Building organizational culture

Last week, after months of preparation, my organization made a crucial, different kind of step forward. I have spent much of my 20 years at the helm of ABS-CBN Foundation. After reflection, I realized that the way to go forward was not to make more plans and programs, but to something that will make the organizational sustainable way into the future, long after I have gone: to build character.

I zeroed in on three values: truth, service and the common good. My conviction is if there is one good person, there is one good person. But if there are many good people together working in the same place, that’s pretty powerful. I once wrote about “The Power of Many” during the Pasig River Run. When many are engaged in a noble endeavor, an energetic receptacle on which higher forces can land is created.

If I could get together a band of people committed to living life according to principles not only in the confines of the foundation, but even after they leave, extending to the very way their life flows, the organization, which is all about people becomes a potent force. 

One of my senior executives shared that she went to an educational institute and asked one of the senior personnel: “Father, you teach values from grade school up, why then are there so many corrupt individuals from your school in government?”

That statement caught me off guard, but it was the reply that merits reflection and is connected to what I am currently doing in the foundation. He said, “Well, it’s because when they leave the confines of school, what they lack is a buddy system. In essence, the world is chaotic, and if one is not surrounded by good company, one can easily lose the plot.”

In that light, our efforts in building organizational culture has relevance. It is building a buddy system. It is building a culture where certain values have pre-eminence. These values are the prime discerning criteria in making decisions, in hiring, in letting go, in deciding what we will do as an organization. It is not that we won’t make mistakes but it’s more that when we go off tangent we have a compass directing us to where we have all made a commitment to go.

It’s easier to be good, when the fact of being good is the “rule of the day.”

For months, my HR team cascaded these values from top to bottom. I started by sharing my understanding of these values in my personal life. I had sessions with the drivers, janitors, all the way to the lowest rung of the organization. Then there was a counter reflection. It took months to cover the whole foundation. Over the years, the foundation has ballooned in numbers.

When I came in the foundation, I headed the disaster relief operations. When I took on the helm, I started Bantay Bata, E Media (Educational TV), Bantay Kalikasan, Kapit Bisig sa Ilog Pasig. Now we are intensely on the path of ecotourism. We have a Children’s Village and Bantay Bata is nationwide. E Media is in 8000 schools. We have a relocation site in Calauan and we are now managing the Paco Market.

I reflect on when employees had to sit on paint cans. We were all in one room. Martial law had just been lifted. If you went off to the toilet, you might have someone else sitting on your paint can when you returned.

Now, we have a five-storey building and even that is bursting at the seams with all the programs we have.

Finally, we were able to synchronize schedules to meet in the beginning of the week. The only thing lacking was the song. I wanted a song. But we had the oath. Before the oath I led them in a “prayer” that was more like meditation. My people are not really meditators so the pin drop silence led me to highly commend them. They really went into it! I asked them to feel their hearts. To feel their hopes, their aspirations, to feel this country and its people that we love and to offer this to the Divine. God is not a mind thing. He is a presence. He feels different at different times. Sometimes He feels gentle, sometimes really strong, sometimes warm and nurturing, sometimes powerful and fiery. But there is always this sense of unconditional love. This holding. On that day I felt Divine presences holding us all. A symphony of gentle energies that were at the same time tremendously strong, holding us as we took a vital step forward as an organization. I was so proud of my people. It was necessary that the oath not be done casually but from an inner core. That they really mean it. That it was done away from the frolicking of the mind and worldly concerns, and from their deepest being. That this was really how they wanted to live their lives.

This is the oath:

I _________ commit to work together with will and compassion, dynamically, efficiently towards the welfare of the Filipino people. I will do so with an unwavering stand on truth, service and the common good. So help me God.

I led the English version. Rod Confessor, the manager for strategy led the Tagalog version.

The key words here are work together, will, compassion, unwavering stand:

WORKING TOGETHER. Harmony. The team is everything.

WILL. A determination to make things happen. A refusal to surrender to the odds.

COMPASSION. Empathy for the other. This quality lends sincerity to all our activities.

UNWAVERING STAND. Principles. Without this rudder, we could easily go astray.

I talked to them about building a home in the foundation. That it is not just the physical surroundings that make a home, but the energy of the people, the relationships we have with each other. We spend so much of our life at work, we might as well make it our home. Make it happy. Make it warm.

The day before the “oath” I had the building space cleared. The week before the place was cleaned specially well. On Sunday, Michele Goeldi space cleared negative and stagnant energies and landed high energies of Light and Love.

She showed the places that should have more color, pointed out that the boxes on the floor under the desks make the energy heavy. We should have more pictures expressing joy and levity.

A good physical space is important in building organizational culture. It has to be clean. In layman’s terms: good vibes.

It was only when I went downstairs to my room that I realized the impact of what happened. I was about to go right into the swing of work when I stopped in my tracks. I felt something big. I retreated and went off where I could be alone. Feeling the energy of the Divine giving –– it was huge! I turned my hands upward and gave thanks. It was so beautiful. I felt the blessings that had rained on us that morning. Most of us didn’t realize how deeply loved we are.

I am convinced that processes that build character and organizational structures and systems that are supportive of a high code of ethics are the way to go. In essence Filipinos are not a materialistic people. Spiritual values resonate with our collective psyche. I am convinced that going this route will yield sustainable economic benefit. Even more important than that, the people in the organization will be so much happier and fulfilled.

Michele will be back in September. Her rates are quite reasonable. If you are interested in clearing heavy stagnant energies from your work place to improve morale and organizational vitality she can be reached at michele@michelegoeldi.com  

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I can be reached at regina_lopez@abs-cbn.com.