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Meanderings from Jean's Desk....
Blog Archive
May 15, 2012: These Are The Good Old Days
May 1, 2012: How Much Communication Is Too Much?
Mar 18, 2012: Sharpening the Saw, Part 2
Mar 4, 2012: Sharpening the Saw
Feb 16, 2012: I Wonder, Wonder...
Feb 1, 2012: Transforming Our Thinking
Jan 2, 2012: Looking At Life From The Third Person This Year
Dec 15, 2011: There Is No Standing Still
Dec 1, 2011: Scarcity or Abundance?
Nov 15, 2011: Am I a Human Doing or a Human Being?
Oct 17, 2011: Seek Fresh Eyes To Ask Better Questions
Oct 1, 2011: Solving For A Greater Purpose
Sept 15, 2011: If Not Now Then When
August 22, 2011: Consider That Heaven Has A Better View
August 1, 2011: Though I May Not Be Gracious I Want Attention Too!
June 1, 2011: Albert Einstein And Problem Solving
Video
2009 Kenosha Business of the Year:
LMI Packaging Solutions, Inc.
Culture
I love business. I love what it teaches me about life.
As our business grows and we make the necessary changes to accommodate that growth and spur it on, I have been troubled most, by one major concern? What will all this change mean to the culture I so love? Will the wonderful, giving community we have built, grow and advance, or will it be lost in transition?
As I pondered this, I was reminded of another time in my career. At age 16 I landed my first significant job with a grocery store chain experiencing its own growth spurt. They were moving from a mom and pop location to a modern facility three times its size, with all new technology, and twice as many people. I was part of the new, ‘twice as many people’. I remember observing the half that came from the old store as they grumbled about all the changes. They talked ad nauseam about all the fun they had had and how they were like family and how sad it would be if all of that was lost.
It was clear to me that they had come from a culture rich in laughter and fun. Working with them it quickly became clear to me that their culture included hard work and a real commitment to one’s job and to each other. I now know it was this that earned them the opportunity to move to a new upscale store.
I remember the first time I tried to call in sick. One of my peers answered the phone before I even could talk to my boss. I gave her the sad news, “bad cramps, can’t make it in”. Without hesitation she responded, “Get your a#!* in here, we’re busy! You’re gonna have cramps here or there, might as well be here.” I went in and the cramps went away.
The culture there didn’t need a boss to define what it would look like.
Without even knowing it that original team brought their culture right with them to the new store. It did not matter what changed, the culture I soon enjoyed was one of laughter and fun, hard work and a real commitment to one’s job and to each other. The people, not the boss’s, not the technology, not the new policies nor the space, decided the culture.
Five years later we went through another major growth spurt. The culture again prevailed over many changes, much more onerous than the ones that had gone before. This time as an incumbent I saw a whole new side of change that included new opportunities for those who wanted them, new friends, and added, richer diversity to a culture I now loved.
And so it is that business teaches me again, if a culture is changed in transition then it was not valued by those who said they held it dear. If it is real then it will only become stronger and richer, and it will be carried forth.
Questions, comments for Jean?
If you have a question or comment, you can email Jean.