A521.5.4.RB - Aligning Values
Based on the readings in the Denning text and the assessment you took
in A521.5.1 identify in detail the process of developing and aligning
organizational values. Identify the three basic components of an ethical
community and discuss how they might be applied in your organization. Are there
values that are missing from your organization?
Discuss how you might develop those values and also align them with the
values of the individuals in the organization.
When you hear a company proclaim that they have integrity,
compassion, or care about you, the customer, but then turn around and double charge your
account and argue with you when you call to get it fixed…that is misalignment
of message: the organizational values do not align with what they are actually
doing, and it is quite frustrating. Recently, Wells Fargo has been in the news
for fraudulent activity regarding employees who actually created false
accounts, moved customer’s money to these created accounts, and caused
customers to have overdrafts and additional fees. “The San Francisco bank, with
its folksy stagecoach logo, has positioned itself as a solid, Main Street
lender that avoided the excesses of the financial crisis and other missteps on
Wall Street.” (Glazer, 2016)
I worked for Wells Fargo in Tacoma, WA back in 2001 – 2003 as a teller. I was working there when the 9/11
attacks happened and watched customers come in and demand their entire balances
in cash. We rolled an old black & white TV from the break room and had the
news coverage playing all day. We cared about our customers and tried to put
them at ease during a time of great confusion and pain. As tellers, we were
encouraged to help our customers every day by reviewing their accounts and
seeing if the customers qualified for higher interest accounts – without
incurring additional fees for minimum balances. We were not to make these
changes without permission though so we had to know and understand the products
in order to sell the customers on a change. After 9/11, and in the aftermath of
the economic problems that came after, we started getting new directives. We
could still help our customers but we’d only get credit for upselling mortgages
and any credit accounts. This “credit” was that we had to have a minimum number
of sales per month in order to do well on our reviews which led to potential
raises. I had to convince people to open credit card accounts even though I
could see that they had over 60 overdrafts in their checking account for the month. Wells
Fargo would never issue them a credit card – unless it was a secured credit
card. Either way, the hit would go against their credit ratings and I really
didn’t think this was right. I can see why the employees ended up thinking they
needed to create false accounts in order to succeed in the company. “Wells
Fargo employees, often chasing sales goals and bonuses, created fake accounts
for customers, invented personal identification numbers and moved funds between
accounts without authorization.” (Glazer, 2016) I also worked at Wells Fargo for
their 100th anniversary – and it saddens me to see that a bank with
a reputation of being more of a people’s bank has gotten so lost that it has
forgotten the very values it stands for.
According to Denning, the three basic
components of an ethical community are: trust, loyalty, and solidarity. He used the example of Anita Roddick, the founder
of The Body Shop as an example. “Roddick developed the company around her
belief that it is more important than ever before for business to assume a
moral leadership in society.” (Denning, 2011) The customers and employees should
be able to trust that they will be treated ethically. Employees should behave
with loyalty and held accountable to the values and morals that the business is
built upon, and remain steadfast in solidarity in compassion for their fellow
human beings, even if it conflicts with profits.
Before taking the assessment in A521.5.1, I was struggling with
the question of whether or not I felt that Boeing lived up to the values it
says it has. These include integrity, safety, and trust and respect. http://www.boeing.com/principles/vision.page Truthfully, and probably a little naively, I
believe in these values too. Do I think that every single person at Boeing
follows and lives these values every day? Do I live these values every day? No.
But I strive to and I firmly believe that most
of my coworkers do too. I think we can get jaded when we focus too close to a
situation and take it too personally, but ultimately, Boeing does do what it
says its going to do for us, the employees. I am taking this class…working
toward a Masters degree, for free because Boeing believes in the advancement of
its employees and shows it by paying for college degrees for those interested. It’s
definitely not all sunshine and blue skies at Boeing, but whatever the
situation, they do invest their money back into their businesses. Yes, the
stakeholders and the schedule are major drivers but when we have leaders and
employees who live the Boeing values to the best of their abilities, there are
some pretty amazing things that get accomplished.
References:
Denning, S. (2011). The Leader's Guide to Storytelling:
Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Glazer, E. (2016). Next Test for Wells Fargo: Its Reputation.
Wall Street Journal. Sept. 9, 2016. http://www.wsj.com/articles/next-test-for-wells-fargo-its-reputation-1473462195
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