Article on Connection Cultures that was published in Leadership Excellence

1. CULTURE CONNECTION
power of an Inspiring Identity.
Connection Cultures 2. Human Value. This exists in a cul-
ture when everyone understands the
Great leaders create strong bonds. basic psychological needs of people,
appreciates their positive unique contri-
butions, and helps them achieve their
potential. Allan Loren, who led a turn-
around of Dun and Bradstreet, showed
people he valued them in many ways.
To protect their time, he scheduled no
meetings on Mondays or Fridays if it
required people to travel over the
by Michael Stallard and Jason Pankau weekend. Loren matched everyone
with mentors who gave them feedback
O NE POWERFUL SOURCE OF COMPETITIVE
advantage exists when people
share a feeling of connection to the
about how they were doing relative to
their growth goals. Over his four-year
tenure, Dun and Bradstreet experienced
organization and colleagues in a con- annual double-digit earnings growth
nection culture. It creates an emotional and its value increased 300 percent.
bond among members that leads to 3. Knowledge flow. This exists when
greater trust and cooperation, and a everyone seeks the ideas of others,
palpable sense of energy that boosts shares their ideas and opinions honest-
the organization and its members to ly, and safeguards relational connec-
play at the top of their games. tions. A.G. Lafley, CEO of Procter &
Great leaders create connection cul- Gamble, uses Knowledge Flow to boost
tures. Queen Elizabeth, George Washing- performance. When he took over the
ton, John Wooden, and Ann Mulcahy, reins, P&G was performing poorly,
among many others, created connection and morale was low. Lafley surveyed
cultures. Relational connections are pow- employees to get their ideas, and
erful. Connection affects us implemented many of
in positive way: improves them. The results have
our health, boosts our cre- been stunning. In his first
ativity and problem-solving 12 months, Lafley led an
ability, and connection effort that resulted in a
(social capital) increases the nearly three-fold increase
feeling of satisfaction in life in employees who approve
for individuals and boosts of P&G’s direction.
the economic productivity Here’s a formula for a
of nations. Emotional con- Connection Culture: Vision
nection is four times more + Value + Voice = Connection.
effective at boosting Connection transforms a
employee engagement than rational dog-eat-dog culture into a sled dog team.
factors—and it results in higher pro- Great leaders see the value of con-
ductivity, profitability, shareholder nection and foster a sense of communi-
returns, customer satisfaction, and ty. The biotech company Genentech
employee retention. brings in cancer patients to meet its
employees. Southwest Airlines impro-
Three Elements ves its performance at the gate when it
Leaders create a connection culture maintains a 10-to-1 frontline employee-
by increasing three elements: to-supervisor ratio because supervisors
1. Inspiring identity. This exists in a can connect with and coach their peo-
culture when everyone is motivated by ple. Goldman Sachs makes its leader-
the mission, united by the values, and ship training available to the promising
proud of its reputation. During World leaders of its client companies to con-
War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt nect with them. Ed Catmull, head of
traveled to Seattle, Washington to meet Pixar Animation studios, created Pixar
with 18,000 aircraft workers at Boeing. University to increase connection. It’s
He brought with him a young pilot crest bears the Latin phrase Alienus Non
who had escaped death thanks to the Dieutius (alone no longer). Creating
resilience of his bullet-riddled B-17, a connection cultures yields benefits. LE
plane built at that plant. Seeing and
Michael Stallard is president and Jason Pankau is a partner of
hearing that pilot thank them for sav- E Pluribus Partners and coauthors of Fired Up or Burned Out.
ing his life connected them to each Visit www.FiredUpOrBurnedOut.com, call 203-422-6511 or
email info@epluribuspartners.com.
other and their cause and transformed
them into freedom fighters. That’s the ACTION: Create a connection culture.
L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e w w w. L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m
Reprinted with permission of Leadership Excellence: 1-877-250-1983