Abstract
Why do the 11 organizations discussed throughout this book continue to have such strong souls a long time after they were founded? How have these organizations’ souls managed to transcend decades, transitions in leadership, and the strategic and managerial adaptations necessary to keep up with the demands of changing times? In this chapter, we will explore these questions and more.
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Notes
- 1.
As described to the author by Sister Mary Ann Scofield of Burlingame, California.
- 2.
Lester’s philosophy as reflected in his words: “I think an enterprise is a lot like a rose garden … a commitment that never ends … there must be a chain of unbroken loyalty to keep the garden healthy and beautiful. If neglected or taken for granted, a rose garden or enterprise will wither and lose its vitality. Perhaps a rose garden is such a special thing because it speaks to an enduring faith in the importance of investing in tomorrow. That gardening clone today is a worthwhile investment, because the best days for your garden or your company lie ahead.”
- 3.
In the words of Richard Harvey, whose career at the company began as a mailroom clerk and who is now the president of the Williams-Sonoma (kitchen store) brand, “The long tenure here of so many people says it better than anything else could: Howard Lester’s legacy is not the company; it is each of us.”
- 4.
In 2011, Merrill Lynch had approximately 15,000 financial advisors and more than $2 trillion in client assets, making it the world’s largest brokerage.
- 5.
For years, the company derived inspiration, guidance, and positive provocation from its aspirations statement: “We want a company that our people are proud of and committed to, where all employees have an opportunity to contribute, learn, grow, and advance based on merit, not politics or background. We want our people to feel respected, treated fairly, listened to, and involved. Above all, we want satisfaction from accomplishments and friendships, balanced personal and professional lives, and to have fun in our endeavors.”
- 6.
E. Morris Cox and Lawton Kennedy, “Dodge & Cox: The First Fifty Years.”
- 7.
A senior employee spoke about his early years with the firm: “Mr. Dodge and Mr. Cox always used to lecture us, ‘Be sure you emphasize the clients you have. Don’t worry about getting new ones. If you do a good job with the ones you have, you’ll get new ones.’”
- 8.
For example, Dodge & Cox’s international stock fund is managed by the firm’s nine-person investment policy committee. Five of these individuals have worked at Dodge & Cox for 23–39 years, and the other four for 11–16 years; the average committee member’s tenure is 21 years.
- 9.
By 2011, approximately 90 percent of the firm’s business is serving institutional clients.
- 10.
Stanford 2002 Annual Report, p. 6.
- 11.
The SFO director walks around the airport daily, observing its myriad operations and speaking with employees.
- 12.
Director Martin gives the address to all three shifts (including at 4 a.m.) because SFO is always staffed 24/7.
- 13.
Remodeled Terminal 2, opened in April 2011 at a cost of $388 million, is airy, naturally lit, and boasts many interesting, attractive, and bold works of art, cozy armchairs, 350 power outlets for electronic gadgets, a “recomposure zone” with cushioned ottomans for travelers after security checks, a sleek wood-paneled lobby, a food hall modeled after the one in San Francisco’s Ferry Building with some of the same upscale Bay Area restaurants, and live musical performances. SFO is the only U.S. airport that has an accredited museum. In Terminal 2, music is played in security checkpoints to create a calming effect. Chloe Veltman, “Airport Art Is Not an Oxymoron, At Least Not at SFO,” New York Times, April 1, 2011; Ben Mutzabaugh, “San Francisco Airport’s New Terminal 2 Dazzles,” USA Today, April 12, 2011.
- 14.
“We create ourselves out of the stories we tell about our lives, stories that impose purpose and meaning on experiences that often seem random and discontinuous. As we scrutinize our own past in the effort to explain ourselves to ourselves, we discover—or invent—consistent motivations, characteristic patterns, fundamental values, a sense of self.” Drew Gilpin Faust, “Living History,” Harvard Magazine (May–June 2003): 39–43, 81–83. “Stories shape the way we learn how to approach the world. If the stories speak to the struggles and hopes of our own experience, they give us confidence in our future.” Alan Briskin, The Stirring of the Soul in the Workplace (Bessett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 1998, p. xvii). HP was regarded as a “good story-telling company … the yarns, passed on from employee to employee, were mostly about Bill and Dave … and their no-nonsense down-to-earth management style and well-known concern for employees. Others tell of how this style defined the company’s culture of openness and innovations, belovedly known as the ‘HP Way.’” Benjamin Pimentes, “The Story on HP,” San Francisco Chronicle October 6, 2002, pp. 61, 68.
- 15.
Jack Welch, the highly regarded GE CEO, reputedly developed annually a 20-page explanation of GE’s vision and values that was shared and discussed with all business teams.
- 16.
The symbolic and galvanizing importance given to the Wells Fargo stagecoach, Merrill Lynch bull, and SFO International Terminal and T-2 all bear a striking similarity to the power of a nation’s flag. “I remember long moments staring at it [the Stars and Stripes] wondering to myself how a piece of cloth could have such power.” Jacob Needleman, The American Soul (2002, p. 33).
- 17.
“Taking an interest in one’s own soul requires a certain amount of space for reflection and appreciation.” Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul (1992, p. 14).
- 18.
A simple but powerful example of an organization’s approach to reminding its members and recruits about success is offered by the U.S. Navy SEALS. After an individual graduates from the arduous and lengthy entry-level “Buds” training and tests, he or she is allowed to wear a brown T-shirt, whereas “Buds” participants wear white T-shirts.
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© 2013 David B. Zenoff
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Zenoff, D.B. (2013). Why Organizations Can Endure for Decades. In: The Soul of the Organization. Apress, Berkeley, CA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4302-4966-5_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4302-4966-5_5
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