Last week I shared a story with you about High Point University and their basketball team making it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever, and then upsetting 5th Seeded Wisconsin in the first round. America’s attention was drawn to this Cinderella story.
As I said to you then, this is not a basketball story. This is a corporate culture story. The amazing success of the basketball team at HPU is just one element of the transformation of the culture there.
This week, I went back and reviewed my copy of Extraordinary Transformation, Dr. Nido Qubein’s book about his journey as the President of High Point, and how the culture and the campus were transformed under his leadership.
This book really illustrates what I teach about corporate culture, that culture is shaped by the Leadership style of the CEO, the core values that guide decisions and actions, the behavior you expect, and the behavior you permit.
One of the assignments I give the students in my Corporate Culture class at High Point is to select a well-known company, and then study it’s CEO and it’s culture. The students then write a paper or do a PPT presentation describing the culture, the company, the CEO, what they learned, and how they learned it.
What about you?
What company do you think about when you think about an amazing corporate culture?
What do you know the the company and the CEO?
What do you know the the culture, and their core values?
Exploring The Bayada Way
Whenever I think about Corporate Culture in Home Care, I think about Bayada Home Health.
In 1975, Mark Baiada started a new company providing in-home personal care in downtown Philadelphia, PA. (Yes, Marks name and the company name have slightly different spelling.) He began in a tiny rented walk-up office space doing what you do … providing care to older adults in their homes. And he grew the business to become the largest privately held, family owned Home Care, Home Health, and Hospice company in the country. And for most of those 51 years, Mark’s focus was on crafting the culture of the company that he calls “The Bayada Way.”
The Bayada Way is based on three core values:
- Compassion
- Excellence
- Reliability
These three core values make up the philosophy of the company.
“We believe the well-being of our clients is our highest priority, and that everyone deserves to live a life of comfort, independence, and dignity.The timeless values of compassion, excellence, and reliability are at the heart of the care we provide, and everything we do. By staying true to our beliefs and living our values, we make it possible for people of all ages to experience their best quality of life, wherever they call home.”
When I talk about Corporate Culture in Home Care, I nearly always talk about Bayada and the Bayada Way for three reasons:
- It is a classic example of a hugely successful company in our industry that has crafted a clear. strong culture.
- The information about the company and their culture is publicly available on their web site and their company communication.
- Mark Baiada has become a personal friend, and he has shared with me some of the intricate details of how they build the culture and the company over the years.
What role does culture play in your organization?
What are the core values that guide your decisions and actions?
What does it look like when leaders live your values?
How do you communicate your culture to your team?
