The Company Culture Challenge [Kindle Edition]

Robert Betzel (Author), David Russell (Author)

Book Description

Zappos was broke in 1999 and in 2009 sold itself to Amazon for $1.2 BILLION. How did they do it? Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh says they succeeded then and now because of his laser focus on developing a superior company culture.

The question is, how can YOU do it? This book, The Company Culture Challenge, does more than tell you how. It gives you a step-by-step strategic plan to transform your organization into a high profit leader as you learn how to fully engage your employees and serve your clients so well they can't live without you.

Where did it come from? Sick of ideas and random strategies offered by other authors, entrepreneurs David Russell and Rob Betzel developed this 7-step process to transform any company culture into a team of people who take ownership for making certain clients are happy. And happy customers drive faster growth and higher profits.

Do not wait. This system is a game changer for any leadership team willing to implement it. In The Company Culture Challenge, these two business zealots have done the work for you. Leaders who follow their straightforward step-by-step system will transform slackers into superstars and casual customers into loyal evangelists. This is crucial information for companies of all sizes because customers have more options than ever, and you need them to think only of you.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Russell is CEO of Success With People, where his team trains and coaches entrepreneurs to develop a powerful company culture that provides a sustainable competitive advantage. Services include coaching, consulting, hiring/ employee assessments, motivational speaking, peer groups Best Tech Workplace surveys and programs to train companies how to deliver a more consistent superior client experience.He is also CEO of MANAGEtoWIN, an integrated, very low cost, online talent management portal that helps motivate people to be more productive, profitable and personally fulfilled in their careers with your company.David has authored and co-authored five books. He has directly served over 200 organizations during the last three years. His career in the computer industry began in 1982. As a consultant, coach or speaker he has served Microsoft, Cisco, Intel, Tech Data, Ingram Micro, Autotask, ConnectWise, Tigerpaw, Catalyst Telecom, CompTIA, Heartland Technology Groups, Everything Channel, InsideNGO, Vistage and Entrepreneur's Organization members.To learn more about David and his companies' services visit: www.CompanyCultureChallenge.com www.SuccessWithPeople.com www.MANAGEtoWIN.com Robert Betzel's 15 years of experience in the Information Technology field has always focused on the client experience. As President and CEO of Infinity Network Solutions, Inc., Rob serves his employees and clients by focusing on how to maximize today's technology and be ready for tomorrow's. Infinity Network Solutions, Inc. is one of the largest IT services firms in Middle Georgia with its own in-house 24x7x365 helpdesk and data center. Their focus on providing fixed fee IT services and IT infrastructure as an operating expense makes them unique in their market.Rob is a graduate of Georgia College and State University with a B.S. in Information Technology Management. As an active member of the local community, he serves as an advisor to the schools of Informational Technology at both Macon State College and Central Georgia Technical College, as a member of the IT advisory board for the Tubman African Museum, is an active member of SERTOMA of Macon and several local chambers of commerce. Rob regularly speaks to groups on current and emerging IT trends including Disaster Recovery Planning, Clouding Computing, Outsourced IT, Hardware, Software and Infrastructure as a Service.Rob serves as a senior advisor to many CEOs of privately held businesses in Georgia.To learn more about Rob and his company's services visit:www.InfinityNetworks.net

Product Details

• File Size: 1412 KB
• Print Length: 247 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Smyth Barnabas Publishing (August 22, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005ISB012
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #611,918 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Company Culture Challenge January 31, 2012

By Dimitri

Format:Hardcover

The Company Culture Challenge is a must for every business. The book is organized so you can easily implement the contents as an action plan. With many books, you enjoy reading them but then have to figure out how to use the information. David hands you the plan. Thank you David.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Company Culture Challenge is a must read for all companies wishing to grow in their market. September 28, 2011

By Tracy

Format:Kindle Edition

The real challenge resulting from this book will be to put the ideas presented into action. The book is well thought out and researched.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's the Culture, Stupid! August 31, 2011

By John W. Pearson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Do you feel like Sisyphus, the mythical character, pushing your boulder-of-an-organization (or department) up a hill, knowing no matter how hard you work, it will eventually all just come crashing back down again? Then this is the book for you--but the solution may surprise you.

It's the culture, stupid!

Authors David Russell and Robert Betzel begin their book by describing a modern day Sisyphus. They dive into the dismal corporate culture wasteland--expose the skinny relic that it is in most organizations--and then deliver a very, very practical step-by-step process for fixing it. In their view, a company culture must mean something--and it can be measured in sales, growth, engagement, healthy relationships and much more.

News Flash! You must get this book! It's already on my Top-10 List for 2011--and I still have about 15 books to read before New Year's Eve--but I'm that confident you'll find huge value in The Company Culture Challenge.

Example: when is the last time a business book (or high-priced consultant) added the word "accountability" after mission, vision and values? Russell and Betzel do--and their action steps to build accountability into your culture's DNA are worth the price of a hundred Kindles.

The book refuses to waste your time with hypothetical, theoretical mumbo jumbo filler. Instead, the authors deliver real people in real organizations who demonstrate what a healthy and thriving culture looks like. Example: Jim Cabela, founder of the $2.6 billion outdoor retailing company Cabela's, "works until noon daily personally addressing new complaints received the day before from customers." Ya think that might inspire the troops?

How's this? To take the company culture temperature at other organizations, they suggest you give your team members $50 to $100 each to purchase something at another company--and then report back to the group on their experience. (Allow your people to keep what they buy.)

Always and Never. Do you articulate your values using "Always" and "Never" standards? Russell includes his Top-10 "Always Standards" in the book. Example: "Always observe the client's surroundings like Sherlock Holmes."

Another good one: As you create the perfect customer (or donor, or volunteer or client) experience, what are your "Experience Bookends?" How do you start and how do you end every customer experience? Have you created an intentional culture? See--this stuff is very, very practical.

Gut check time! "Do you know that statistics prove it costs an average of one year's compensation to replace an employee?" Stuck with team members who "were great actors during interviews, but poor performers on the job?" The recruiting standards chapter is brilliant.

Low turnover? "If you are experiencing high employee turnover then you are either not hiring people who fit well in your company culture or your leadership skills/systems need work. If you are experiencing low employee turnover, then it may be too easy to work at your company." So they suggest specific ways to improve your hiring process.

Goal alignment is a big deal in their step-by-step process. They quote Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, "...81 percent of employees do not have clear, measurable goals." Yikes! They add, "If you are not working on your culture, then your company culture is working against you."

What's the problem? "They have leadership tendencies, but no leadership skills because they have not been trained, coached and mentored how to lead people systematically, even though they follow proven processes for accounting, operations, marketing, sales and technology."

What's the solution? Scrap the "Idea-of-the-Week Club" and, instead, use this book to begin building company culture systems, step-by-step.

Really...I've just scratched the surface of my Kindle notes and highlights--dozens of them--but they're now digitized on my personal Amazon Kindle webpage for future reference. I'm starting to like this thin little machine! (Didn't think I would.)