Human Resources Issues for Senior Management
Issue link: https://digital.hrreporter.com/i/343811
14 Executive Series Digest hrreporter.com LEADERSHIP recognized it is best to be open to value in the ideas of others. At Corus, he encourages a culture that helps managers innovate and he credits that with creating their tremendous success. He solidi ed his early personal tendencies, clearly through trial and error, learning and listening on job a er job, to build a company on stated values — four out of ve of which are speci cally about creating ideas, continual learning, empowerment and the teamwork that makes them happen. ( e h value is simply to make those ideas actually happen, not just sit unexpressed or untried.) Cassaday is very clear — he builds on his strengths and we can see that in operation on every level. He's been a steward and insti- gator of ideas from day one. at's a valuable orientation in today's business world, and something other companies could copy. at more don't shows just how much a CEO's personality stamps itself on every part of an organization. Cassaday's initial traits certainly wouldn't have taken him this far without good learning experience. But his fundamental skill is trainable if we realize it is impor- tant and we develop programs and job rotations to promote it in more executives. Clearly, Cassaday transmitted this skill to many other managers in his organization. It's great when we can see so clearly the key ingredients and how they work. Now we just need to ask "Why not?" in other orga- nizations — build the environment and people will deliver. Dave Crisp is a Toronto-based writer and thought leader for Stra- tegic Capability Network with a wealth of experience, including 14 years leading HR at Hudson Bay Co. where he took the 70,000-em- ployee retailer to "best company to work for" status. For more infor- mation, visit www.balance-and-results.com. 'Hire tough, manage easy' By Barbara Kofman (Organizational E ectivness) T he spotlight was on the essential role a CEO plays in creat- ing the framework for success. But as John Cassaday, CEO of Corus Entertainment, emphasized, in de ning a com- pany's culture, the CEO must ensure the right conditions are in place for facilitating buy-in from every employee. His formula for doing so echoed the message delivered by other well-respected CEOs who have taken the stage at Strategic Capability Network events. e mechanism for driving success at Corus, just as it is at Maple Leaf Foods, is an underpinning of core values that permeate every aspect of the organization — from hiring practices through performance appraisals and promotions. At Corus, employees are measured not just on their e ec- tiveness but also on their ability to live up to the core values of accountability, knowledge, initiative, innovation and teamwork. While the CEO's responsibility in establishing the conditions for success is pivotal, the foundation of any thriving organization is its people. One cannot overstate the importance of having clear- ly articulated values at play in de ning what it means to be a good organizational " t." is careful inculcation of values into every aspect of corporate life at Corus is made clear by its hiring process. e hiring philoso- phy is one other companies would do well to follow and can best be summed up by that old adage: Hire for t, train for skills. All jobs are open to anyone who meets the basic quali cations, interviews are conducted by a panel and no one gets in simply by knowing somebody. e focus is rst and foremost on align- ment with values, and then on factors such as a burning desire to succeed, integrity (versus unbridled ambition) and, nally, skills. As Cassaday summed it up, if you make it a point to "hire tough" you're then in a position to "manage easy." A quick check on Glassdoor.com revealed that while Corus has its share of criticism, it also has numerous positive reviews refer- encing such things as the engaging work culture, creative atmo- sphere and the inspiring CEO. Once again, we heard from an esteemed leader championing a straightforward formula for organizational success, one that is easily transferrable to any organization no matter what business it is in — communicate a clear vision, infuse your corporate values into all aspects of your company so they truly come to life, em- brace being a good corporate citizen and an environmental leader and, if you can, build a creative workspace with certi cation in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). In doing so, not only will your organization be activating the value chain we've heard so much about (engaged employees lead to happy customers and an enhanced bottom line), it will also be putting in place an unbeatable generation-Y attraction strategy. A er all, one of the primary things that generation — your com- pany's future — is seeking is an organization with a conscience. Barbara Kofman is SCNetwork's lead commentator on orga- nizational e ectiveness and founding principal of CareerTrails, a strategic career coaching and HR solutions organization commit- ted to providing clients with the personalized processes and infor- mation they need, to achieve the individual and organizational outcomes they are seeking. She has held senior roles in resourcing, strategy and outplacement, and taught at the university and col- lege level. Based in Toronto, she can be reached at (416) 708-2880 bkofman@careertrails.com. CEO weaves consistent web By Karen Gorsline (Strategic Capability) O ne would expect that John Cassaday, president and CEO of Corus Entertainment, with a strong background in media and packaged goods would have great sound bites to share — and he did. His lively presentation included nuggets such as: •"Great leaders see greatness in others." •"As a leader, my brand is me." •"You can't say thank you enough." But he also painted a picture of careful attention to integra- tion. e focus was not just on a single approach or initiative but on weaving a consistent web across multiple aspects of an organization — vision and values; leadership and people; process; and place.