To the Point: Dispatches from the Ethical Frontier

values. During three days, tens of thousands Refreshing Corporate Val- of employees logged onto a company intranet ues: Big Blue’s How-To site that let them observe and participate in instant-message-style sessions about corporate Reinforcing common values can be challenging values and how they shape what employees do. across a huge company—but as the case of IBM shows, technology can make the process easier. Thousands of these participants posted, chat- ted, or shared their personal experiences about Companies often start with their founders’ IBM values and how they’ve been lived out. noblest of aspirations and grandest of dreams. “There was certainly a tremendous amount of Decades later, their employees may number in enthusiasm surrounding the jam at the time,” the thousands and work across the country or says John Preli, IBM director and trust and even globe. How do leaders reinforce the origi- compliance officer. “It was the largest experi- nals goal of doing good for workers, customers, ment IBM had ever done in terms of engaging and the world? employees on a global scale.” Nearly a century after its founding, with more Over the next two months, the jam discussions than 400,000 employees worldwide, IBM found were analyzed using textual analysis tools. As a itself in just this position. result, the company got a snapshot of how em- The company’s first CEO, Thomas J. , ployees saw IBM values and how they translat- and later his son, Thomas J. Watson, Jr., valued ed into behavior. The words “trust,” “invention,” Engage employees. Some managers gath- excellence, customer service, and respect “innovation,” and “client” were among those ered their departments together in a conference for the individual. They wanted employees to used most often during the jam, the supercom- room, computers in hand, to jam together and express these values as well. puter analysis found. then talk about what they’d seen and learned. Based on the results, the company then updat- “It became a social event,” Preli says. ed its “basic beliefs” to resonate in the modern Address the drivers of behavior. Information world. Customer service translated into “dedica- gathered in a jam can be used to create “work tion to every client’s success.” Excellence today streams” to address issues that surface. Leaders meant “innovation that matters for the company and departments can be tasked with improving and the world.” And respect for the individual an often-mentioned problem area. became “trust and personal responsibility in all Accept that shifting culture is a journey relationships.” One famous strategy was the creation of a and doesn’t happen overnight. IBM didn’t “I talk about values as roots of the tree,” Preli songbook that put IBM-related lyrics to well stop with one jam. It’s since held innovation says. “People ask how you can change the roots known melodies. First thing in the morning, jams in 2006 and 2008, a social business jam of a tree. I say we didn’t change the roots of the songs like “IBM One Hundred Percent Club” in 2011, and several others under new CEO, tree—we just repotted it into a larger pot.” would be sung to the tune of songs like “I’ve . Participation rates have grown Been Workin’ on the Railroad” in praise of the steadily, with hundreds of thousands of employ- company. Key Points ees now actively participating in each jam. That was a bygone era. Today, new strategies Involve leaders—CEO sponsorship is Make culture tangible. Leaders take positive fueled by innovation have been put into place. critical. “In any professional environment, the action based on jam results. After the 2003 IBM puts its own sophisticated technology to demands on your time are greater than you values jam, they solidified their refreshed use evoking and enacting its core values. have time available,” Preli says, so executives corporate values. After the 2008 innovation jam, they identified 10 common themes, including In 2003—long before social platforms like must signal that something is worth prioritizing. how they could apply IBM technology to solve a Facebook or Twitter took hold—executives held Before the values jam, then-CEO Sam Palmi- societal problem—and funded 10 ideas to help a worldwide IBM values “jam” to engage its sano sent out a note encouraging participation. do just that. Those ideas became the foundation huge global workforce to refresh the company And many executives blocked off an hour of time on their calendars for jamming. for IBM’s Smarter Planet strategy. ethicalleadership.nd.edu