1,000 true fans

Kevin Kelly showed us that we could make a living with 1,000 true fans. If 1,000 people are willing to spend only $100/year on what we make (songs, paintings, books – and the ancillary t-shirts sales), then we will survive. More importantly, these 1,000 fans will tell everyone they know about us, generating additional income.

Kelly’s advice was aimed at artists and creators. I believe it applies to ethics & compliance professionals as well. If we can find enough true fans among the employees we serve, they will share our message with everyone they know. They key is to be good enough and to identify the right people.

Walking the talk

The recent US college scandal only revealed the end of a long bribery scheme.

The same type of parental behavior exists with preschoolers. After all, the best way to get into Harvard is to first get into the “right” prep school. And for that, you need to get into the “right” middle school. And so on, so forth. Bribes are paid at every stage.

In your corporation, what “clubs” are employees dying to get into? A rotation program? Expat assignments? Executive ranks? What are they willing to do to get in there?

I’m sure the parents involved spent a lot of time telling their children about the importance of telling the truth. Just like corporations spend a lot of time communicating their values. But did any of them really mean it?

Does it spark joy?

The KonMari method for decluttering a home or an office requires that we hold every item in our hands and ask ourselves if it sparks joy. If it doesn’t, we throw it out.

We can do the same for corporate culture. We can hold every process in our mind and ask ourselves if it creates the culture we want. Because that’s what processes do. And if a process creates the wrong cultural outcome, we must throw it out.

What is your promise?

What is the ultimate promise of an airline?

Comfort? On-time departures? Direct flights? Low prices?

As Ann Skeet reminds us, it’s safety (of course).

In order to create the right corporate culture, an organization must first get its priorities straight.

This is also true of groups within an organization. What is the ultimate promise of finance, legal, HR, etc.?

And what of ethics & compliance?

Once we have the answer, we can get to work.

The difference of a few extra steps

My 11-year old daughter has been using an old iPhone 4 without a SIM card for a few years now. It’s more like an iPod with a few games on it.

The phone is so old that we can’t update the iOS on it anymore. And it only has 8 GB of storage on it. Which means she can’t download the latest games or store more than a few pictures.

So on Tuesday, she used her money to buy a refurbished iPod. Apple shipped it by FedEx and delivery was scheduled for Thursday. On Wednesday, she bought an iPod case on Amazon, with overnight Prime delivery.

Both items arrived on Thursday. FedEx left the $200 iPod in my driveway, near the street, in plain sight, begging to be stolen, despite the fact that several neighbors have complained to FedEx of missing packages in recent months.

Meanwhile, Amazon delivered the $8 case all the way to my front door mat, out-of-sight, took a picture of the delivery and sent it to my phone. Just 12 extra steps.

Technically, both companies delivered their product. But Amazon showed a greater degree of care for its buyer than Apple and FedEx did.

Caring is a competitive advantage. Caring for our employees improves retention and recruitment. Caring for our suppliers improves quality. Caring for the communities where we operate enhances our brand.

If we care for the right things, profits will come.

Seeing the unseeable

“We have seen what we thought was unseeable.”

These were the words of an astronomer during a news conference yesterday, prior to unveiling the first picture of a black hole.

To “see” this black hole, scientists used eight radio observatories located on four different continents for a period of 10 days. Then, they spent two years analyzing the data.

Those of us interested in corporate culture can draw a few parallels, as culture appears elusive at times: let’s observe culture from multiple vantage points, collect as much data as possible, and use the scientific method to draw conclusions.

My friends at Vega Factor have spent years doing just that. They call it the science of total motivation (ToMo for short) and they wrote a fantastic book about it. They literally have cracked the code on culture. For me, learning about ToMo was like seeing the unseeable. But it was more than that because once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

Are your flood routes unobstructed?

The recent, devastating floods in Iran were caused in part by the obstruction of flood outlets and by the conversion of flood routes and dry river beds to residential areas. To a large extent, the devastation was avoidable.

In a company, we can expect similar floodings when the business swells with opportunity or uncertainty, or both. This is when communication channels can be life-saving, allowing employees to ask questions or to report actual or suspected wrongdoing. But if the access to HR, to Legal, to Ethics & Compliance or to the hotline has been obstructed, then devastation can ensue.

This, too, is avoidable.

Coxswain

Cambridge won The Boat Race a few days ago.

I’m not a rowing fan but I admire how rowing teams synchronize their efforts towards a common goal. If one rower is off, the team is unlikely to win. Therefore, the focus is on teamwork. The win will ensue.

The same applies to corporate culture. All the leaders and processes must be aligned towards ethical performance. Misalignment causes drag, which slows the business. Thus, the focus is on creating processes that generate the right cultural outcomes.

What process is ripe for change in your organization?

Protecting the innocents

This article made the rounds on the internet last week. After all, who doesn’t like to read about the crazy expenses some employees try to get reimbursed for?

What I found interesting is that some of the culprits saw nothing wrong with their behavior. It’s a great reminder that policies, training, controls and audits have a place in the corporate world, even if 99 out of 100 employees know what’s right. There’s always going to be one that honestly doesn’t get it, and they need to be protected as well.