Turkey or Chicken?
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By Dr. Bill Ventura
This Thanksgiving, eat turkey but think like a chicken.
Now that I have your attention, allow me to explain what
I'm thinking. I've been fascinated with Chick-fil-A for the last 10 years. The
food is great (I prefer the chick'n strips salad) but even more interesting is
the culture that the founder, Truett Cathy has created and his two sons, Dan
and Bubba continue to uphold. Those that are familiar with the organization
know that the lights are off and the doors are locked on Sundays. Yes, that's
right, a nationwide, quick-service restaurant actually closes one day each week
in part to honor the Sabbath and to give employees a day to rest. Closing one
day per week has little effect on the bottom line; Chick-fil-A is on track to gross
close to $3 billion in 2009.
Pacanowsky and O'Donnell-Trujillo (1982) noted that there
are typically at least seven cultural indicators found within organizations
that include things like: facts, practices, vocabulary and stories. Truett
Cathy was practicing the creation and communication of culture long before it
was trendy. One of the more well-known practices of Chick-fil-A at the
corporate level is an annual gathering of all restaurant operators (equivalent
to an owner). Each year, the corporate office sponsors a gathering of operators
and their spouses (usually in a resort city) in an effort to build camaraderie,
convey new themes for the year and hear the latest company news. I've attended
two of these events and they are reminiscent of a family reunion. The stories
that Truett Cathy continues to pass along through his speaking engagements and
books relive many of his boyhood experiences that helped shape his approach to
business. There's the story of working door-to-door as a youngster selling Coca-Cola
for 10¢ per bottle or the time when one of his early restaurants caught fire
after closing and burnt to the ground. These are some of the life lessons that
helped shape Cathy's culture and eventually that of Chick-fil-A.
As you sit down to enjoy your turkey dinner this month,
give thanks and look around at the culture your family has created. What words,
stories and rituals will you pass on to others through your communication? Most
importantly, is the culture you communicate more a reflection of yourself or
the Creator?
Reference:
Pacanowsky, M. E., & O'Donnell-Trujillo, N. (1982,
Spring). Communication and Organizational
Cultures. The Western Journal of Speech
Communication, 46, 115-130.
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Dr. Bill Ventura earned his Ph.D. in Communication from
Regent University. His area of interest is organizational communication,
specifically how leaders communicate their ethics across their organizations.
Bill has been studying the communication practices found throughout Chick-fil-A
for nearly 10 years. Dr. Ventura teaches a wide variety of communication
courses as a full-time assistant professor for Regent Undergrad. He is married
and has three sons and lives in Chesapeake, VA. Bill enjoys being out on the
running trail running in long-distance races.
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