This Week's Herman Trend Alert Purpose Emerging as Important Driver of Engagement

The Herman Trend Alert October 28, 1998 Corporate Culture comes to the Forefront Lately, we've seen the growing understanding of the importance of corporate culture, especially in the blending of diverse cultures in the merger process. Just as in a marriage of individuals, there must be a meeting of the hearts and souls, so too, in corporate marriages, there must be a meeting of the minds and hopefully, the hearts as well. (Yes, we believe corporations have "hearts," too!) Otherwise, ultimately no one is happy with the union. Case in point, the recent breakdown in merger talks between American Home Products and Monsanto. The two CEOs, John Stafford and Robert Shapiro have remarkably diverse philosophies of leadership, remarkable in that their partnership conversations progressed to the point that they did before they broke down. When Chase Manhattan with its heart centered, growth-oriented culture joined with Chemical Bank's fear-based, cover your gluteus maximus culture, something had to give. To their credit, the leaders recognized that Chase Manhattan's culture would serve them best in the long haul. When Lou Gerstner took over IBM, he would not listen to anyone who uttered the word "culture." At the time, the best way to lose credibility with Gerstner was to use the "c-word." Within 2 years we're happy to report, he had gained a greater perspective and the understanding that if he were to lead IBM to a successful future, he would need to shift the culture. He did and IBM has prospered. IBM now has a more employee-centered culture: their people AND their customers are happier campers. In evaluating merger potential, we predict the two corporations will take much more care to look at the "blending potential" ahead of time—before they invest time, money and energy to involve lawyers and stock markets. Two immovable cultures will not happy partners make. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." WHO SENDS OUT YOUR NEWSLETTERS? We are convinced there is no better choice than ours! We have happily used DataBack Systems to deliver The Herman Trend Alert for over 10 years and. Visit their website (http://www.databack.com) or call Byron directly at 503.941.0427. You'll be glad you did. IS YOUR EMPLOYER AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE®? Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. In the future, being an Employer of Choice® will not be optional. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 to arrange a no-obligation conference call. Or order the electronic version of the Employer of Choice book on your desktop for only $17.80 @ http://hermangroup.com/store/books_all.html#2. STRUGGLING TO FIND THE PEOPLE YOU NEED? VETJOBS CAN HELP! Recently, hundreds of thousands of jobs remain unfilled due to a lack of capable people. If you are looking for qualified candidates, you need to hire a veteran using VFW-sponsored VetJobs, the largest military employment site on the Internet. Thousands of returning veterans are looking for good jobs now. Mention this ad in The Herman Trend Alert and receive a 10% discount on job postings. Call Ted Daywalt at 877-838-5627 or inquire at info@VetJobs.com. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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