Product: ETNEWMumbaiBS PubDate: 17-07-2015 Zone: CDMumbai Edition: 1 Page: CDMBP User: sandeepd0203 Time: 07-10-2015 17:44 Color: CMYK

and finally 04 Corporate Dossier July 17-23, 2015

guru speak Michael Lee Stallard , President and co-founder, E Pluribus Partners Why connecting people matters

lines so you can see for yourself if they prohibited humour made at the expense of Connection cultures are thriving or struggling. Are they ener- others. Rather than thinking of other indi- foster shared ideas getic and engaged, or are they simply going viduals and organisations as competitors, through the motions? When you are meeting Mulally employed a ‘win-win’ mindset and which fuels innovation with them, do they feel free to speak up and approach in relationships that helped him share constructive criticism? forge mutually beneficial agreements at work, says In addition, it is also wise to conduct an with the United Auto Workers’ union and annual employee engagement survey to as- Ford’s suppliers. Michael Lee Stallard sess whether or not managers are living the In the area of ‘voice’, Mulally expected By values and creating connection cultures. leaders to openly share the obstacles they Priyanka Sangani Relying on your observations and conver- faced. He celebrated and enthusiastically sations alone is insufficient as people may praised leaders who helped one another in- ot all cultures are created equal. merely put on a happy face or ‘say the right stead of focusing solely on problems in their Companies that foster a ‘con- thing’ in your presence, especially if his or domain. Mulally developed a process called nection culture’ are more likely her supervisor is there. the weekly ‘Business Plan Review’ meeting to perform better than others that increased voice by encouraging feed- N because their people are willing to If not, what steps can the leader take to back and honest dialogue. go the extra mile to make a difference. In his establish and foster this kind of an envi- new book, Connection Culture, Michael Lee ronment? What are the possible fallouts of not Stallard, president and co-founder, E Pluribus Connection cultures have leaders who com- having a connected culture? Partners, uses examples ranging from rock municate an inspiring vision and live it, Subcultures of control or indifference ulti- band U2, to leaders like Ratan Tata and Alan value people, and give them a voice. We teach mately lead to subpar performance. People Mulally of Ford Motors as examples of how the 3V leadership model, Vision + Value + in these environments withhold informa- to do it right. He answered questions from Voice = Connection. Vision, value and voice tion because it’s not relationally safe to Corporate Dossier on how leaders can build a are created through attitudes, language and share it. This results in knowledge traps that connection culture. Edited excerpts: behaviours that leaders cultivate. sabotage performance. The year Alan Mulally arrived at Ford as Only connection cultures meet the hu- What made you write this book? When you are CEO, sales, market share and profits were man need for connection so that people I wrote Connection Culture to help organisa- in a connection falling, and the automaker’s culture could be perform at the top of their game. In connec- tions achieve greater productivity, innova- culture, you described as silo rivalries with leaders em- tion cultures people give their best efforts, feel included tion and results. Most employee engage- broiled in turf wars. Ford’s culture drove it to increase alignment with their managers’ and part of the ment “programs” fail to improve engage- team versus the verge of bankruptcy. By the time Mulally and an organisation’s objectives and com- ment and the bottom line. Engagement can- feeling announced his retirement in May 2014, he municate more so that decision makers have not be improved with a program. It requires unsupported had led Ford to 19 consecutive profitable more information to help them make opti- implementing a system-wide process that quarters and rising market share in North mal decisions. promotes a healthy culture and identifies America. Ford had become one of the finest Finally, in connection cultures the mar- unhealthy sub-cultures, then intervenes to What is a ‘connection culture’? of control, those with power, control, carmakers in the world. ketplace of shared ideas and information help managers learn to create and sustain A connection culture is the collective status, and influence rule over others. Alan Mulally changed the Ford culture fuels new product, process and business connection cultures. attitudes, language and behaviours of a In a culture of indifference, everyone is by communicating an inspiring vision, innovation. It is essential to develop managers into group that create a bond that moves self-cen- so busy they don’t take time for relation- using founder Henry Ford’s ‘opening the Research has shown that these benefits leaders. A manager is someone who tred people toward group-centred member- ships. Connection cultures excel at rela- highways for all mankind’ to express how provide a powerful source of competitive ad- organises tasks and resources to achieve ship. When you are in a connection culture, tionships while cultures of control and Ford is making the world a better place and vantage to companies that have connection desirable ends. People follow managers you feel included and part of the team ver- indifference do not. serving others. Mulally described Ford as subcultures throughout their organisation. because they have authority to hire, fire, sus feeling unsupported, left out, or lonely. giving people ‘freedom of mobility’ so they Companies that predominantly have cul- pay and promote. A leader goes beyond In a connection culture, people develop As a leader, how do you determine can ‘access opportunities for growth’. This tures of control and cultures of indifference managing, to connect with the people he supportive, cooperative, and collaborative whether this kind of a culture exists united Ford’s people around the vision and are being left behind simply because they or she leads. People want to follow leaders relationships. in your organisation or not? focused them on a cause greater than self. are being outperformed. CD (rather than have to) and that makes all the This is in contrast to a ‘culture of control’ Two ways. First, get out of your office Mulally valued people. In meetings, he was a difference to performance. and a ‘culture of indifference’. In a culture and interact with people on the front facilitator/coach rather than a dictator. He [email protected]

:: exec salon GRAPHICA :: wanderlust :: exec salon wanderlust 5 BLUNDERS THAT :: BUSINESSES LIVED TO REGRET These business bloopers cost companies a lot of money

XEROX LETTING APPLE at Penn INTO THEIR LAIR State In the 1980s, Apple offered Xerox $1 campus, USA million of stock to allow a good number of Apple employees (including Steve ANIRBAN BORA ANIRBAN How can men groom their Jobs) to visit their facility for three R.M Vishakha days. Apple went on to leverage the eyebrows? MD & CEO, IndiaFirst Life Insurance knowledge they acquired at Xerox to Big, thick eyebrows aren’t a build the modern personal computer Far out destination: A secluded problem for men (see George and today the company is worth $110 beach resort at Pataya Clooney or Akshay Kumar) but if billion dollars. Xerox sued Apple in Bon Vivant moment: Snorkeling. they meet in the middle, you may the late 1980s for using their Graphical have a problem on your hands – Getting over the feel of weightless- User Interface technology, but the case ness to view the coral reef up close and face. You need exceptional was dismissed. features to carry off the unibrow at Mauritius look. Older men are better off Outdoorsy activity: Cycling along going through a little trouble the hilly terrains of Kodaikanal and and plucking out those hairs in ABC TURNING DOWN realising that ‘being out of touch’ the middle. Plucking is a time- BILL COSBY can be a mental state…... some consuming exercise, so it may be In 1984, Bill Cosby approached ABC things just come back to you best to ask your barber to tidy about buying his sitcom which cen- Panoramic views: The Himalayan your brows up. But if you don’t tred around a wealthy black family. range from Gangtok quite trust your barber to pull Unfortunately, they turned down his THE RECORD COMPANY THAT Indian Surprise: Ragi Dosa on the off this delicate task or if you just proposal. ABC was worried about road from Bangalore to Kodaikanal. like doing these things yourself, the fact that viewers would find the REFUSED THE BEATLES The healthiest and tastiest meal I we suggest you get a good pair of unrealistic portrayal of an upscale The iconic British band The Beatles were eager to have encountered tweezers, the kind that doesn’t and well-educated black household get a record deal. They were nervous during their Best Drive: Newark Airport to Penn slip when gripping the hair. incredulous. Bill Cosby went on to sell audition but confident in their chances of snatch- State university in USA in spring Tweeze right after you come out his show to NBC and it was the net- ing it. Decca’s A&R representative, Mike Smith, of the shower when your hair fol- work’s #1 show four years on the trot decided to sign another band because he felt ‘’gui- Gourmet Delights: Shiro’s at Parel licles are relaxed. You can tweeze and became the most profitable series tar groups were on their way out.’’ That was un- in Mumbai… not sure if it is the am- out the thicker hairs and leave the on television. doubtedly the greatest bungle he ever made. Rest, bience or the food or the service. finer ones. This will thin out the as they say is history. The whole experience make me area making the hair look less no- want to go back to celebrate spe- ticeable, but not completely hair- cial moments free. Eyebrow hairs take a long Street Food Surprises: Nothing time to grow back, so be careful. like a mirchi bhajji on the streets of If you remove too much hair from Hyderabad the middle, you risk making your JC PENNEY eyebrows look feminine. Mark ELIMINATING SALES Best Bar: The concept of The Bar the limit with a pencil from the The department store strived to ex- Stock Exchange in Mumbai is ex- outer sides of your nostrils to cel among competitors, so CEO Ron tremely interesting your brow. Johnson came up with a new strategy: Goofy Traveller moment: Trying to eliminate ‘’sales’’ and ‘’fake prices’’. to ask for safety pins during my Write to us with your grooming Instead, they would make everyday first ever visit to Hong Kong. queries at [email protected] prices reflect the previous sales prices Spelt it out, drew it and finally THE AWKWARD AOL/TIME WARNER MERGER and wouldn’t price items ending in 9 but went over to the housekeeping When AOL and Time Warner announced their amalgamation in 2000, it use whole figures. Eventually, it turned section and rummaged through received a lot of press and hoopla. Unfortunately, by the time the companies out to be a blunder. That customers their things and showed them divorced, their collective value had plummeted from $300 billion to $40 bil- preferred to feel like they were getting what it was lion. The deflation was mostly due to culture clashes, leadership differences a bargain, because JCPenny’s revenue Traveller tips: Always carry band and bursting of the dot com bubble. dropped 25% that year, and almost aids, rubber bands, safety pins, 20,000 employees had to be pink-slipped. basic medicines for a common cold,

ANIRBAN BORA ANIRBAN upset stomach and silly ailments. It (Excerpted from Business Insider) is so difficult to get any of these if

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