The competitive edge of a better corporate culture

Here’s a telling illustration from the trenches of a nurturing corporate culture.

A call this morning from a colleague revealed a conundrum. This person had just returned from a leave of absence and found her cubicle had been messed with by numerous freelancers. She was understandably upset. Things were out of place, the desk sported all sorts of crumbs and her keyboard and phone were growing some unsightly substance. It just about sent her over the edge.

After I calmed her down a bit – an HR manager delicately talked her through “re-entry” into the workplace, assuring her that her desk – and job for that matter – were safe and sound. The HR person understood the frustration of the returning employee and the emotional trauma she had experienced during her leave. Prompt action was taken to resolve all issues. An employee’s concerns were quelled and the worker likely had a more productive day.

It’s that kind of leadership, the simple awareness of employees needs, that helps lay the foundation for a better corporate culture in this time of uncertainty. In their new book, The Ownership Quotient,  Harvard Business School professors Jim Heskett, Earl Sasser and co-author Joe Wheeler assert that a strong adaptive culture is a powerful competitive edge. It allows organizations to “foster innovation, productivity, and a sense of ownership among employees and customers,” says the team who share an excerpt from their book in the recent edition of HBS’s Working Knowledge online magazine.

The article, 10 Reasons to Design a Better Corporate Culture is a quick read and stresses the competitive advantage afforded to high-performing companies to “periodically revisit and reaffirm their core values and associated behaviors.”