“Culture is what people do when no one is looking.” – Herb Keller

This idea is flat wrong.

If the culture is us and them, why even talk about culture?

People are thinking and acting differently when no one is looking? They want to do differently, but they fear others. This idea was made popular by the late co-founder of Southwest Airlines, Herb Keller. In his view, critics missed the bigger picture. According to Herb culture isn’t something you could point to and copy. “It’s not formulaic” he would say, but rather something that’s always changing and that you’re always working on.

My thinking is different.

Keller´s philosophy misses to the whole point of having a culture. This idea sets up an environment where there is us, white collars, and blue collars. Many people tend to accept this idea. The culture is not same for everyone?

When the culture is real, it is the same from the Board of Directors to the Bell Boy by the front door. The culture is same in the military, in religion and in a space rocket. There is no us and them.

Culture is working when principles are solid, rules are clear. There is no hiding. There should be radical truth and transparency around business concepts and its proceedings. All ideas should be challenged, and only best idea wins. It really doesn’t matter where its coming from.

The reason for the culture is to make best possible decisions. You need capable, smart people around who are willing to disagree with you. You must honor the art of disagreement. You must love it and understand how little you know.

There is no real corporate culture when ideas, concepts, people, and responsibilities are not openly discussed.

It is natural to disagree. People are different and they think different. It´s no tabu and its nothing to avoid. Never hide your observations about thinking and people. Speak up or get out.

Don’t allow anyone comeback and speak. “I didn’t want to disturb, but I understood then, we are making a wrong decision”.

Why should anyone hide critical thinking in a business environment?

Secondly, Herb Keller said, culture isn’t something you could point to and copy. “It’s not formulaic” he would say, but rather something that’s always changing and that you’re always working on.

Well, the corporate culture needs to be formulated and written down. Daa?

When it is written down and tested, you can spread your ideas to everyone for a critique and development. When culture is formulated, it can be managed, maintained, changed, developed more systematically. All culture rules and principles are derivatives from mistakes and bad decisions. You can make a mistake, but you must learn from them. Write it down and distribute.

So, Stop talking nonsense about the corporate culture.

Culture is all what you have among people and business. When the front door closes, the culture starts working.

It´s working better when everyone is watching.