Turn Company Culture Up to Eleven | with Jim Knight
Episode 25: How Jim Knight's Rock and Roll Approach Can Turn Your Company Culture Up to Eleven
Workplace culture is my nomination for “Word of the Year” for 2023. We can't turn a corner without bumping into a speaker, a podcast, or a book that talks about company culture. Every morning show talks about burnout and leadership. That's where managers and executives are focused today.
The more we talk about the Brand-to-Fan approach of cultivating fans, not followers, I am more convinced than ever that employees are an overlooked opportunity for brands. Most don't realize their best advocates share the same email domains.
This is why I invited my pal Jim Knight, a true rockstar in the corporate business world, on the "Brand to Fan Show." Jim's insights and experiences working with iconic brands like Hard Rock have given him a unique perspective on the power of company culture. Our conversation uncovered insights that can help you transform your business culture and create a fan-worthy experience for your employees and customers.
Investing in the Right People
Hire for Value Alignment: Jim emphasized the importance of hiring individuals who align with your company's values. When recruiting, focus on character and passion for shared goals rather than solely relying on experience and qualifications.
Train to Bridge the Gaps: Training and development are vital in closing the gap between desired behaviors and results. Invest in ongoing training programs to continuously improve your team's skills and knowledge.
Building a Strong Company Culture
Culture is King: Jim's rock and roll approach taught us that culture can be a potent differentiator in your company's success. Make sure to create and nurture a strong culture that reflects your brand's values.
Communication is Key: Effective communication is essential in today's remote work setting. Regular check-ins with your team and fostering open lines of communication can help maintain and strengthen your company culture.
Going Above and Beyond
Exceed Expectations: Jim stressed the need to exceed customer expectations. With customers becoming more vocal and demanding, going the extra mile can make your business stand out from the competition.
Exceptional Human Employees: Until advancements like AI and robotics take over, the key to exceptional customer experiences lies in having dedicated and caring human employees. Place a strong emphasis on hiring and training employees who truly care about providing outstanding service.
Stellar Moments from Brands
Hard Rock's Exceptional Culture: Jim shared his love for the unique and unusual culture of Hard Rock, where employees sported tattoos, piercings, and colored hair. This culture and philanthropy were at the heart of the brand's success.
Creating Memorable Experiences: Jim highlighted the significance of small gestures in customer service, such as a handwritten note in a grocery bag. These personal touches can have a lasting impact on your customers and create memorable experiences.
Learn from Innovative Companies: We discussed admiration for brands like Furnituredealer.net and the Savannah Bananas baseball team. They serve as a reminder to seek inspiration from businesses that excel in employee engagement and customer service.
Can You Go to Eleven?
Fostering a remarkable company culture is within your power. You can create a brand that resonates with fans by prioritizing the right people, investing in training and development, and going the extra mile for customers.
Take time this week to reflect on the following questions to assess your current culture and areas for improvement:
What specific knowledge, skills, or behaviors are essential for your employees to embody your brand ideals?
Are your training programs designed to instill those qualities effectively?
What shift in messaging would support your learning culture to encourage continuous employee growth and development?
It’s time to turn up the volume on your company culture!
The Guest: Jim Knight
Renowned keynote speaker, author, and training and development expert Jim Knight teaches organizations of all sizes how to attain their “rock star” status.
Jim cut his teeth in the hospitality training industry and eventually led Global Training for Hard Rock International for two decades.
Jim co-hosts a weekly "How To" leadership podcast called Thoughts That Rock, and is the co-founder of the Booky Call app and Certified Rock Star Training for corporate leaders.
WHERE TO FIND Jim:
Check out Jim’s website
Listen to the Thoughts That Rock podcast
TL;DL (too long; didn’t listen)
My real-time notes from the conversation with Jim Knight
Training and development at Hard Rock for 21 years; but always been a performer
Culture of Hard Rock — “freaks of nature” before tattoos and colored hair became popular. He found a home with a great collection of people who built a fantastic culture.
Jim defines culture as “a collection of humans and their unique behaviors.”
Service standards have been raised — good is not good enough anymore; the bar is much higher today.
Customers today are more verbal, vocal, and even venomous about their experience…
Unbelievably great service trumps everything else. Do you have awesome humans who care and can demonstrate that to provide service that rocks?
Being ordinary or “meh” is forgettable. No one is talking about ordinary or boring companies. Take a chance to do something memorable, and you’ll get points even without making a high-cost investment.
Making shifts within your team, we need to identify the gaps preventing where you are and where you need to be.
Handbook, Videos, 1:1 coaching, train > develop > communication > rewards
What are you actually measuring? Matching KPIs to company values, reward & recognition, development & assessments.
Remote hiring and development from a distance is extremely challenging. Communication is crucial for connecting.
Author of three published books (one on the way): Culture that Rocks, Leadership that Rocks, Service that Rocks — coming soon, “Engagement that Rocks”
It all starts with culture and the learned behaviors of your people.
In this Episode (Time Stamps):
[00:04:20] Inherited the Hard Rock brand with a unique culture, a dedication to philanthropy, and made up of “misfit toys” personalities.
[00:07:47] Vibrant culture and fantastic people at work.
[00:11:52] High expectations, frustration, and mediocrity in businesses.
[00:15:35] Business leaders need expertise in various areas, particularly customer service.
[00:19:17] Forgettable feedback for mediocre companies, social media’s influence.
[00:23:09] Large convenience store reveals generous employee benefits.
[00:25:55] Revolutionary baseball team and charming eccentric restaurant.
[00:29:11] Focus on training, development, and hiring right.
[00:35:38] Author of four books, including “Culture that Rocks” and “Service that Rocks”
[00:42:11] Crushing results at Chickfila and Furnituredealer Net.
[00:45:06] Exciting job at Gatorland leaves lasting scar.
[00:49:02] TL;DL (too long didn’t listen) recap by Lauren Teague
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FANWEAR ITEM?
I became a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. I went through six different championships with those guys over many, many years.
I loved their uniforms, I loved always winning; “America's team,” the cheerleaders. Everything that came with that.
I had two jerseys. One that was Troy Aikman, which I had for probably many years. I don't have that one anymore. That one fell apart.
But my favorite is a Dak Prescott jersey.
It's so tough because we can't win anything. I just remember 20 years ago what those championships were like. I wear that jersey every time I go out to eat ribs and wings and on Sundays. I'm proud. I'm loyal to the team. But it's tough to be a fan of my team these days. I'm not going to lie.
Show Credits
Brand to Fan Show is produced by Teague FC and supported by FanWagn
Audio production by Bryan Griggs / Griggs Production
Producers: Kimberly Voorhis and Carrie Hellbusch
Video Editing by Garrett Teague
AI assistance from Pictory.AI and CastMagic
And I’m your host, Lauren Teague.