Culture - Strategy Mix: From Furniture to War Fighting
In Finding Allies, Building Alliances, authors
Mike Leavitt and Rich McKeown (2013), state, “The ability to get things done
with collaborative networks is the next generation in human productivity.” We
need to be able to form and work with and through value alliances. Value alliances are “a group of participants
with aligned interests in pursuing an outcome with value for each of them.” Value alliances are not always easy. “Value
alliances require that participants subordinate their egos, their agendas,
their preferred styles, and their biases—not to mention their organizational
agendas—in favor of a shared benefit” (p. 3).
To enhance shared benefits, leaders must create a culture ripe for
success. From the showroom to the war
room and from salespeople to soldiers, success requires the right mix of
strategy, culture, and collaboration.
Gini & Green
(2013) said, “Work is one of the most significant contributing factors to one’s
inner life and development. Beyond mere
survival, we create ourselves in our work” (p. 41). Two leaders: one in a Houston furniture store
and the other on a foreign battlefield did just that. Jim McIngvale, otherwise known as “Mattress
Mack,” is an entrepreneur with one of the largest furniture stores in Houston. Retired General Stanley McChrystal led one of
the largest U.S. forces in battle. Both
men understand change and the importance of strategy and culture.
Mattress Mack faced
the housing crisis in 2008 and later a store fire that destroyed $30 million is
merchandise and an 80% drop in sales. Mack’s
furniture future was precipitously hanging by a thread. To create a new strategy and influence a culture
stooped in tradition, he introduced Influencer Training at his Gallery
Furniture stores and successfully changed the culture and employee behaviors
and ultimately regained momentum.
Brown’s (2011)
strategy-culture matrix describes leadership designs when the need for
strategic change meets the compatibility of that change with the existing
culture. In Mattress Mack’s case, he
realized Gallery Furniture was experiencing a high need for strategic change. Brown said, “Implementing strategic changes
can be done more effectively when the culture of the organization is taken into
consideration” (p. 406). By introducing
the Influencer Training, he hoped to connect better with customers, improve retention
rates, and reinforce the goals of Gallery Furniture.
By pursuing a
strategy of “managing around the culture,” Mack had to reinforce their value
system of meeting customer’s needs. The
Influencer Training addressed the culture by learning more about customers
rather than just selling a piece of furniture (prospecting). To encourage cultural adaptability, he
coached new skills (using computer technology), built an incentive-pay system,
and capitalized on the motivation inherent in recognizing strong performers. Mack successfully changed the behavior of his
sales team. The culture at Gallery
Furniture slowly began to experience customer relevancy and loyalty. Employees did not rely on traditional methods
but rather, embraced new and improved models for increased performance.
Retired General
Stanley McChrystal was the Commander of the International Security Assistance
Force and Commander, U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. He led one of the largest offensive
operations and one of the deadliest months of combat in the Middle East in over
a decade. Spending time in both Iraq and
Afghanistan, McChrystal recognized today’s armed services are made up of men
and women much different than what he faced a mere decade earlier. The terrorist attack of September 11th,
the advent of Internet technology, and the global war on terror forced him to
evolve as a leader and as a commander.
Brown’s (2011)
matrix of the relative strength of a culture describes possible atmospheres
when member’s commitment to values meets the number of the member’s sharing
those values. U.S. soldiers operate with
the core values personified in the acronym LDRSHIP: Loyalty, Duty, Respect,
Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage. Soldiers operating in Afghanistan lay their
lives on the line in committing to these values. With such a high number of soldiers sharing
these values it is easy to identify the U.S. Army as having a “strong culture”
according to Brown’s matrix; especially since he stated, “A strong culture is
characterized by the organization’s basic values being intensely held and
widely shared” (p. 406).
In the military,
especially in a wartime scenario, values are much more than catchy slogans and
office decor. They provide confidence,
strengthen camaraderie, and provide a singular focus throughout the ranks. In the Ranger culture, values can mean life
or death. They proudly proclaim, “We
will never leave a fallen comrade behind.”
In the Army—as is the case in all situations—leadership sets the
example.
With over 30 years
in the military, General McChrystal has seen his fair share of change but
nothing quite as unnerving as the war against terror. If he were to lead successfully, he—like
Mattress Mack above—would be required to “manage around the culture.” The Army was forced to adapt by recognizing
what worked in Desert Storm in the early 1990s would not work in Afghanistan in
2009. While some of the principles that anchored the
Army culture—duty, honor, and courage—would never change, the way in which
people lead and relate have changed dramatically. McChrystal identified a myriad of lessons
from a strong culture in changing times.
For starters, the
environment has changed! It operates at
unprecedented speeds. Moreover, the
military force is dispersed all around the globe forcing leaders to lead
through teleconferences and emails. They
are learning to build trust and develop relationships in the midst of combat. Furthermore, those relationships are
challenged because people have changed.
Different background, genders, and generational differences require
leaders to listen and learn if they ever hope to lead.
From jumping out of
airplanes to bringing furniture into a new home, leadership takes many
forms. Brown’s matrices empower leaders
with insight into the importance of members, values, and the cultural context
in which they lead. As leaders grow and pursue
success, they must seek out and embrace an adaptive mindset. Had McIngvale or McChrystal stood their
ground and forced a traditional model of leadership, they would have failed miserably. When Mattress Mack fails, profits are
lost. When McChrystal fails, lives are
lost. Either way, understanding the
culture and making the necessary changes to meet the current values can prevent
those losses.
Steve
References:
Brown, D.R. (2011). Organization
development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Leavitt, R., & McKeown, R. (2013). Finding allies, building alliances. San Francisco,
CA: Jossey-Bass.
Gini, A., & Green, R.M. (2013). 10 virtues of outstanding leaders. Malden, MA: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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