For seven years, I have been looking for answers to what it takes to create a winning corporate culture. In the midst of today's confusing economic indicators, I won't find the answers. Company profits are up, yet job growth is unpredictable. Communication happens at breakneck speed, yet we often feel less connected to our peers than we ever did. We live in an age of innovation and wealth, yet people are not any happier than they were 50 years ago.

That's why I was especially eager to interview Dr. Stephen R. Covey, Chairman of FranklinCovey. Dr. Covey has worked with more than 150 of the Fortune 500 companies and thousands of smaller organizations. His principle-centered leadership models have been successfully adopted by thousands of organizations.

I began the interview by sharing my dilemma with Dr. Covey. I told him that I've witnessed a major disconnect between how we design our companies and the expectations of today's educated workforce. The disparity seems even more acute among companies who view themselves as technologically advanced and operationally efficient. Although we pride ourselves in hiring "knowledge workers," we are running our companies using older industrial business models. Many of us (myself included) have been treating our employees as things that can be moved and removed. We dictate policies and procedures from our corner offices and expect people to comply.

The Data Proves It
FranklinCovey's survey of 12,182 workers further fueled my concern. They measured employee perspectives on how sharply they focus and execute on their company's key strategic objectives.

The disturbing findings tell us that most companies suffer from major "execution gaps." In fact, only 48% of the workers say their organization has a clear strategic direction. Only 44% of workers say their company has clearly communicated its most important goals (usually fewer than three). (So much for technology delivering on its promise to streamline communication!)

I asked Dr. Covey what is causing this dichotomy. Says Dr. Covey, "the industrial system that still runs most of today's organizations and people is a 'thing' model. We fail to realize that when we deal with people, we are dealing with four aspects: body, heart, mind, and spirit."

Does your company truly understand and embrace this model? Here is a way to test it. Dr. Covey suggests you assess these areas:

1. Does your company pay you fairly? (body)
2. Are you treated kindly and respectfully? (heart)
3. Are you given the opportunity to continue learning and growing, both personally and professionally? (mind)
4. To what degree do you find your work meaningful? (spirit)

As we explored these questions, Dr. Covey handed me an oatmeal cookie. In hindsight, I realize he was demonstrating these principles through that simple, graceful action. I had no need to question his beliefs, because he was practicing what he preached.

Three Growth Accelerators
What actions can we immediately take to bridge the gap between knowledge workers and industrial age business models? He suggests three strategies to help you get started.

1. Start with yourself and learn your own style. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "We must become the change we want to see in the world." Surround yourself with advisors and employees who share your desire to create a knowledge-based business model. Hire a coach who can accelerate your own ability to identify what is truly important to you. Dr. Covey continues, "If you want to know what really matters to you, write your own epitaph. What do you want your tombstone to say when you die? You'll find a free mission statement builder on FranklinCovey's website.

2. Build on your integrity by keeping a small promise. This helps you begin living a life of workability. Focus on four areas of your life and get them 100% handled. Look at your current relationships throughout your communities, your health and wellness, finances, and every environment where you currently operate. What areas are messy, broken, or neglected? The faster you get them handled, Dr. Covey says, "the more prepared you are to be a person who is known to keep a promise." Then you'll be ready to keep big promises.

3. Involve your teams in the problems you are facing. Be truthful and vulnerable. If you have been trained in industrial-era management models, this will be a challenging feat. One of my clients had the courage to do this. He's the General Manager of a rapidly growing $26M software company, yet he didn't let success and complacency stop him. He sat down with his key managers and asked for their input. They collectively discovered that their employee performance plans were inconsistent with the business model they needed to ensure high client retention. Within a few months, they revised their performance plans. They wanted to reward the right behaviors to drive financial results. Since that time, three of their new hires have proven to be excellent contributors, and they closed another $7.5M in sales.

I am honored to have shared this dialog with someone who leads the knowledge worker revolution. Borrowing again from Gandhi, I see Stephen as a man who is "the sum of his actions, of what he has done, and of what he can do." His leadership gives us the courage to help each of us transform ourselves and our organizations during these confusing economic times.

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