energized, enthusisastic customers.

As you point out, the key is to create an environemnt where, as Deming put it, people approach their work with great joy. No one is joyful in persistently poor conditions.

A general root cause model looks at 5 major causal forces: Man, Machine, Material, Method and Environment. A weakness in any one of these areas can lead to a problem. Failures such as you’ve seen on your American flights point to multiple problems in each and every one, to the point that they are reinforcing each other.

For a similar post on this subject, check out John Jantsch’s post over at Duct Tape marketing:
http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2009/09/02/is-personality-a-strategy/

]]> By: mark.stelzner http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/04/05/environment-matters/comment-page-1/#comment-30920 mark.stelzner Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:02:16 +0000 http://www.inflexionadvisors.com/blog/?p=226#comment-30920 @Joseph - I couldn't agree with you more. I think anytime an old industry is challenged with highly motivated and energetic upstarts like Southwest and Virgin, it may be difficult for them to keep up. But once employees (and customers) are presented with choice, they must continue to innovate and improve conditions to attract and retain. @Beth - Great point on the exit interviews. Employers are often surprised to find that it was the simple things (clean restrooms, good coffee, comfortable chairs) that can push someone over the edge. @Joseph – I couldn’t agree with you more. I think anytime an old industry is challenged with highly motivated and energetic upstarts like Southwest and Virgin, it may be difficult for them to keep up. But once employees (and customers) are presented with choice, they must continue to innovate and improve conditions to attract and retain.

@Beth – Great point on the exit interviews. Employers are often surprised to find that it was the simple things (clean restrooms, good coffee, comfortable chairs) that can push someone over the edge.

]]> By: Beth N. Carvin, Nobscot Corporation http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/04/05/environment-matters/comment-page-1/#comment-30823 Beth N. Carvin, Nobscot Corporation Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:45:50 +0000 http://www.inflexionadvisors.com/blog/?p=226#comment-30823 I agree completely. A lot of people find it odd that we encourage asking a number of questions about the environment in exit interviews. The reason we continue to do so is because the information tells you a lot. Whether employees are sitting at their desk freezing cold all day or worrying about the fungus growing on the air vents, environment does affect performance. The sad (or happy) thing about it is that many of the Environmental things that irritate employees are relatively easy to solve. Many do not require a huge investment like buying a new jet airplane. Really what it takes is paying attention, listening to employees even if the concerns may initially seem trivial, and committing to providing a reasonable work environment for everyone. I think companies will find that the ROI in this area is huge. I agree completely.

A lot of people find it odd that we encourage asking a number of questions about the environment in exit interviews. The reason we continue to do so is because the information tells you a lot. Whether employees are sitting at their desk freezing cold all day or worrying about the fungus growing on the air vents, environment does affect performance.

The sad (or happy) thing about it is that many of the Environmental things that irritate employees are relatively easy to solve. Many do not require a huge investment like buying a new jet airplane. Really what it takes is paying attention, listening to employees even if the concerns may initially seem trivial, and committing to providing a reasonable work environment for everyone. I think companies will find that the ROI in this area is huge.

]]> By: Inflexion Point » Blog Archive » Environment Matters http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/04/05/environment-matters/comment-page-1/#comment-30817 Inflexion Point » Blog Archive » Environment Matters Tue, 06 Apr 2010 02:02:52 +0000 http://www.inflexionadvisors.com/blog/?p=226#comment-30817 [...] more here: Inflexion Point » Blog Archive » Environment Matters Categories: Environment Tags: are-airing, are-using, assess-service, conservative, [...] [...] more here: Inflexion Point » Blog Archive » Environment Matters Categories: Environment Tags: are-airing, are-using, assess-service, conservative, [...]

]]> By: Inflexion Point » Blog Archive » Environment Matters « Internet Cafe Solution http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/04/05/environment-matters/comment-page-1/#comment-30762 Inflexion Point » Blog Archive » Environment Matters « Internet Cafe Solution Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:07:33 +0000 http://www.inflexionadvisors.com/blog/?p=226#comment-30762 [...] View original post here:  Inflexion Point » Blog Archive » Environment Matters [...] [...] View original post here:  Inflexion Point » Blog Archive » Environment Matters [...]

]]> By: Joseph Mullin http://inflexionadvisors.com/blog/2010/04/05/environment-matters/comment-page-1/#comment-30761 Joseph Mullin Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:03:55 +0000 http://www.inflexionadvisors.com/blog/?p=226#comment-30761 Not only does it matter it is essential to success. To many companies feel that it is their C-Level management that makes the company. What they fail to realize is that it is their workers that can make or break a company. Apparently American to cut spending to only give it to their C-Level management has forgotten this. They have also failed to remember they are a service oriented company and their customers will make or break the company. If workers are unhappy then productivity goes down along with morale. Managers let this happen because they are either disgruntled as well or they do not have the people skills to avoid it. Maybe it is time to let American Airlines go under . I am sure Virgin will pick up the holes left behind along with other carriers like Southwest. Not only does it matter it is essential to success. To many companies feel that it is their C-Level management that makes the company. What they fail to realize is that it is their workers that can make or break a company. Apparently American to cut spending to only give it to their C-Level management has forgotten this. They have also failed to remember they are a service oriented company and their customers will make or break the company.
If workers are unhappy then productivity goes down along with morale. Managers let this happen because they are either disgruntled as well or they do not have the people skills to avoid it.

Maybe it is time to let American Airlines go under . I am sure Virgin will pick up the holes left behind along with other carriers like Southwest.

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