Guiding Corporate Culture using our Commitments

Here’s a transformational idea that requires no new products, but aligns customer focus with cultural innovation to drive growth and improve efficiency.  The idea is simple in concept, but will take time to implement:

Let's look at the list of commitments for a typical company:

• Customers

• Shareholders

• Employees

• Communities

What if we ordered this list of commitments rather than simply list them ?

1. Customers

2. Shareholders

3. Employees

4. Communities

Many companies "talk" about putting Employees first, but their priorities are typically set by the Shareholders who are often placed first.  The order of these commitments are at the core of driving the corporate culture (in any organization).

Perhaps there is a greater opportunity for us to align ourselves with our customers and with enabling sustainable value for the future.  What if we ordered this list ?  What impact would that have on the way we make decisions in the company ?

For example:  What if the corporate commitment read:

1. Customers

2. Employees

3. Shareholders

4. Communities

It might change the way we budget and the way we address employee needs.   The best companies in the world are using the first list I provided.  The order of these commitments ultimately guides the decision making which drives strategy.

Another important outcome to consider...

By placing employees ahead of shareholders, a company might have a different approach when facing pressure from shareholders to reduce staffing levels in favor of margins.