Culture Commitee

• Is the Culture Committee at Southwest effective in establishing cultural norms?

 Cultural norms, these are behaviors that are carried out by employees on a daily basis because they are used to doing things a certain way and this is what is acceptable. To establish cultural norms we first have to “understand corporate culture; corporate culture is a system of shared values and beliefs that interact with an organization’s people, structure, and systems to produce behavioral norms (OD pg.64)”. I think that the culture committee for southwest airlines understands the culture of a flight attendant and they understand how hard it can sometimes be to finish a long flight and then have to clean the airplane with perhaps an empty stomach. The life a flight attendant can be a thankless job, I think that the culture committee understands that and makes it a point to change the culture from being an underappreciated employee to someone that feels valued.

In many organizations there are a lot of employees that feel like they are just another number, when people from management show them that they are also important, that gesture can go a long way. Employee’s that feel appreciated in an organizations culture can prove to be an important step in creating a better company environment.

• From what you can tell, what is the purpose of the culture committee at Southwest?

The purpose of the culture committee is to improve employee morale, having strong and positive moral at work can have a lasting effect on any business. In my studies of business I have always been made aware of the fact that it is your employees which have the most contact with your customers. If your employees hate their jobs and are very negative at work than this will have a direct effect on a company’s revenue. If you have happy employees which enjoy their jobs than I believe that you will see sales improve as that positive attitude will be transferred through the employee to the customer.

• What would you see as a viable mission for a culture committee in your place of work (or your last place of work if you are not currently working)?

My job at the railroad as management causes me to have a nice and comfortable atmosphere where we occasionally get fed lunch on the companies dime, I have a heated or air-conditioned office, and I have a break room where I can access all different sorts of food and complimentary coffee. My biggest concern are the people who are out there in the field moving our trains in -30 degree temperatures, they work in the heat, rain, sleet or snow. These people are the employees which I could see needing a visit from some sort of culture committee. The culture amongst these employees is very negative and they always feel as if the company is doing them wrong. I believe that there should be a mission to reach out to our field employees much more often.

I think that it would be nice to create a more positive environment amongst field workers and change that corporate culture. The company needs to show that they care about their most valuable employees which are doing the grunt work. It might be as simple as a fresh box of donuts and coffee at the terminal, or perhaps a bigger bonus at the end of the year. I do believe that there is a lot that can be done to improve our company culture on the railroad.

• What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?

From this exercise I will take with me the compassion which is put on display by southwest airlines. In this video they are letting the employees kick their feet up and relax for just a second while on the job, this is an important message which is being put on display. As managers we do not want to have an impression or a corporate culture of being known as slave drivers or ruling the company with an iron fist. It is important that we show compassion for those which are below us and understand that we were once in their shoes also. Most people which are at the top of an establishment for the most part must remember what it was like to be the person that is working out in the cold or extreme heat. We cannot forget our humble beginnings and the hard work that was put in to climb the ladder of success.

I will try to be as understanding as possible with my crews which are out on the field working their hardest to make my organization the best. When I do climb higher in management I will make it a point to show my employees that I have been in their shoes and I know how they feel. This will be an outlook which I will try my hardest to stay true to as I climb to higher positions in my company.  

Question:

Why would a manager not try to bring company morale to a higher level?

Reference

·         Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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21st Century Enlightenment

• Why do you think the talk is titled 21st Century Enlightenment?

This was an extremely detailed video with so many thoughts that I would have to watch it about ten more times to truly understand everything that was said. This was also an amazingly talented person which created this video and all of the art work that went along with this production. With that being said I feel that the producer of this video is trying to bring truth to the 21^st century in a world where the truth is often ignored.

To many times I notice in life that people are living in their own worlds unaware of their surroundings. Many people live in a tiny bubble and are satisfied with their bubble as long as they have their comforts, technology and money. The creator of this video was looking for a way to enlighten his public by talking about what is wrong with the world, teach us about our history and talk about his opinion on how we can fix this world. The creator gives us a proposal of what he thinks the world should be like without directly pointing fingers at everyone around him. The creator of this video recognizes that we are in a whole new world in the 21^st century and he feels that maybe he can enlighten us to our own behaviors.

• What does Matthew Taylor mean when he says "to live differently, you have to think differently"?

“Seeing the world in ourselves as a new entity (Matthew Taylor)”, this is what is required of us so that we can live differently. Thinking differently than anyone has ever thought in the past requires us to see that we are living in a new world, we cannot refer to the way things were done in the past too often. Although we must always learn from history we have to understand that in today’s world science has altered many beliefs which our ancestors believed was the truth.

When I think about living differently I know that I have to reflect on myself and correct some of my behaviors which are imbedded into my conscious. I can see myself doing this many times with my children, many times before I council my children I will stop myself and think “Am I being too old fashioned”? This is something which we all must do as adults in the 21^st century if we are to rise to a new sense of enlightenment. This new way of thinking is what will propel us as a human race to reach a new way of living and I think that this is what Matthew Taylor had in mind as he created this production.

• At one point in the video (4:10), Taylor argues that we need "to resist our tendencies to make right or true that which is merely familiar and wrong or false that which is only strange". What is he talking about? Can you think of an example within your company or your life that supports this point?

This is a very similar example to what I stated in my last answer, resisting the temptation to conform to what is imbedded into our brains as children and carry them out as adults only because they feel right. Something that is strange is not always wrong and it is important to stop and analyze what is new to progress in life.

I will revert to my family again for this question because I feel that I can make a big difference with them if I can break my habits of conforming to what I think is right “just because”. Many times I am guilty of scolding my children on things which I think are not right without reasoning. I do it just because I was taught as a child on how certain situations are to be handled by a father. This video has caused me to reflect on who I am as a person and why I do the things that I do on an everyday basis, reflecting on ourselves is what Matthew Taylor was talking about.

• Taylor argues that our society should eschew elements of pop culture that degrade people and that we should spend more time looking into what develops empathetic citizens. Would this be possible?

When I think about this question I believe that a large portion of pop culture in today’s society is developing empathetic citizens. Sometimes I feel that we are becoming a society which is too empathetic causing us to foster an entitlement based society which is far too dependent upon others and government to get them through life. I do feel that even though we are becoming much more enlightened in the 21^st century we are also losing our basic instincts like survival because of a much more empathetic society. Our instincts of survival do not always depend on rather or not we can hunt for game but rather a human can survive in a modern world. I feel that the will to strive and be the best is lost when you have others who will always be there to catch you when you fall. Sometimes not having a safety net can bring out a humans raw instincts and force them to become someone amazing.

To answer the question I do believe that we are currently creating a society which is full of empathetic citizens. It is not wrong but I do believe that there needs to be a balance and there should be a way in which every citizen which wants to participate in our society must hold their own one day and contribute to society.

   

• At the end of the video, Taylor talks about atomizing people from collaborative environments and the destructive effect on their growth. What is the implication of these comments for organizational change efforts?

In organizational development change is a key factor and if we are to stump change within an organization than we are stumping the growth of an organization. Change is key to the success of any organization and those which cannot allow themselves to change might very well be left in the past.

• What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?

This exercise has enlightened me in a way that I never thought a way of thinking could be altered in a matter of ten minutes. The challenge now will be to fight my instincts and put down my pride so that I can continue to grow as a person. If I get stuck to think that life must only follow one course and everything must be done a certain way that it will be hard for me to keep up in the 21^st century. I will take this thought with me to work today and see what I can open my eyes to, as a manager I must especially keep my mind open to many different ideas. I do feel that this could be a life changing moment, my only obstacle will be myself.

Questions-

Does empathy towards mankind always make us better?

Are we living life the right way?

Will we as humans reach a new form of being eventually?

Reference:

21st century Enlightenment [Motion picture]. (2015). You tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC7ANGMy0yo&feature=youtu.be

    

Looking Beyond

            Vision and power, two powerful words which have guided me through life. Without vision are we just wondering aimlessly through life? It might feel that way if we are content in staying where we are and remaining the same person because it is easier. Power is what will give you the strength to follow that vision and push through any obstacle which you may encounter. When you put power and vision together you will develop a following which will only add to your strength.

            These are some of the beliefs which I live by and I appreciate the way that it is presented in the video called “Vision and Power” by Sally Kohn. Pessimist and pragmatists will only slow down the process of success, not only will people like this slow down progress of a company but the progress of mankind.

            I have been lucky enough to work for a company which has been in this country for well over a century. The company which I work for is called BNSF railroad, this is a company which is the product of many mergers but the base from which it all started is still present. I am proud to be a part of an organization like this because I know that my railroad is a product of vision and power. Something which is done on such a large scale can only be accomplished by people who had a vision and did whatever it took to reach their goals.

            I see how this video can relate to my organization in many ways because recently BNSF has gone above and beyond by investing billions of dollars into infrastructure, development and employee growth. It is easy for a company like this to just sit back and continue to make profit, what is impressive is that we are not content with just sitting back and letting change come on its own. BNSF has invested in America’s latest oil boom in the Bakken Shale and is now enjoying the fruits of their labor. BNSF continues to face challenges head on and has not let minor obstacles stop them from their vision of being able to transport the majority of oil from this location.

            Vision and power are two of the most important keys to mankind which have transformed us from the people of the Stone Age to the advanced civilizations which we are a part of today. Without having a vision and believing in it I nor my organization nor the world would be who and what we are. Pioneers have paved the way all throughout history and I feel that these traits are imbedded in all humans who can look past a challenge. Being able to look past these minor challenges are what create great leaders and further organizational development.

 

Reference

Kohn, S. (2007, November 7). Vision and Power. Retrieved January 15, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZVIWZGheXY