learning culture Archives

134: Why Culture Eats Everything

Is it really possible to transform a company’s culture? Tom Willis not only knows it’s possible, he facilitates these kinds of changes on a regular basis. Tom’s experiences as a CEO and Superintendent of Cornerstone Education Group, as a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, and as an engineer with the Intel Corporation prepared him well for the work he does today. He’s committed to helping senior leaders become conscious of behaviors they can change that positively impact culture. You’ll love Tom’s passion for his work and the specific skills he brings to ensure real changes happen.

Tom is the co-founder and Partner of Phoenix Performance Partners, a firm that works with school superintendents and CEOs to create cultures that foster the growth of each person and the organization as a whole. Tom is also the host of the Culture Eats Everything Podcast, where he interviews CEOs and Superintendents who’ve created positive cultures.

You’ll discover:

How Tom defines culture
What prevents many organizations from making changes to their existing culture
Why Tom’s team avoids labels like “dysfunctional” when describing issues or behaviors that cause problems within an organization
The types of up-front analysis tools Tom and his team use to identify the root cause issues
What’s required to create a high-performing, coaching culture

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124: WD-40’s Remarkable Tribe Culture

Imagine if there were a company that could consistently achieve an employee engagement score of 93 or 94? You don’t have to imagine it. That’s a reality at WD-40 Company. My guest Garry Ridge describes the elements he and his tribe have put in place and practice daily. You’ll be inspired by his passion and commitment to create a learning and empowering culture where every single person in the company thrives.

Garry is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WD-40 Company. He now speaks and coaches with other CEOs to help them build positive cultures in their own organizations.

Garry is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego where he teaches the principles and practices of corporate culture in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program. In 2009 he co-authored Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy called ‘Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A with Ken Blanchard. In 2020 he wrote TRIBE CULTURE: How It Shaped WD-40 Company and in 2021 The UNEXPECTED LEARNING MOMENT.