Building a culture that rocks

Members of the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) heard from former Hard Rock International executive Jim Knight about best practices in developing a company culture that “rocks” on day one of the group’s 46th Annual Conference, taking place this week in Orlando.

Now the owner and CEO of Knight Speaker, Knight spent more than two decades leading global training at Hard Rock International, the multinational corporation of retail outlets, performance venues, and restaurants. His key message: company culture is about the present—not the past—and at its heart is a collection of people with unique behaviors. Finding the right people and cultivating a shared mindset about service and growth are keys to success—and can help build relationships that lead to long-term sustainability.

“You hold onto people, a whole bunch of awesomeness happens,” Knight said.

He also recommended a “set list” for creating a culture that rocks. Key elements include: celebrate your company’s heritage, but focus on today; act like a rock band, with everyone “singing off the same sheet of music”; deliver personalized experiences to your customers; cultivate authentic customer obsession, which creates lifelong “raving fans”; develop employees that are competent, have character, and are a cultural fit with your organization–also known as “3C Rock Stars”; and treat your employees as if they were volunteers.

WERC 2023 takes place June 4-7 at the Hilton Orlando.