Silos are the enemies of innovation and sound decisions. When you can align employees with the company vision and values, and bring together people with different perspectives, expertise and experiences, the organization benefits in multiple ways.
Frits Van Paasschen, President and CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, puts it this way. In a recent blog on the Harvard Business Review site, he says, “I strongly believe the best decisions happen when people with the same goals and values — but different points of view — speak frankly around the table.”
That comment might be overshadowed by the real news of the blog. Starwood has moved its headquarters to Dubai for a month to engage in an experiment that’s certainly attention-getting. “We’re here to be immersed in one of the world’s most dynamic regions,” he writes, “and to see our global business through a sharply focused local lens.”
Van Paasschen is onto one of the best ways to cultivate creativity. To think outside the box, get outside the box. Try a new box. Try new combinations of old boxes. Do whatever you can to see things from a different perspective. Click here to read the complete blog.
I think everyone argues that their dad is the best dad in the world. Well, I have proof that my dad actually is. And this is not a biased opinion, just ask anyone! There are too many stories, instances and experiences to write in paragraph form, so I decided to sum it up in the bullets (in chronological order) below. Enjoy!
- He was my soccer coach age four until sixth grade when I decided I wanted to be a cheerleader
- When I decided to become a cheerleader, we couldn’t afford tumbling classes when I was in middle school, so he spotted me on my back-hand-spring in the front yard, every single night, until I got it on my own (which probably took six months)
- He attended every single track meet my freshman year
- He made my lunch every single morning for me in high school
- Tucked me in and told me he loved me every single night of my life until I went off to college (now I get a text message)
- He taught me how to drive a car (my mom’s nerves were too bad) and cried when I almost killed us my first time on the road
- He moved me out of and into four different apartments throughout college
- Ever since my mom passed away three years ago, he comes to me and my sister’s apartment once a week and cooks for us, cleans for us, buys groceries for us and takes care of my sister’s hyper pomeranian! (For which he deserves a medal)
- He always lends a listening ear, an open heart and mind, and his overflowing love for my sister and me is both obvious and contagious
- He tells me he loves me, that he’s proud of me and I know he’d do anything for me and my sister
So see there ladies and gentleman, I hands-down have the best dad in the world! I’d love to hear stories of your fathers in honor of Father’s Day this Sunday!
Now that you have a strong culture and Employee Value Proposition established in your company, it’s time to put it to work to attract the next generation of employees. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s out with the old and in with the new, but a growing company always needs to replace key pieces and add to expanding departments to achieve its goals.
So how do you do that? How do you take something that could be described as an experience and a promise and use it to turn heads in the world of job seekers? Or better yet, make job seekers out of people content in their current companies, but open to the idea of the grass being greener elsewhere.
It starts with word of mouth. Every one of us can think of a company that they’ve heard about that’s a “good place to work.” Maybe you’ve got a buddy somewhere telling you how awesome his new job is, or maybe a past coworker is trying to recruit you into the company they work for now. These organizations have built a culture that their people enjoy and want to promote. They do so by ringing the bell and saying, “Come check this place out!”
Once a potential candidate walks through your door, you need to sell them on your company as much as they’re trying to sell you on their skills and talents. In order for your company to succeed and reach its goals, you’re going to need the best and brightest people working for you. Competition isn’t just in the marketplace, it’s in talent acquisition as well. You need to pull out all of the stops to catch whatever great whale you’re pursuing.
If you’re lucky and have a good PR department, you might get news organizations and publications to communicate your culture for you. I had heard about the cool atmosphere at Google, but it wasn’t until I saw a story about it on a news program that it really came to life for me. A free cafeteria, volleyball on campus, sleeping pods and flexible work hours were shiny hooks that jumped out to me as symbols of a company that values their employees. And sometimes, a little love is all people need.
