Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Advice on an Organization's Culture from a Former Chick-fil-A Executive

First, I love Chick-fil-A.  The food and unsweetened tea are terrific. Second, I always enjoy reading a good business story. Third, I think Jim Collins is one of the most intelligent business observers in the United States. 

The article I reference to later in this post is by Ms. Dee Ann Turner, a former Chick-fil-A executive.  The focus of the article is an organization's culture.  And like me, she is a big Jim Collins fan. In fact, she references a Collins book that is one of my favorites. 

I cannot tell you how many articles i read about the importance of culture to an organization.  And having experienced good and weak cultures in the workplace, I can attest that culture is an absolutely critical foundation of a successful business.  

Ms. Turner does indeed value culture.  But that is not the main point of her piece.  Rather, she has two key parts. The first part of her article focuses on  excellent observations on how to tell when the culture is eroding. The second and equally important part is concrete recommendations that can be implemented.  

As an employee this is a valuable resource if the organization values culture.  As an economic developer it is a valuable tool to help determine the quality of a firm we are either recruiting or assisting with an expansion.  After all, most economic developers seek companies who choose to be involved in the community and value their employees. 

So enjoy the article.  It is an important read for all of us who are employees and value culture and for all economic developers who value the firms we recruit and assist with expansions. 

Link to article:  https://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/former-chick-fil-a-vp-dee-ann-turner-this-can-make-great-companies-fall-apart

Note:  Ms. Turner's article is an excerpt from her just published book, Bet on Talent: How to Create a Remarkable Culture That Wins the Hearts of Customers," published by Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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