Why don’t competitors do any of this? by patrick lencioni

About Pat:

Patrick Lencioni is founder and president of The Table Group, a firm dedicated to providing organizations with ideas, products and services that improve teamwork, clarity, employee engagement and business results. Pat's passion for organizations and teams is reflected in his writing, speaking and executive consulting. He is the author of several best-selling business books with over five million copies sold. Prior to founding his firm, he worked as a corporate executive for Sybase, Oracle and Bain & Company.

Stooping to Greatness

By Patrick Lencioni | December 2010 | Simple Wisdom for Organizations

This article is a reprint from:

Pat’s Point of View - A collection of essays on Leadership and Management

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to spend time with the CEO of one of America’s most successful companies, a legendary organization know for its employee and customer satisfaction, as well as its financial performance. I attended their company’s management conference, listened to various presentations about the culture, and the extraordinary, homey and sometimes slightly wacky practices that distinguish them from their competitors.

Overwhelmed by the organization’s simple and powerful behavioral philosophy, I asked the CEO a semi-rhetorical question. “Why in the world don’t your competitors do any of this?” The CEO thought about it for a moment and said, “You know, I honestly believe they think its beneath them.”.

And right away, I knew he was right.

After all, every one of those competitors, the vast majority of whom are struggling, knows exactly what this company does, how it works and how much it has driven its financial success. The company’s cultural approach has been chronicled in more than a few books. And yet, none of them tries to emulate it. In fact, based on numerous interactions I’ve had with employees who work for those competitors, I’d have to say that their attitude is often dismissive, even derisive, toward this company and its enthusiastic employees.

And this dynamic exists in other industries, too. A quick-service company I know has remarkable customer loyalty, as well as unbelievable employee satisfaction and retention, especially compared to the majority of their competitors. The leaders and employees of the company attribute most of their success to the behavioral philosophy and attitude that they’ve cultivated within the organization, and the unconventional yet effective activities that result.

One example of that philosophy is the action of the CEO, who shows up at grand openings of new franchises where he stays up all night with employees, playing instruments and handing our food to excited customers. Few CEOs would be happy, or even willing, to do things like this, but this executive relishes the opportunity. These, and other activities that most MBAs would call corny, are precisely what makes that company unique.

This happens in the world of sports, as well. There is a well-know high school football team where I live that is ranked near the top of national polls every year. They play the best teams in the country, teams with bigger and more highly touted players, and they beat them regularly. The secret to their success, more than any game strategy or weight-lifting regiment, comes down to the coach’s philosophy about commitment and teamwork and the by-in he gets from his players. That philosophy manifests itself in a variety of simple cations which speak to how the players treat one another on and off the field. For example, players pair up every week and exchange 3x5 cards with hand-written commitments around training and personal improvement, and then take responsibility for disciplining one another when those commitments aren’t met. 

And yet, whenever I explain this and similar practices of the team to other coaches who are curious about their success, I encounter that same sense of dismissiveness. They get a look on their face that seems to say, “listen, I’m not going to do that. It’s silly. Just tell me something technical that I can use.” As a result, few teams actually try to copy them. Some skeptics might say, “come on, those companies/teams are successful because they’re good at what they do.” And they’d be right. Those organization are undoubtedly and extremely competent in their given fields, and they have to be in order to succeed. But plenty of other organizations are just as competent and don’t achieve great levels of success, and I honestly believe it’s because they’re unwilling to stoop down and do the simple, emotional, home-spun things that all human beings – employees, customers, players – really crave.

What’s at the heart of this unwillingness? I think it’s pride. Though plenty of people in the world say they want to be successful, not that many are willing to humble themselves and do the simple things that might seem unsophisticated. Essentially, they come to define success by what people think of them, rather than by what they accomplish, which is ironic because they often end up losing the admiration of their employees and customers/fans.

The good news in all of this is that for those organizations that want to succeed more than they want to maintain some artificial sense of professionalism (whatever that means), there is great opportunity for competitive advantage and success. They can create a culture of performance and service and employee engagement the kind that ensure long term success line no strategy ever could. But only if they’re willing to stoop down and be human, to treat their customers and one another in ways that others might find corny.

~ (almost) End of article

Again, the proceeding article was written by Patrick Lencioni and may be found in his book titled: Pat’s Point of View – A collection of essays on leadership and management

Footnote:

As you know, Southwest had a tragic incident occur on one of its flights last month in which a passenger died. Nothing a company or individual can say at a time like this can ease or erase the pain and loss this passenger’s family has endured. On a flight this morning, I came across Gary Kelly’s letter to Southwest Customers in their in-flight magazine about the accident (photo below). His response is indicative of the encouragement we give to all Executives and their Teams - a Leader creates Trust by being vulnerable, and as the Leader, you always need to Go First and Go Deepest in expressing vulnerability. It is always critical for Leaders to be Vulnerable, but never more so than when a tragedy occurs. 

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Foot-in-Mouth Note:

So, as Pat says often, “we eat our own dog food at The Table Group”, and I had to do so on this morning’s flight. As I head down to Mexico to say goodbye to a dear friend in Hospice, I was a bit abrasive with one of Southwest’s amazing employees. I had the entire flight to reflect upon the need to be Vulnerable and, as I exited the plane, I apologized to him for my actions. This led to an amazing conversation regarding the purpose of life...you never know where things will lead when you Go First. 

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We work with companies of all sizes and industries, and I’m always happy to discuss a current team situation. Reach me at: (925) 876-5856, send me a message through LinkedIn, or e-mail me directly: [email protected]

All the best,

Neil Sullivan, Principal Consultant, Table Group Consulting www.tablegroup.com

The Table Group, a Patrick Lencioni company, is dedicated to providing organizations with ideas, products and services that improve:

• Teamwork
• Clarity
• Employee Engagement

Below are some short videos featuring Pat Lencioni speaking on select Table Group disciplines and concepts:

Healthy vs. smart, in 3-mins of less: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZvnQj1Y_20

The Four Disciplines of a Healthy Organization, in 3mins or less: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31fOTwc7MUA

Building a cohesive leadership team, in 2-mins or less: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMb2lPCDSQ0

The six critical questions for any organization, in 4-mins or less: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXDKo6zT6U8

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, in 5-mins or less: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM5R20LFTq4