Monthly Archives: November 2009

Zappos gets Culture

Posted on November 25, 2009 by | 5 Comments

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the current cultural buzz factory ‘Zappos’ the billion dollar online shoe store.

I got a unique opportunity to have dinner with their CEO Tony Hsieh & their COO Alfred Lin.  The following day which was Saturday they set up a 90 minute exclusive tour for 12 of us followed by an additional 90 minute  behind the scenes Q&A session where they really opened up to us.

To start with – I was intrigued and a little bit cynical.  Where they REALLY as good as all this press was saying ?

I’d been the Chief Operating Officer for 1-800-GOT-JUNK? during the heyday of the companies growth and cultural buzz.  During the midst of my tenure I was lucky to be there when we ranked #1 Company to Work For in BC two years in a row by BC Business Magazine and then ranked #2 in all of Canada to Work For.  I knew how the whole culture thing worked.  I saw how we cranked it up – and I saw it go up and down at various points during our growth.  We were having tours & Q&A’s of our company every Friday during those days too.  Were they really this good ? What did they do differently ?

I’d also helped build a couple other companies over the years with awesome cultures. College Pro Painters was where I cut my teeth with culture, and Ubarter.com was where I had fun trying it the dotcom way.  1-800- GOT-JUNK? was where we nailed it.

So with Zappos, I just wanted to see if they were REALLY as good as all their press said (and I’ve had lots of experience getting Free PR too)…..

Here is what I learned at Zappos.  I wouldn’t say I was blown away – I wasn’t – but it was damn good and I learned.  I was and still am in awe of HOW DEEPLY rooted their CEO & COO both live the core values that eminate throughout the company.  I have to go back on a weekday now too – to be fair – in an office that seats 700 people only about 20 were milling about.  My bet is the energy is mind blowing when they bring me back.

Key Points I saw and learned:

—First 10 hires are the most important people to ever hire.  They hire everyone else and they set the direction of the company culturally.

—Core values first…Make all your decisions based on them.  They asked employees what the core values should be and they call each other on them daily.

—They grade employees on how they are living the core values in all roles, two times a year.

—They bring job candidates from the airport in a shuttle. And after they drop off the candidate they ask the driver for his thoughts on the candidates fit culturally – the interview starts at the airport.

—To figure out your company core values they really pushed to have us ask ourselves what are our own personal core values….the company values come out of those.

—Core values should be short phrases not just single words like “passion”

—They tell the employees that they are responsible for care taking the core values.

—Culture is like what makes a flock of birds work with out leaders as they all fly and turn as a group. It’s their cultural DNA.

—As their CEO Tony said – if you don’t fire people for not following core values they become a meaningless plaque on the wall

—In 2003 they decided they wanted to be about customer service. So they cut a profitable model of drop shipping to REALLY focus on Customer Experience – and um – it’s working.

—Most important thing they’ve done is exceed expectations.

—Every year they print and give out a Culture Book (I got copies of 2008 & 2009) and it is only edited for grammar and spelling.

—Tony is obsessed with Happiness  – and suggests we all read the “Happiness Hypothesis”

—I think their quirky decorating of all workstations is a little bit too cluttered, dusty, and could use a few days of junk removal – but if that’s the only negative I found then even a guy with all my A.D.D. could turn a blind eye.

These guys GET Culture.  I only wish I could buy shares in the company.  Too bad Amazon bought the whole company for over $900 Million a few months ago :(

This guest post was written by:

Tony Hsieh, Cameron Herold, Alfred Lin

Cameron Herold

Founder, BackPocket COO
www.BackPocketCOO.com

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The Importance of Cultural Fit – Part II

Posted on November 19, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Cultural Fit Part II -  How to hire the “Perfect” Candidate

A lot of people will wish you luck in finding the perfect candidate – they will say that you need it. Not true! Employers can make their own luck by carefully selecting the right person and merging him/her with your existing team.

Like any successful business practice, a little bit of process and planning will yield huge dividends.

Start with the Details

First, you must be able to describe the position in a detailed and accurate way.  To do this, systematically evaluate why previous employees have left. Were there technical gaps? Relationships that never gelled?  Examine performance reviews for the entire team, and look for recurring themes of strength or weakness. Use this information to draw up a new, fully detailed job description that focuses equally on technical expertise and behavioural characteristics. Yes, you may want to skip this step! Persevere – this information will allow you to exactly pinpoint the person you’re looking for.

Build a Common Vision

If this is a complex role, ensure senior managers involved in the hiring process generally agree on what a “perfect” candidate looks like in terms of experience and personality. Schedule a brief meeting, and separate the criteria into “must have” and “helpful to have”. You may be surprised to hear how members of the same team view the role differently! This meeting will provide clarity once you begin the interview process, and will save valuable time and effort.

What Do You Need to Know From Your Candidates?

Select the right interview questions to screen for desired behaviours. To do this, go through the information you learned in step one, and ask for specific examples of how the candidate has dealt with similar challenges in the past. This is called Behavioural Interviewing Techniques, and it brings a great deal of clarity about a candidate’s experience and their way of thinking. Truly, it explains how they “get things done,” which is a combination of internal motivators, external motivators and communication style. If you follow this process, the top 1-2 candidates should stick out by a mile.   Click here for inspiration.

Mentor Success!

Congratulations, you’ve chosen an amazing person for your organization and your work is done. Well, almost! Research shows the on-boarding process ultimately determines whether a person succeeds or fails.  An employee handbook is no longer sufficient.  During the first ninety days, your new employee must quickly learn the unspoken and unwritten rules about how the organization operates – ie. your culture. How quickly they learn this determines their success, and this is particularly true for senior management and executive roles. As a direct manager, you are responsible for ensure they understand your culture and communicate in an appropriate style. Many managers believe the new employee should have to “prove themselves” or “establish their value to the team.” However, we believe that current market conditions, changes in business direction and competitor threats will give your new team member ample opportunity to contribute to your organization! Most importantly, ensuring your new hire feels welcomed and respected means you’ll avoid having to go back to step one.

Your ability to mentor your new hire will allow them to shine, and effectively contribute to your organization!

~ Julie Steele

photo credit: Joe Shlabotnik

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The Importance of Cultural Fit – Part I

Posted on November 16, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Whether you’re aware of it or not, ‘cultural fit’ affects everyone  in the workplace. In fact, the higher up you go, the more important it  becomes (and you thought it was getting easier!).  This is partly as a result of  the new way we view our work.  The old expectations – that an employer would hire us at age 22 and provide us with a gold watch at age 65 – are gone.  We  now expect to work for several employers, possibly with more than one occupation.  New research suggests turnover is often caused by poor cultural fit,  where the values and beliefs held by the wider organization differ from the individual’s. Essentially, the wrong fit can make a high performer far less effective.

Culture is made up of the values, beliefs, and behaviours shared by a group – it’s the unspoken way we relate to each other.  When dealing with a thorny client issue, do  employees bend over backwards, or avoid calls? Does the CEO solicit ideas, or does everyone solve problems by themselves? The strength of these relationships ultimately affect the success of the you as an individual, and the broader organization.

If you are considering a promotion or a new role, here are some helpful hints to choose the right culture for you!

1) Begin by knowing a bit about yourself. There are excellent Behavioural Analysis Assessments available online (ie. DISC, Myers-Briggs, etc).   Discuss the results with  someone you trust.

2) Evaluate the criteria that are important to you, which might  include: sustainability, community involvement, sports activities, flexible working hours, parental leave, etc.

3) During the interview process, ask individuals how they would define their culture. A great question to ask is, “What kind of person thrives here?”, or “how do you get things done around here?” These questions go to the
heart of operating norms. You should expect a relatively consistent response across different levels of the organization!

4) Consider that the culture of your immediate group/division may be slightly different than the overall organization.

5) Finally, before you accept the new role, use your network to verify your own conclusions. Former employees provide excellent information. Also consider speaking to external consultants and suppliers, they’ll have a
slightly different perspective on both culture and efficiencies.

There are so many exciting and diverse organizations, with different goals and attitudes – choose one that is right for you!

~ Julie Steele

photo credit: oskay

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How I harnessed the wind

Posted on November 12, 2009 by | Leave a comment

William Kamkwamba: How I harnessed the wind

Sources of inspiration can manifest in so many ways. Because inspiration is such a deeply personal thing and is unique to every individual one never knows where it may be found next. This short TED talk is just so. We have all endured so much this past year with the economic roller coaster and never ending turns and bumps in the road. To find such a simple message is exactly what we are looking for. Nothing manufactured about it. Its a reminder to us all that we don’t have to find inspiration in things that are perfect. In fact, the more raw in format the better to consume.  When you hear William Kamkwamba speak and his universal message of the power to persevere, it will warm your heart.  William says “Trust yourself and believe whatever happens, don’t give up”.  Thank you William. You were just what we needed.

At the end of his TED talk, the audience applauds, and you can see William start to quietly clap his hands with them.  Perhaps you will too.

~ Jessica Rozitis

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Your Career as a Pyramid

Posted on November 4, 2009 by | Leave a comment

pyramidPyramids are the talk of my house right now for my 6.5 year old so when I happened upon the Pyramid concept in a recent Fast Company article it easily caught my eye. Pyramid style thinking in relation to a career progression is a current way to look at traditional statements like the ‘corporate ladder’ or ‘ladder of success’. These statements are so 1999. Life just doesn’t work that way anymore.

Nowadays some have even likened career growth to that of a jungle gym. Getting the picture? With corporate mergers, acquisitions and just about everything in between there will definitely be curve balls. You need to be nimble and agile and open to go in directions different from those you initially intended.

Carol Bartz, the CEO of Yahoo, shares her best career advice: “You need to build your career not as a ladder, but as a pyramid. You need to have a base of experience because it’s a much more stable structure. And so that involves taking lateral moves. And it involves getting out of your comfort zone.”

Bartz’s advice is sage for Managers leading their teams through career progression. Awareness of pyramid style movement helps managers work together with their teams to ensure their team get the most out of each level of experience and potential within their organization.  The pyramid is a great concept as you can build it as wide and as high as you see fit. Fast company writer, Lindsay Pollak writes, ‘It (the pyramid) suggests that a career is something from which you can’t “fall off” or “fall through the cracks.” It connotes stability and strength.’

Chris Brogan’s recent article, How to Level Up, gives a different take and for many, a nostalgic one. He references Super Mario Brothers and states that ‘leveling up is when you reach the end of a series of activities, face a big challenge, and then move to the next level’. For me I remember Pac Man and more recently Halo!

Two of my favourite points from Level Up:

Do the small stuff. In games, especially early on, there are repetitive tasks that bring you early victories.

Accept difficult challenges. Some games require you to fail over and over. They simply can’t be beat the first time out. Learning about failure is a huge thing.

And what I’ve learned over the years of building my pyramid is to not forget to laugh. You will find yourself on new levels this way.

~ Sarah McNeill

photo credit: tibchris

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