Soft Management

 
 
I read this article a few months ago about Nick Sarillo’s “Trust and Track” culture which I think is a very healthy way of getting things done through other people - or delegation. This greatly impacted me and more recently I have been working on implementing many of the key points I learned in this Inc.com article in the training of new employees. For a small to midsize organization, it’s all about Culture if you want to get things done.

In order to Ship, complete tasks, without leaving coworkers and customers hanging, I firmly believe one must make a checklist. Nick’s idea is brilliant, he describes, “I built a system to replace me. I put together a checklist of things that had to be done by 4 p.m., so we could handle the volume. It took about four weeks until it could work without me. Now we’re nailing it.”

Nick’s “Trust and Track” culture involves educating employees about what it takes for the company to be successful, then trusting them to act accordingly - the people you hire should want to be successful on an individual basis. People who have what it takes, when educated properly, will shake it up and make positive things happen - even when the boss is gone.

The alternative is command and control, wherein success is the boss’s responsibility and employees do exactly what the boss says (or else!). I’m not saying the Genius with a Thousand Helpers approach doesn’t work, both approaches can work, but they produce very different cultures and long-term outcomes. If managed correctly, trust and track can allow a company to be adroit, resilient, and prolific enough to function at the highest level through booming and even contracting economies.

 
 
This is a great profile on Tony Hsieh and the Zappos recipe. While I like the idea of a strong culture, I don't like the idea of it becoming my "lifestyle." However, a deep and value-driven culture is critical to success in any organization - yet nearly impossible to quantify. 

I think leaders within an organization should take notice and invest generously in culture, even if it's just in their own humble department or branch. Happy employees do work that impacts. Organizations are catching on and if you don't have culture, you'll see your people leaving for places like Zappos. 

I went on a tour of Zappos while I was in Henderson, NV earlier this year. It was a very remarkable experience. At first, seeing their culture firsthand seemed sort of superficial, I think the media amplifies it to be greater than it really is, but Zappos believes in promoting progression - I believe that people who are learning and growing are happier, and thus do greater work. This is the only way such a terrible business model could not only succeed, but thrive.
 
 
I really enjoyed reading JFK's 1963 Address at Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. He praised the Mormons for their perseverance, dedication to education, and persistence.

Here's an excerpt I found inspiring:

"Let us remember that the Mormons of a century ago were a persecuted and prosecuted minority, harried from place to place, the victims of violence and occasional murder, while today in the short space of 100 years, their faith and works are known and respected the world around, and their voices heard in the highest councils of this country. As the Mormons succeeded, so can America succeed, if we will not give up or turn back." 


-John F. Kennedy, 1963
 
 
For me the most exciting thing to analyze in an organization is it's culture. I just love this sort of stuff, no matter what I hear about how successful (or unsuccessful) a non-profit or business is, I want to know what the culture is like. I want to know this because I truly believe there is a correlation between strong company culture and financial success.

I really like how Zappos focuses on culture first and then lets the success follow organically. Here are the fruits of Zappos' fun and zany culture:
  • Outstanding and renown customer service
  • Brand identity
  • Less management
  • Positive employee influence & friendships
  • Great management & marketing ideas
Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh explains that the company's culture starts with the hiring process. A company must be willing to hire and fire for "Culture Fit." 

I've come to agree that you can hire people with all the right qualifications and skill sets, but it has to be a culture fit. Culture fit is far more important than qualifications and skills. When it comes down to it, people can become qualified and develop the right skills to do a phenomenal work, but you can't teach someone to have the right attitude. Make no mistake, experience and skills are critical, but culture fit must be weighted equally. 

Sure there are many great companies out there, but they could be even greater if they did not compromise on culture fits and hire solely based on skills.

The great contemporary organizations of the 21st century all have strong cultures and values. Does it matter what your values are? No, just have them and commit to them. One way to commit to them is to interview for the values independent of job experience and technical ability. If the person you hire shares in the values of your organization, then you have a culture fit.
 
 
Just read this Fast Company article about GE's Durham, North Carolina jet engine factory. I know, I know, what could possibly be interesting about a factory? 

Well I'll tell you! What's remarkable about the Durham factory is that it has the highest productivity and quality out of all of GE's jet engine plants, YET no monetary bonuses were used as incentives and there were NO middle managers - just one general manager for the entire plant.

I wonder why GE hasn't taken this model to their other business units? Maybe because creating a culture like this isn't something that can be replicated without passionate linchpins. 

I'm a firm believer that money is not a sustainable motivator. No matter how much a person is paid, eventually motivation will take a dive unless a culture of creativity, caring and passion in one's work is established. Sure, money is a big motivator at first but do you know of anyone who's left a high-paying corporate gig to create a startup?

Wouldn't you like to work in an environment like this? You can without changing jobs, if you want to.