The Distinguishing Value of Upstanding Company Character

WEBVTT

1
00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:09.279
What's working on purpose anyway? Each
week we ponder the answer to this question.

2
00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:14.560
People ache for meaning and purpose at
work, to contribute their talents passionately

3
00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:19.399
and know their lives really matter.
They crave being part of an organization that

4
00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:24.719
inspires them and helps them grow into
realizing their highest potential. Business can be

5
00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:29.280
such a force for good in the
world, elevating humanity. In our program,

6
00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:33.439
we provide guidance and inspiration to help
usher in this world we all want

7
00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:51.439
Working on Purpose now. Here is
your host, doctor Elise Cortes. Welcome

8
00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:54.000
back to Working in Purpose program.
Thanks for tuning again this week. I'm

9
00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:56.719
your host, doctor Eli's Cortes,
joing you live from Dallas, which is

10
00:00:56.759 --> 00:00:59.320
home base for me. If you
don't know me yet, I'm a management

11
00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:03.280
consultant, special and meeting and purpose
organizational lagotherapist, inspirational speaker, social scientist,

12
00:01:03.319 --> 00:01:06.200
and author. You can learn more
about me and know how we can

13
00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:11.200
work together at at Leastcortes dot com
or gustodashnow dot com. Let me thank

14
00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:14.719
my partner and sponsor work Proud.
We are a perfect collaboration. Everyone wants

15
00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:17.319
to know they matter and that the
work they do is meaningful. And appreciated.

16
00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:21.040
Work Proud as a mobile platform built
to encourage employees to share stories and

17
00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:25.319
recognize each other's contribution. Work Proud
empowers hr and business leaders to help create

18
00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:29.120
company cultures where all employees are inspired
to feel proud of their work and proud

19
00:01:29.159 --> 00:01:33.200
of their company. Go learn more
at workprout dot com. With us today

20
00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:37.000
is Frank Calderoni, who is the
chief executive officer of Annaplan and the chairman

21
00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:40.680
of the company's board of Directors.
He's the author of Upstanding, How Company

22
00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:45.359
Character Catalyzes loyalty, agility and hyper
Growth. We'll be talking today about why

23
00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:49.159
company character is so important in today's
business climate. Learn about some of the

24
00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:52.319
key cultural issues Frank has addressed and
a plan, and hear about a few

25
00:01:52.359 --> 00:01:56.439
examples of when company character activated makes
all the difference. He jos today from

26
00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:00.959
San Francisco. Frank, Welcome to
Working on Purpose. Thank you, Lise.

27
00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:02.640
It's great to be here. It's
so great to have you. And

28
00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:06.120
as I told you in our exchange
before we got on here, I loved

29
00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:07.199
your book, and as you know, I read the books cover to cover.

30
00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:09.439
But what I want to just give
you a shout out for really quick

31
00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:14.680
before we dig into it is I
just found the yearbook full of inspiring concepts,

32
00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:17.520
but all really just chock full of
practical tools and resources. It's just

33
00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:22.039
a home run. Thank you,
Lise, and I really appreciate you reading

34
00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:27.199
it from cover cover so thoroughly,
so thank you, and I appreciate feedback,

35
00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:30.719
and you're so welcome. And so
for our listeners and viewers who don't

36
00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:31.919
know that's the way that I do
because they haven't read the book, I

37
00:02:31.960 --> 00:02:36.800
think it's important that we recognize that
what we read and what reading that book

38
00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:38.960
and we're going to hear from you
today is really a wealth of experience that

39
00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:44.280
you've built over your career. I've
got this right, twenty one years at

40
00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:46.639
IBM seven or nine at Cisco,
and then at red Hat and a few

41
00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:50.879
other places along the way, and
then you came to Anaplan in twenty seventeen.

42
00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:53.680
So you talk about when you came
to Anaplan in the book of how

43
00:02:53.719 --> 00:03:00.599
you wanted to bring those experiences to
help the organization at least kind of a

44
00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:02.960
great start. Yes, I've been
around for a while, I have to

45
00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:08.479
say that, and i've been you
know age, of course, but I've

46
00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:14.199
been fortunate to have worked for some
great organizations over the years. You highlighted

47
00:03:14.199 --> 00:03:16.439
a few, you know, if
I go back and twenty one years at

48
00:03:16.439 --> 00:03:22.520
IBM, and I was at the
time with IBM when they were growing at

49
00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:25.439
a very fast pace, really developing, and it was a model of an

50
00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:31.759
organization that really spent a lot of
time. And I remember the initial premise

51
00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:36.439
as far as the value respect for
the individual, and then those twenty one

52
00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:42.319
years I really learned how an organization
really can respect the individual and as a

53
00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:46.039
result, the individual is going to
do a lot for the organization and that

54
00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:49.240
I saw that play out for those
twenty one years and I really value that.

55
00:03:50.280 --> 00:03:53.759
As you also mentioned, I spent
you know, over twelve years at

56
00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:59.240
Cisco, another great organization, you
know, working closely with a leader like

57
00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:02.840
John Chamber and some of the other
leadership team that I had the good fortune

58
00:04:02.840 --> 00:04:08.639
of working with. I learned a
lot from them. But another organization that

59
00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:15.080
spent a lot of time cultivating culture
at the leadership level and all the way

60
00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:18.759
down throughout the organization, and it
was a big part of what made Cisco

61
00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:24.000
successful. And again I learned a
lot. And then also after that,

62
00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:29.639
I spent several years at redhet as
the CFO COO. But here was an

63
00:04:29.720 --> 00:04:35.959
organization that open source was their software
right just have everyone kind of work in

64
00:04:35.959 --> 00:04:41.399
that environment. But they also had
an open culture, and I saw firsthand

65
00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:46.240
that when you empower people and give
them the ability to speak up and be

66
00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:50.680
authentic, it's powerful. And I
saw a lot of that. So when

67
00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:57.160
I came to Anaplan, what I
tried to do is pull from those experiences

68
00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:03.800
and having spent so many years really
under standing and appreciating that culture is important.

69
00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:09.360
It eats strategy for breakfast. I
mean that old saying really comes into

70
00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:14.000
play, and so I tried to
even take it collectively to another level.

71
00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:16.000
In the four and a half years
I've been part of the Antiplant, and

72
00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:18.199
we're going to dive into some of
the things that you did because you talk

73
00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:20.360
about in the book and the second
part of the show. But before we

74
00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:24.000
do that, I think it's really
important that we set the stage for what

75
00:05:24.040 --> 00:05:26.680
your book is really built on,
which I just think is so important,

76
00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:30.920
and that is this trifecta of unexpected
events that no one could have expected,

77
00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:32.920
as you say, the global pandemic, the recession, and the of course

78
00:05:32.920 --> 00:05:36.439
the murder of George Floyd, So
will you say a little bit more about

79
00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:42.720
those experiences why they're so important about
a book about company character. So,

80
00:05:42.920 --> 00:05:46.800
after at least all those years of
experience, I think the last fifteen months

81
00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:53.560
for everyone, as you mentioned,
the pandemic, social unrests, global recession,

82
00:05:53.720 --> 00:06:00.319
various other things, all those unprecedented
activity really brought about a signify an

83
00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:09.240
amount of change all together and provided
CEOs, leaders and organizations an ability to

84
00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:12.519
deal with that change. And I
think as a result, both from a

85
00:06:12.600 --> 00:06:17.199
leadership perspective and individuals in general,
both personally and professionally, there was a

86
00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:24.160
major cultural shift that needed to have
some attention paid to it. And I

87
00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:30.439
think those events required companies and organizations
to really define and demonstrate their character,

88
00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:35.759
just like people have character. I
think it forced organizations to have to step

89
00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:44.160
up and really act upon their character
as an organization for the people within the

90
00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:48.639
organization as well as for the people
in the communities that the organization interacts with.

91
00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:51.360
And I thought that, you know, having that all come together,

92
00:06:51.399 --> 00:06:58.079
and I actually spent those fifteen months
plus really kind of trying to put down

93
00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:05.680
some notes and develop the upstanding book
which talks about organization character, and then

94
00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:10.279
to top it off, you trot
yourself into a group of CEOs can being

95
00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:13.079
by Google, which I thought was
fantastic. And the discussion that you talk

96
00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:16.720
about in the book was the change
and sensibility toward business leaders engaging on ESG

97
00:07:16.920 --> 00:07:21.399
environmental, social and governance issues directly
and indirectly affecting their companies. And so

98
00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:25.360
there was a clear consensus that came
out of that will you share that with

99
00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:29.079
us? So first, it was
a great opportunity to be invited by Google

100
00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:32.600
part of that CEO forum. It
was a virtual event. It was like

101
00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:41.199
you can imagine any company across the
US and really global companies as well participated

102
00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:44.560
and it was an open forum and
there were a couple of topics, But

103
00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:49.600
I think the topic that really resonated
with me was really reflecting on these past

104
00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:58.279
fifteen months and where CEOs were really
talking about how their position in the organizations

105
00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:03.000
have changed in those fifteen months,
where they felt it was no longer acceptable

106
00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:09.000
to sit on the sidelines when it
comes to ESG issues, because the employees

107
00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:13.560
were requiring it, the communities were
requirement were requiring it, and CEOs really

108
00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:18.240
had to step up and take a
position one way or the other and it

109
00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:22.920
made a difference, I think,
and so hearing it consistently discussed among that

110
00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:28.759
group of CEOs I thought was very
impactful. I did too. And then

111
00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:31.200
you take it another step further and
you take it from the insight, take

112
00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:35.559
it from the actual individual perspective here, and you make a very strong case

113
00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:39.480
in your book too, that we're
all dealing with these heightened expectations that employees,

114
00:08:39.559 --> 00:08:41.919
customers, and investors have the business
sector to lead the way through these

115
00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:46.639
daily changes. So business is recognizing
that this is important for them to take

116
00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:50.240
a stance, but so are the
individuals in the community as well. Yeah,

117
00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:54.960
I think you know, first of
all, if you think about employees

118
00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:58.639
that are part of an organization,
I think over the last couple of years,

119
00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:03.919
and it even was accelerated in the
last fifteen months, individuals don't just

120
00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:09.360
look for a job for jobs sake. Yes, that's important in what they

121
00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:13.799
do and how they do it,
but they select the job also for the

122
00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:18.759
organization that they're part of, and
so as a result, there's certain requirements

123
00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:24.399
that they are expectations that they have
of that organization. One to attract them

124
00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:28.919
to the character that that organization would
have and then retain them because it's a

125
00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:35.320
very competitive marketplace and they could decide
to go elsewhere. So I think that's

126
00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:39.679
putting more pressure on organizations to really
step up and have a purpose for what

127
00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:43.600
they do and how they do it, and then develop a character that helps

128
00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:48.720
them decide maybe right from wrong,
or where to take positions or not.

129
00:09:50.919 --> 00:09:54.399
I think the same is true with
customers, right, customers of those organizations

130
00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:58.360
have a choice as well. And
I think we've seen over the years that

131
00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:05.720
even customers take a position on where
they buy from depending upon what that organization

132
00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:11.960
stands for or maybe does not stand
for right. And so as a result,

133
00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:16.799
again there's more onus, on the
leaders and on the organizations to really

134
00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:22.639
step into this new world completely agree. So now that way, I think

135
00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:24.679
we've established the foundation here on what
we're talking about. I think now we

136
00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:30.080
should distinguish the terms here. So
you've been using both personal characters as well

137
00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:33.120
as organizational characters, So would you
distinguish them for us in your particular special

138
00:10:33.159 --> 00:10:39.720
way. So, I think personal
character is a code of conduct that we

139
00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:43.840
apply when we have a choice to
make right. It's the framework for how

140
00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:50.600
we as individuals make a decision organizational
character is comprised of kind of key traits

141
00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:56.559
that are also informed by the values, the values that the organization and the

142
00:10:56.600 --> 00:11:05.480
people within that organization feel are important
to them, that they then embody and

143
00:11:05.559 --> 00:11:11.720
they have behaviors that support those values, and then the employees within the organization

144
00:11:11.879 --> 00:11:18.720
embrace them and commit to define those
behaviors and align with the overall purpose and

145
00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:22.279
feel a sense of belonging. And
I actually know from my research, Frank,

146
00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:26.559
we talked about this when we first
spoke as a meaning and work researcher,

147
00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:30.000
that sense of belonging is so powerful. So I love that you address

148
00:11:30.039 --> 00:11:31.720
that, and then you take it
one step further in your book. And

149
00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:35.080
so we've been talking about character here, but then you go on to explain

150
00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:39.960
that company character is the core that
grounds culture and strategy. I mean,

151
00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:43.039
it is the persistent through line of
fundamental beliefs and values uniting people and teams

152
00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:46.799
working with a shared purpose. That
I think that that right there, that

153
00:11:46.919 --> 00:11:54.559
one or two sentences is just so
jam packed with import Yeah. I agree,

154
00:11:54.639 --> 00:12:00.559
of course, because I think you
know again, it's it's if you

155
00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:03.720
start at that higher purpose. It's
the purpose that allows people to feel a

156
00:12:03.799 --> 00:12:09.279
connection to the organization and then allows
them to really identify with those values and

157
00:12:09.320 --> 00:12:13.759
then emulate those values. And whether
those values, like an anaplan, are

158
00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:20.039
open or collaborative or tenacious or being
authentic. People then know what's expected of

159
00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:26.639
them. They also know how they
want to behave or can behave, and

160
00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:33.559
there's a lot of respect and trust
among those individuals. And in the end,

161
00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:35.840
when you have that, they're going
to be more energized, they're going

162
00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:41.159
to be more enthusiastic about what they're
doing, and that ties back to,

163
00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:46.559
you know, the success of the
organization, because if you have people in

164
00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:50.879
the organization that enjoy doing what they're
doing, enjoy working with the people that

165
00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:56.360
they're working with, and feel that
they can bring their authentic self to their

166
00:12:56.759 --> 00:13:00.159
organization or to their job, they're
going to do the best. And that

167
00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:05.039
that drives hime, morale, high
performance, and then success overall. And

168
00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:09.600
it not only stays within the organization, it starts to move out into your

169
00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:13.960
ecosystem, your community as well as
in your customers, and that becomes contagious

170
00:13:13.960 --> 00:13:18.720
as well. Yeah, and so
I've certainly been inside organizations when that is

171
00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:22.960
present. What you're talking about their
frank there's literally a buzz that you can

172
00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:26.480
feel and hear in the room.
It's that palpable. It's incredible, incredible

173
00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:30.600
energy and one of the things,
at least I'll just say because when I

174
00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:33.159
first you know, as I've been
with Anaplan now for four and a half

175
00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:35.799
years, I also hear it a
lot from customers, our customers, because

176
00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:41.399
it's not so much even just the
product that they enjoy and the reason why

177
00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:46.720
they we provide them this service,
but they talk about the people that they

178
00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:50.759
interact with and the special bond or
the engagement that they have. That our

179
00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:54.799
employees are committed to their success.
And I know most companies want to say

180
00:13:54.799 --> 00:14:00.720
that and they should strive to say
that, but making it a reality is

181
00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:03.919
what makes the difference. Well,
and you've also said in your book that

182
00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:07.440
you've got customers who have come to
work for you. That's a tremendous testament,

183
00:14:07.480 --> 00:14:11.840
right, Yes, for sure,
yes, And that is good right

184
00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:15.600
because they want to be on the
inside at times as well as being on

185
00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:18.639
the customer side, and so they
like that there are anta planners that go

186
00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:24.320
work for our customers. So it
shows that the community that we're part of

187
00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:28.039
doesn't just stay in the walls of
our organization. It goes out into our

188
00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:31.000
partners, and it also goes out
into our customers, which of course I

189
00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:31.960
applaud it, and you know that's
a big part of my messaging. So

190
00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:37.720
with that, let's take our first
break. Joining us today is Frank Calderoni.

191
00:14:37.720 --> 00:14:39.840
He's the chief executive officer of Anaplan
and the chairman of the company's board

192
00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:43.879
of Directors. He is the author
of Upstanding, How Company, Excuse Me?

193
00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:48.600
How Company and Character Catalyzes loyalty,
agility and hypergrowth. I'm your host.

194
00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:54.480
Elise Cortes. Doctor Elise Cortes is
a management consultant specializing in meaning and

195
00:14:54.519 --> 00:15:00.200
purpose and inspirational speaker and author.
She helps companies visioneer for greater purpose us

196
00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:07.240
among stakeholders and develop purpose inspired leadership
and meaning infused cultures that elevate fulfillment,

197
00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:11.960
performance and commitment within the workforce.
To learn more or to invite Elise to

198
00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:16.960
speak to your organization, please visit
her at Eleasecortes dot com. Let's talk

199
00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:28.200
about how to get your employees working
on purpose. This is working on purpose

200
00:15:28.279 --> 00:15:33.879
with doctor Elise Cortes. To reach
our program today or open a conversation with

201
00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:41.919
Alise send an email to a lease
Alise at Eleasecortes dot com. Now back

202
00:15:41.960 --> 00:15:50.879
to working on Purpose. Thanks for
staying with us, and welcome back to

203
00:15:50.919 --> 00:15:54.039
working on Purpose. As we watched
the pandemic continue on, we look for

204
00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:58.000
ways to help companies support their employees
handle their anxiety, stress and depression and

205
00:15:58.039 --> 00:16:02.080
feeling disconnected, while also hoping to
lift and inspired them with ongoing professional development.

206
00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:06.320
So we now offer a wellbeing webinar
learning series called Grab your Gusto Vital

207
00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:08.120
Wellbeing from the inside Out. You
can learn more about it at least coore

208
00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:11.799
test dot com or email me at
at least at least cortest dot com if

209
00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:15.759
you're just joining the program. My
guest is Frank Calderoni. He's the chief

210
00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:18.080
executive officer of an A Plant and
the chairman of the company's board of directors.

211
00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:21.759
At the beginning of the show,
we were talking about what's happening in

212
00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:25.720
the world today that requires company character, and now we're going to talk about

213
00:16:25.720 --> 00:16:27.240
what a few of the things that
Frank and Esteem have been doing to address

214
00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:33.679
company culture at Antiplant. So you
say in the book here it's so interesting

215
00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:37.320
you talk about how companies and their
leaders can't be silent on a racial justice

216
00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:41.039
and the sustainability. And when we're
silent initiatives that matter, people will fill

217
00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:45.480
in the gaps themselves who say and
most likely negatively. So first, before

218
00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:47.720
we get into what we've been doing
at Ana Plant, why is this so

219
00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:52.600
important in today's times? And in
the talent marketplace? So first, the

220
00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:56.840
talent marketplace is very competitive, and
I think if you don't demonstrate your support

221
00:16:56.919 --> 00:17:02.720
for diversity inclusion, then those great
talent, those candidates will go somewhere else,

222
00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:07.920
they'll pass you by. And so
that's one. And I think,

223
00:17:07.079 --> 00:17:14.039
you know, going back to the
conversation around having an organizational character and being

224
00:17:14.119 --> 00:17:18.039
standing up and making sure that you
take a stand within the communities, having

225
00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:25.400
a much more broader, diverse,
inclusive environment is the right thing within your

226
00:17:25.400 --> 00:17:29.920
community, within your ecosystem. And
I think I think you know, as

227
00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:37.640
organizations take positions, they allow the
employees or even those candidates that are attracted

228
00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:41.000
to the organization to make a decision
as to whether or not they join or

229
00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:45.799
not. And I think when you
do, you're more likely to have a

230
00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:51.200
group of individuals want to sign on
and be part of that rather than join

231
00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:55.079
an organization that really doesn't have a
say one way or the other, which

232
00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:57.359
I think is a big difference from
where things may have been, you know,

233
00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:00.599
ten or twenty years ago. I
really liked the courage and the stands

234
00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:03.240
for talking about Frank, and I
really really admire it, which is another

235
00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:06.960
reason that I wanted to have you
on the show. I applaud what you're

236
00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:08.720
talking about, and of course I
endorse it, so right there with you.

237
00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:12.200
So one of the things that you
also talk about is that when you

238
00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:17.000
shared in the book that when you
entered the company as CEO in twenty seventeen,

239
00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:18.920
that the culture was considered man a
plan. I thought that was quite

240
00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:22.920
an interesting term. Help us understand
what you identify it and what you knew

241
00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:29.079
you had to address and why.
So I think it was interesting because it

242
00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:30.559
took a while, and I heard
it once or twice, and I heard

243
00:18:30.599 --> 00:18:37.640
it more pervasive coming from women that
they felt that they didn't feel like they

244
00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:40.960
had a seat at the table.
That's kind of the words that were used.

245
00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:45.200
And after I heard it, I
tried to step back and see if

246
00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:48.400
I could observe it, and I
did, and so I felt that it

247
00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:53.000
definitely was not the right thing to
do for the organization. But I also

248
00:18:53.160 --> 00:19:00.400
felt that the women really didn't have
a chance to really participate and provide their

249
00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:06.519
best selves into whatever the projects that
we were working on, whatever some of

250
00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:08.240
the things that we had to do
on path for our customers, And so

251
00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:12.799
we were missing out, we were
missing out on their insights, on their

252
00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:19.880
ability to really kind of actively participate
and make a difference. And so I

253
00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:23.160
determined early on that I wanted to
change that. And I you know,

254
00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:29.839
we started one talking about it,
understanding why it happened, and then what

255
00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:32.880
we were going to do to make
some changes. And I think, you

256
00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:37.759
know, stepping up and acknowledging it
and then determining that you are going to

257
00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:41.640
make a change and measuring yourself to
make that change brought about a difference,

258
00:19:42.440 --> 00:19:47.000
which is I think we're I mean, we're not perfect, but we're so

259
00:19:47.079 --> 00:19:48.559
much better today than where we were
a couple of years ago. And we'll

260
00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:53.400
continue on that journey going forward.
Another thing that I thought was really interesting

261
00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:56.079
about your book. I just was
imagining what then must have been like when

262
00:19:56.119 --> 00:20:00.240
you were going through the interview process
and you were hearing that here they at

263
00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:03.440
a plant has an incredible product,
a large green fill of opportunity, loads

264
00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:07.799
of potential. But what you began
to really notice in those conversations is its

265
00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:11.920
culture and character were not well developed. Must have been so interesting for you

266
00:20:11.960 --> 00:20:14.160
with all that experience to look at
that and go, I know, I

267
00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:18.160
can make a difference here. So
at least it's true. I think part

268
00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:22.240
of it occurred there was a leadership
void before I joined. There was a

269
00:20:22.279 --> 00:20:26.519
gap between the previous CEO and myself, and so I think when there's a

270
00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:30.759
gap with leadership, things happened in
an organization. So I just put that

271
00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:33.319
out there. But I also saw
as I started to get into it,

272
00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:38.519
and I saw the product capabilities,
and I was really that's what it enamored

273
00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:42.559
me with joining the company. And
then I heard how our customers were so

274
00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:48.160
enthusiastic about the product, and I
felt that if our employees were as excited,

275
00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:52.519
think about what that could really do. I mean, that could be

276
00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:56.240
the icing on the cake really to
kind of really make this. And so,

277
00:20:57.200 --> 00:21:03.279
and then going back to my previous
experience at IBM or Cisco or red

278
00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:08.440
Hat and those strong organizations, those
those strong cultures that I was part of,

279
00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:12.240
I felt that I could really we
not me, but we could also

280
00:21:12.279 --> 00:21:18.680
make a big difference in anaplan.
And so we made that a core just

281
00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:25.319
like our strategy was important and the
different business initiatives. We made culture a

282
00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:30.359
core foundation of who we were.
And how we started that was really to

283
00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:37.599
identify values that were meaningful to the
members of the organization. And the way

284
00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:40.640
we did that was not for me
to decide what those values are or the

285
00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:47.079
leadership team, but to have it
be kind of a grassroots and invite those

286
00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:52.440
in the organization to participate. We
had sixty seven percent of the population global

287
00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:57.759
population volunteer to participate in certain work
groups workshops because they wanted to have a

288
00:21:57.839 --> 00:22:02.680
say in what those values were.
And then, you know, it took

289
00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:06.240
longer because there was more people involved, but it was well worth it because

290
00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:11.160
people bought into what those values were
and they felt themselves owning it and then

291
00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:18.559
wanting to behave and live those values
every day. It's very powerful. I

292
00:22:18.599 --> 00:22:19.480
do that kind of work with clients
as well, So when I read that

293
00:22:19.480 --> 00:22:23.119
part of your book, I just
thought that was incredibly powerful. So and

294
00:22:23.160 --> 00:22:26.720
then you go on to another interesting
point here that I thought was interesting when

295
00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:30.480
you were talking about how I didn't
know if you meant this as what you

296
00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:34.440
do at Aniplant or just in general. But speaking back on evaluating issues,

297
00:22:34.519 --> 00:22:38.559
you share that you and your team
take a three part working framework approach to

298
00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:42.359
helping them segment their approach to macro
issues. I'd love to hear you share

299
00:22:42.359 --> 00:22:45.880
more about that particular framework and how
you got to it. Sure. I

300
00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:49.400
mean, it's you know, three
steps. Simple. First is decide to

301
00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:56.640
take a position. And you know, those positions could be on things internal

302
00:22:56.680 --> 00:23:02.039
to antiplan that may not be directly
related to our business, or it could

303
00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:07.200
be taking a position on something within
our community and really kind of making sure

304
00:23:07.799 --> 00:23:12.440
that we stood behind that. I
mean this again in the last fifteen months

305
00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:17.039
with all the social unrest, you
know, taking a position on the George

306
00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:21.599
Floyd murder at the time well over
a year ago, and what that really

307
00:23:21.640 --> 00:23:26.319
meant to at a planners but also
what it meant externally. Second step is

308
00:23:26.519 --> 00:23:30.880
create an agenda. Right when you
take that position, what's your plan of

309
00:23:30.920 --> 00:23:34.799
action? What are we going to
do in the organization, what motions do

310
00:23:34.839 --> 00:23:38.359
we want to follow, and what
outcomes do we want? And then third,

311
00:23:40.039 --> 00:23:44.559
it's really the activism. It's to
make a financial commitment. Right,

312
00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:48.680
if you decide you're going to take
a position and you have that agenda,

313
00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:52.759
what are you going to put behind
that agenda to make sure it plays itself

314
00:23:52.759 --> 00:23:57.559
through? So financial investment, certain
metrics, goals, whatever you were going

315
00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:03.039
to commit to to make sure that
you were going to be successful. You

316
00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:04.640
know, you just now mentioned this
in the conversation, Frank, and I'm

317
00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:07.359
pretty sure if my memory serce,
we write you do mention in the book

318
00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:11.799
too, what position did you take
on the George Floord George Floord noodle murder.

319
00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:17.920
Excuse me, you know it's you
know again, I think that situation

320
00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:22.160
and everything else around that, around
Black Lives Matter that occurred over the last

321
00:24:22.200 --> 00:24:30.039
fifteen months had much a greater impact, not just on black employees, but

322
00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:33.480
I think on all employees because I
think it forced everyone to step back and

323
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:38.759
really look at what is, what
is right, what's not, and also

324
00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:48.000
to understand and appreciate how black people
felt around that. And so one of

325
00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:52.799
the things that we did, which
you know, I just reflected on this

326
00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:56.000
recently because we had, you know, the one year anniversary, We had

327
00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:00.599
an open conversation with the entire company
on that one year anniversary, and I

328
00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:04.519
reflected back a year ago and one
of the things that we did is I

329
00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:10.079
held an open forum without black and
Floyd's I think it was like a week

330
00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:15.000
or two after the George Floyd situation
in Minneapolis, and all I did was

331
00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:22.400
listen. I listened to them all
talk about their life experiences as a black

332
00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:29.200
person and through that lens and for
me, that was very moving and and

333
00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:33.279
and and it forced me to do
nothing but listen. And as a result,

334
00:25:33.640 --> 00:25:37.960
I think I was I got I
was a better person, I was

335
00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:41.759
a better leader. I understood where
they were coming from. And from that,

336
00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:47.200
we've developed some initiatives around that within
Anna Plan and within the community that

337
00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:49.039
I think, you know, we're
continuing to work on. Right, as

338
00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:52.519
I said, nothing's perfect, but
we were working on that and and and

339
00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:56.400
it's making I think for myself,
and I think even at the one year

340
00:25:56.440 --> 00:26:02.000
anniversary, based on what I heard
from ourmployees, you know, we're starting

341
00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:04.839
to make a difference. I'm glad
you that you tried that with those Frank,

342
00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:08.720
It's really important to see how a
CEO takes a stance on that.

343
00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:12.400
And back to the whole company character
and the leader character, I was just

344
00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:17.240
really pleased with the way that you've
described your actions. And then of course

345
00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:19.640
we're going to tell we're going to
share more stories in the next segment about

346
00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:23.839
how others have taken action. But
it's just so important. So and then

347
00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:26.559
to that end, the last thing
I wanted to cover in this particular segment

348
00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:32.000
is that you say, the organizations
that have upstanding character have four characteristics embedded

349
00:26:32.039 --> 00:26:38.599
in their DNA. What are they? Yes, So again simple statements,

350
00:26:38.599 --> 00:26:41.680
but I think they're very meaningful.
First, is they operate with a larger

351
00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:45.440
purpose and even just kind of what
you're talking about. You and I had

352
00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:49.720
this conversation recently about purpose, right, Yeah, absolutely, people people want

353
00:26:49.720 --> 00:26:53.240
to belong to something where they can
understand and appreciate what that purpose is all

354
00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:57.079
about, right, so they can
relate. That's number one. Second,

355
00:26:57.640 --> 00:27:02.880
as I mentioned before, that the
organization is values led, right, what

356
00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:07.400
are those values that are important for
the people in the organization and what are

357
00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:11.319
the right behaviors that helps support those
values. The third is to follow through

358
00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:15.680
on the convictions. What convictions you
have, You're not just going to put

359
00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:18.839
them on a wall and walk away
and then revisit a year from now you're

360
00:27:18.839 --> 00:27:22.279
going to put them up there and
you're going to live by them and help

361
00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:27.720
you know that, have them help
make some of your decisions and take some

362
00:27:27.799 --> 00:27:33.240
of those actions. And then fourth
is you know, I think again I

363
00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:37.599
can relate back to this last fifteen
months. They have to answer the call

364
00:27:37.640 --> 00:27:42.160
in challenging times, because that's when
when you have a challenging situation, you're

365
00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:48.599
being forced to react. And if
you have that purpose, that character,

366
00:27:48.920 --> 00:27:55.759
those values, it's going to help
guide you in those challenging times really to

367
00:27:55.839 --> 00:28:00.799
make the best decision. Beautiful just
all you spot altogether beautifully there. Now,

368
00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:03.039
with that, let's take our last
break. I'm Elise Cortes, your

369
00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:07.039
host BET on the air with Frank
Calderoni, who's the chief executive officer at

370
00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:08.960
and A Plant and the chairman of
the company's board of directors. We've been

371
00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:11.559
talking about some of the things that
he and his team have done at and

372
00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:15.160
a plan to address culture and character
after the raak, we're going to talk

373
00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:18.559
about a few examples of what upstanding
company character it really looks like when it's

374
00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:22.640
taken in action. Stay with us, we'll be right back. Doctor Elise

375
00:28:22.680 --> 00:28:29.839
Cortes is a management consultant specializing in
meaning and purpose and inspirational speaker and author.

376
00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:36.400
She helps companies visioneer for greater purpose
among stakeholders and develop purpose inspired leadership

377
00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:42.000
and meaning infused cultures that elevate fulfillment, performance, and commitment within the workforce.

378
00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:47.559
To learn more or to invite Elise
to speak to your organization, please

379
00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:52.160
visit her at elisecortes dot com.
Let's talk about how to get your employees

380
00:28:52.319 --> 00:29:03.920
working on purpose. This is working
on Purpose with doctor Elise Cortes. To

381
00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:07.279
reach our program today or open a
conversation with Elise, send an email to

382
00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:15.880
a Lease Ali s at elisecortes dot
com. Now back to working on purpose.

383
00:29:21.960 --> 00:29:23.519
Thanks for staying with us, and
welcome back to working on purpose if

384
00:29:23.519 --> 00:29:26.799
you're just joining us. My guest
today is from San Francisco, Frank Calderoni.

385
00:29:26.839 --> 00:29:30.920
He's the chief executive officer of nplan
In, the chairman of the company's

386
00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:34.079
board of directors. He's also the
author of Upstanding, How Company character catalyzes

387
00:29:34.119 --> 00:29:37.680
loyalty, fagility and Hypergrowth. I'm
your host, doctor Release Cortes. So

388
00:29:37.720 --> 00:29:41.359
before we get at this next segment
here, Frank, I want to embarrass

389
00:29:41.400 --> 00:29:44.960
you and I want to tell you
that I read in your book that she

390
00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:48.720
wanted to be a journalist when first
set out and come college, and you

391
00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:52.880
became one. And so it's just
your book is really beautifully written, and

392
00:29:52.119 --> 00:29:55.599
I hope that causes you to blush
just a little bit. But I thought

393
00:29:55.599 --> 00:29:57.480
that was kind of a fun little
thing how it all sort of came back.

394
00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:02.119
It was. So this is when
I went to college in New York

395
00:30:02.119 --> 00:30:06.920
City, I worked for a radio
station by the university, and it was

396
00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:11.279
a great experience. I became a
reporter for a while, I became a

397
00:30:11.359 --> 00:30:15.319
disc jockey. Some of the things
that I had some fantasies about I got

398
00:30:15.319 --> 00:30:17.960
a chance to try for a couple
of years. Get it out of my

399
00:30:18.079 --> 00:30:22.160
system. But it was a great
way to meet a lot of people within

400
00:30:22.200 --> 00:30:25.720
the university but also within New York
City because I got a chance to meet

401
00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:29.839
with politicians and things like that.
So a great experience. Yeah, fantastic

402
00:30:29.839 --> 00:30:32.400
way to start. I couldn't help
but bringing that up and celebrating that.

403
00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:34.960
So for this last segment, I
do want to share a few of the

404
00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:40.279
really amazing examples that you talked about
in your book about company character in action.

405
00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:41.880
But before we do that. I
also really want to call it something

406
00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:47.160
that you do that I see very
few other leaders do, and that is

407
00:30:47.319 --> 00:30:51.920
your commentary on the way forward involves
a two way street between companies and employees.

408
00:30:52.440 --> 00:30:56.039
And we seldom hear a call for
employees to take responsibility for their necessary

409
00:30:56.079 --> 00:31:00.039
role and the way forward. So
and what I want to say about that

410
00:31:00.200 --> 00:31:02.400
is it is really important. We
hear a lot about cash. You know,

411
00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:04.680
companies and leaders have got to create
a great company culture where employees want

412
00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:08.200
to come to work and be engaged. And there's another party in this,

413
00:31:08.359 --> 00:31:12.640
in this role here, So will
you say more about that two way street

414
00:31:12.720 --> 00:31:18.799
and really meaning more of their perspective
what's on the employees. So at least,

415
00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:22.880
again, the success comes from that
two way street, right, you

416
00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:27.559
know, expecting for employees to sit
back and expect the leaders to answer or

417
00:31:27.960 --> 00:31:33.720
address all of the requests that employees
have doesn't it's not really fair. I

418
00:31:33.720 --> 00:31:37.720
mean, yes, leaders have to
provide that framework. They've got to provide

419
00:31:38.119 --> 00:31:41.000
you know, some of the structure
as far as the vision, the strategy,

420
00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:45.599
the setup for the culture. But
the two way street is that employees

421
00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:48.000
also have to take an active role
in that, right, because they have

422
00:31:48.119 --> 00:31:53.079
to live it. They have to
also help evolve what that culture is or

423
00:31:53.119 --> 00:31:57.799
what that character of the organization is, and so they have to hold themselves

424
00:31:57.799 --> 00:32:02.640
accountable as well. And you know
that plays out in so many different ways,

425
00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:07.039
I know from a n anaplan standpoint, like even when you think about

426
00:32:07.079 --> 00:32:12.920
diversity and inclusion and taking stands or
developing action plans, it's not for just

427
00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:15.240
myself and the leadership team to work
on, but we have you know,

428
00:32:15.319 --> 00:32:21.920
employee research resource groups that are focused
on you know, black lives matter,

429
00:32:22.119 --> 00:32:28.039
or focused on various types of diversity, so that we can help together work

430
00:32:28.079 --> 00:32:31.880
on an agenda. So I think
it goes all around the organization for it

431
00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:36.119
to be successful. I agree.
And of course another reason that I like

432
00:32:36.160 --> 00:32:37.519
that, Frank, is that I
think it's really important that. Of course,

433
00:32:37.559 --> 00:32:40.079
a lot of what do I do
is empowerment, and so I want

434
00:32:40.119 --> 00:32:44.759
each individual employee to also feel empowered
to do something about this, to manage

435
00:32:44.759 --> 00:32:46.920
their own career, to be part
of the solution going forward, and to

436
00:32:47.000 --> 00:32:51.160
contribute their voice. So that's part
of the reason I wanted to celebrate that

437
00:32:51.519 --> 00:32:54.799
comment that you that you put in
your book. It's beautiful. So now

438
00:32:54.839 --> 00:32:58.920
we've got it. We have to
get to chapter seven. So chapter seven,

439
00:32:59.000 --> 00:33:00.880
you say you identify in the chapter
what I would consider to be the

440
00:33:00.880 --> 00:33:05.079
critical orienting compass of your whole entire
book. And this is from my vantage

441
00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:07.359
point, of course, And you
say, if you do nothing else,

442
00:33:07.640 --> 00:33:10.240
your call to action is to identify
the environmental, social, or governance issues

443
00:33:10.279 --> 00:33:16.559
that will test your company character.
Yeah, very critical, because how you

444
00:33:16.640 --> 00:33:21.359
face them will affect your immdiot and
long term reputation. Right, and so

445
00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:24.799
that's a big part of character.
You must decide whether those positions will be

446
00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:30.480
active or passive. So that's a
decision you're making right there, and then

447
00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:32.680
taking action as needed. Right,
If you're going to be active, what

448
00:33:32.880 --> 00:33:37.000
is that action that you're going to
take? And I think you know goes

449
00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:43.599
back to sitting on the sidelines is
no longer acceptive acceptable If you ignore that

450
00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:46.359
call you're taking, you're taking that
risk, you're deciding that you're not going

451
00:33:46.400 --> 00:33:51.599
to take an action, and then
you could be held out by your employees,

452
00:33:51.640 --> 00:33:54.839
by your customers, by your community
for maybe not taking you know,

453
00:33:54.920 --> 00:34:00.319
a position or taking an action.
So I think again and not have to

454
00:34:00.359 --> 00:34:04.119
say I'm not here saying that you
need to take on everything, because then

455
00:34:04.279 --> 00:34:07.199
you know you take on too much
and then nothing gets done. But selecting

456
00:34:07.360 --> 00:34:10.559
what you want to take on,
how you're going to prioritize that, what

457
00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:14.719
actions are you going to take,
and then the support you're going to have

458
00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:17.920
within your organization and your community to
make that progress is going to be important.

459
00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:23.239
Agreed. So, and I also
really appreciate the more active stance and

460
00:34:23.239 --> 00:34:27.199
that there's agency and what you're talking
about, and I really celebrate that as

461
00:34:27.239 --> 00:34:30.679
well. And so to bring this
now homes we've been talking about why is

462
00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:34.840
this important and how you've been going
about this, I want to I want

463
00:34:34.880 --> 00:34:37.400
to share. Have you share a
few examples that you gave from the book

464
00:34:37.400 --> 00:34:43.119
that really I think illustrate just how
powerful it is. When when company character

465
00:34:43.599 --> 00:34:45.800
is activated and I forget the word
that you used, it's not activated,

466
00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:50.239
it's what do you call it when
you bring it out? Not unleashed?

467
00:34:51.400 --> 00:34:53.360
Remember it? But anyway, So
the first thing I want to call out,

468
00:34:53.400 --> 00:34:57.519
which is I didn't know this,
but you share in the book the

469
00:34:57.519 --> 00:35:00.079
example of Coca Cola and this position
it took in January nineteen sixty five when

470
00:35:00.119 --> 00:35:05.280
Atlanta was trying to determine how to
celebrate doctor Martin Luther King's Nobel Prize win.

471
00:35:05.960 --> 00:35:07.840
So I didn't know anything about this. This is a great story,

472
00:35:07.880 --> 00:35:10.880
So will you set the stage for
us as to what happened and why Coca

473
00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:15.400
Cola stand was so critical? Sure, as I was researching the book,

474
00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:20.159
I tried to get some examples that
were just out there that I felt were

475
00:35:20.159 --> 00:35:24.039
relevant to the topic, but also
even some of my own experiences or peers

476
00:35:24.159 --> 00:35:28.119
or folks that I've worked with over
the years. But in this one in

477
00:35:28.119 --> 00:35:31.599
particular that you called out, you
know, Coca Cola's chairman at the time,

478
00:35:31.960 --> 00:35:37.800
that was Jake Paul Austin took a
stand back in nineteen sixty five when

479
00:35:38.039 --> 00:35:42.159
there was you know, planned to
party to celebrate, as you said,

480
00:35:42.199 --> 00:35:46.159
doctor Martin Luther King's Nobel Prize,
and he assembled a group of business elite

481
00:35:46.199 --> 00:35:51.039
and he said, you know,
it's embarrassing for Coca Cola to be located

482
00:35:51.079 --> 00:35:54.239
in the city that refuses to honor
its Nobel Prize winner. Right, So

483
00:35:55.719 --> 00:36:00.519
he basically said that, hey,
we're an international company, and the Coca

484
00:36:00.599 --> 00:36:05.199
Cola Company does not need Atlanta.
You all have to decide whether Atlanta needs

485
00:36:05.239 --> 00:36:07.800
the Coca Cola company. And as
a result of just putting that out there

486
00:36:08.039 --> 00:36:14.880
and forcing that conversation in his speech, fifteen hundred people immediately bought tickets to

487
00:36:14.920 --> 00:36:19.480
the dinner celebration. So you know, putting that out there caused a reaction,

488
00:36:19.719 --> 00:36:22.599
and in this case, people rose
to the occasion, which I think

489
00:36:22.679 --> 00:36:27.280
was important. Well, and I
think, if that's not leadership, gosh,

490
00:36:27.320 --> 00:36:30.800
I don't know what is right.
And so let me make sure that

491
00:36:30.800 --> 00:36:35.239
I pessify this for our listeners and
our viewers. So before the Coca Cola

492
00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:38.000
CEO made that statement, no one
had bought a ticket. If I remember

493
00:36:38.039 --> 00:36:42.480
writing your book, not a single
person had body a ticket. So for

494
00:36:42.559 --> 00:36:46.239
him then to give that very short, eloquent, direct speech is I think

495
00:36:46.280 --> 00:36:51.320
a great example of company character in
action. Really the difference that it could

496
00:36:51.360 --> 00:36:54.800
make, so a beautiful example.
And then you go on and talk about

497
00:36:57.079 --> 00:37:00.039
companies how they can position themselves in
response to other social issue use and your

498
00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:05.199
example of the response Cisco had to
proposition aid in California, which is the

499
00:37:05.199 --> 00:37:08.119
one where marriage is legal only between
a man and a woman, was incredibly

500
00:37:08.159 --> 00:37:10.840
notable and you were actually, I
think quite proud of the way that they

501
00:37:10.880 --> 00:37:14.599
addressed that, So can you set
the stage for that? What was going

502
00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:17.519
on and what did they how did
they respond and position themselves? So this

503
00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:22.119
this goes back to like a personal
situation, right. So this was back

504
00:37:22.119 --> 00:37:24.639
in two thousand and eight. I
was one of the leaders that was part

505
00:37:24.679 --> 00:37:30.920
of Cisco at the time, and
the Marriage Protection Act was actually out there

506
00:37:30.960 --> 00:37:36.159
and the bill gained some national attention, so it wasn't just within California.

507
00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:42.039
So I was the CFO and we
debated this taking a position. This is

508
00:37:42.239 --> 00:37:46.360
the leadership team within Cisco. You
know, we were for it? Who

509
00:37:46.400 --> 00:37:51.239
was against it? Do we not
say anything? What are the pros and

510
00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:55.760
cons? Huge discussion, right,
and everything came back to what was going

511
00:37:55.800 --> 00:38:00.760
to happen if we did take a
position either of those positions, and what

512
00:38:00.800 --> 00:38:07.599
the impact would be to Cisco and
whether it would damage Cisco's reputation. But

513
00:38:07.719 --> 00:38:12.360
in the end, after that active
dialogue, you know, we stood up

514
00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:16.639
for what we believed in and we
said that we don't support Proposition eight as

515
00:38:16.639 --> 00:38:20.519
a company. And I remember,
you know in the book I talked about

516
00:38:20.719 --> 00:38:24.880
I had a conversation with Sue Bostrom, and Sue was our chief marketing officer

517
00:38:24.920 --> 00:38:29.559
at the time, and she,
you know, recollected this story and she

518
00:38:29.599 --> 00:38:35.199
and I were there at the same
time, so we kind of reconciled as

519
00:38:35.199 --> 00:38:38.400
far as how that was. But
however, despite our support, the bill

520
00:38:39.199 --> 00:38:44.320
did pass with fifty two percent approval, but as you know, eventually it

521
00:38:44.360 --> 00:38:49.239
was overturned. But we felt from
a Cisco leadership standpoint, that we stood

522
00:38:49.320 --> 00:38:52.599
up for what we believed in,
and we felt, even especially now,

523
00:38:52.679 --> 00:38:58.960
that we made the right decision and
that others in the organization respected us at

524
00:38:59.000 --> 00:39:01.519
the time for stepping up and taking
that position, and as a result,

525
00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:07.079
Cisco as an organization was not damaged
with the position that we took. And

526
00:39:07.239 --> 00:39:09.840
I don't remember the language exactly,
but I of course have it in the

527
00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:13.960
copious notes that I take, and
I offer to share them with your team

528
00:39:13.960 --> 00:39:16.159
if they wanted to see them.
But what I think I remember about what

529
00:39:16.159 --> 00:39:20.880
what the what the position or the
statement was was something about, you know

530
00:39:21.199 --> 00:39:27.760
what, we support people loving whoever
they choose or love is an important thing.

531
00:39:27.760 --> 00:39:30.079
It's an important part of life,
and who you choose shouldn't be so

532
00:39:30.119 --> 00:39:34.760
important, or something like that.
So what I what I liked was you

533
00:39:34.920 --> 00:39:39.360
it seemed to me that the statement
that you issued was elevated above the whole

534
00:39:39.480 --> 00:39:45.239
question. You were still celebrating love
and connection and finding somebody important to spend

535
00:39:45.239 --> 00:39:49.960
your life with, and celebrating that
which still allowed you to make make a

536
00:39:49.960 --> 00:39:54.480
position and put forth a stance with
without really getting involved in the messiness of

537
00:39:54.519 --> 00:39:58.960
the politics and the actual discussion.
You were you were you elevated above that

538
00:39:59.000 --> 00:40:02.000
as far as I could tell.
You said that, so well, good,

539
00:40:02.079 --> 00:40:05.880
yes, yes, okay, good, Well that's how it landed for

540
00:40:05.920 --> 00:40:07.960
me, Frank, That's exactly how
it landed for me. I thought it

541
00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:12.440
was elegant. And again, I
so so appreciate that now we're getting real

542
00:40:12.559 --> 00:40:15.800
here, this is a real conversation. We're not you know, staying safely

543
00:40:15.840 --> 00:40:17.880
on the sidelines and hoping that well, the whole big dark cloud will pass.

544
00:40:19.199 --> 00:40:21.440
We are getting involved. And I
think that's why your book is so

545
00:40:21.519 --> 00:40:24.079
powerful and so timely, so so
thrilled that I get to celebrate this and

546
00:40:24.119 --> 00:40:29.159
share you with my listeners and viewers. So let's talk about one more example

547
00:40:29.280 --> 00:40:34.159
that I thought was really, really
incredible. You talk about the story of

548
00:40:32.639 --> 00:40:37.840
the NBA's response to the HB two
bill. That's the bathroom bill, and

549
00:40:38.199 --> 00:40:42.400
with regard to hosting an All state
game in Charlotte, So you tell us

550
00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:45.920
about that one. So this was
back in several years ago, right North

551
00:40:45.920 --> 00:40:50.800
Carolina state legislator and the governor passed
a bill that made it illegal for anyone

552
00:40:50.840 --> 00:40:55.639
to use a bathroom that didn't match
the gender on their birth certificate. And

553
00:40:55.880 --> 00:41:00.360
as you recall, there was so
much controversy not only in North carolinp but

554
00:41:00.440 --> 00:41:07.480
really across the United States, and
it was an issue that really took on

555
00:41:07.679 --> 00:41:13.800
a tremendous amount of a political heat
from that perspective. And I remember,

556
00:41:14.320 --> 00:41:20.400
and I did talk with the former
Chief people Officer of the NBA who recalled

557
00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:23.039
this because he was part of the
organization at the time that in twenty seventeen,

558
00:41:23.079 --> 00:41:28.800
the NBA All Star Game was scheduled
to be held in Charlotte. However,

559
00:41:28.840 --> 00:41:34.360
given the bill was inconsistent with how
the NBA the values were stated,

560
00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:42.119
they voiced disagreement publicly, and they
also took a strong position and they moved

561
00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:46.320
the game. And this shows the
character of the organization taking a strong position

562
00:41:46.840 --> 00:41:52.119
understanding that they was financial implications associated, but they moved the game from Charlotte

563
00:41:53.119 --> 00:41:59.599
as a result of that. And
again, you know, I think they

564
00:41:59.639 --> 00:42:04.719
took the decision and they supported it
as a leadership team, and in my

565
00:42:04.840 --> 00:42:07.840
mind, I think this was a
great example of an organization demonstrating strong character.

566
00:42:09.880 --> 00:42:14.800
Yeah, and so this goes back
to if you listen, listeners and

567
00:42:14.840 --> 00:42:17.440
viewers to my tagline for the show, this is very intentional that I really

568
00:42:17.480 --> 00:42:22.840
am out to help curate a conversation
that allows us to create workplaces where people

569
00:42:22.880 --> 00:42:25.880
thrive, where inspirational leaders bring us
to our greatness, and we do business

570
00:42:25.880 --> 00:42:30.440
that betters the world. And so
very much appreciate this whole role that you're

571
00:42:30.480 --> 00:42:35.920
spearheading here, Frank, this notion
that company character really does make a difference

572
00:42:35.920 --> 00:42:37.480
in the world. It's important.
And I love how you use the word

573
00:42:37.480 --> 00:42:42.719
ecosystem because of course that's the stakeholder
community, and so to be able to

574
00:42:42.719 --> 00:42:46.039
really lift the whole community that it
touches is so beautiful. So we have

575
00:42:46.639 --> 00:42:50.920
just a little bit more time before
we I'll ask you the last close question.

576
00:42:51.679 --> 00:42:54.840
I want to just let you just
share whatever you think is important with

577
00:42:54.880 --> 00:42:59.679
regard to what we've been talking about
around company culture, excuse me, company

578
00:42:59.760 --> 00:43:02.679
character. That is important that we
haven't gotten to yet before I bring us

579
00:43:02.679 --> 00:43:13.599
to a close. So I think
again, reflecting back on my various experiences

580
00:43:13.599 --> 00:43:17.559
of different organizations, and I have
to say that I keep putting this out

581
00:43:17.559 --> 00:43:22.280
there because I don't know it all
and I haven't done everything right all the

582
00:43:22.360 --> 00:43:27.679
time. But you know, you
learn from sometimes your mistakes or some of

583
00:43:27.719 --> 00:43:31.360
the situations that you're part of,
and that's what it's all about, right,

584
00:43:31.400 --> 00:43:36.559
And so I have learned and I
do have a sense of conviction behind

585
00:43:37.400 --> 00:43:42.079
you know, encouraging all leaders to
really spend the time sometimes, you know.

586
00:43:42.400 --> 00:43:45.559
I think in the past, the
whole topic of culture, the whole

587
00:43:45.599 --> 00:43:51.000
topic of character for an organization was
looked at as somewhat fluff or something nice

588
00:43:51.000 --> 00:43:53.599
to have. Well, we'll get
to it when, you know, and

589
00:43:53.679 --> 00:43:58.679
we don't spend as much time.
And I think that time is really long

590
00:43:58.760 --> 00:44:04.000
gone. And I think our society
in general is requiring all of us,

591
00:44:04.039 --> 00:44:09.280
as individuals and as organizations to step
up and really take a stand on having

592
00:44:09.440 --> 00:44:14.639
a set of values, having a
purpose, having a character standing behind it

593
00:44:14.679 --> 00:44:19.199
with a sense of conviction. And
I think that's going to make a big

594
00:44:19.199 --> 00:44:24.039
difference going forward. And I think
we're starting to see that shift in the

595
00:44:24.119 --> 00:44:31.280
right direction and the more emphasis and
having this conversation with yourself a least,

596
00:44:31.280 --> 00:44:37.280
but also with your audience and having
others other leaders acknowledge that there is value

597
00:44:37.159 --> 00:44:45.199
and it will result in improved performance
improve results is extremely powerful. I think

598
00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:49.559
it is. And you also mentioned
something else that's really important for us to

599
00:44:49.559 --> 00:44:52.239
call out here really quick, and
that is this notion then that when we

600
00:44:52.320 --> 00:44:55.039
really are authentic about our values and
what we stand for and we speak to

601
00:44:55.079 --> 00:44:58.880
them, what's going to happen is
we are going to lose some people and

602
00:44:58.920 --> 00:45:01.280
we're going to gain others. And
the people that we lose we probably don't

603
00:45:01.280 --> 00:45:04.639
want to be hanging out with anyway, and people that we gain are probably

604
00:45:04.639 --> 00:45:07.599
going to be stronger supporters. You
give a great example in the book of

605
00:45:07.639 --> 00:45:10.159
Even how Jeff Bezos spoke up about
I think it was black lives black Lives

606
00:45:10.159 --> 00:45:14.599
Matter, and he got some pushback
from there was something on the front page

607
00:45:14.599 --> 00:45:17.599
of Amazon about we support black lives
or something, and he got a lot

608
00:45:17.639 --> 00:45:22.639
of very very vitriolic emails about that, and and he said, well,

609
00:45:22.760 --> 00:45:25.599
you know, if that is un
appealing to you, then maybe you're not

610
00:45:25.599 --> 00:45:30.280
my customer, and I'd be okay, losing you basically something along those lines.

611
00:45:30.039 --> 00:45:32.800
You know, every and I see
this even with an ana plan,

612
00:45:32.920 --> 00:45:37.559
every issue you take on, you're
not going to make everyone happy, right

613
00:45:37.800 --> 00:45:42.599
right, And it's impossible I should
do right right, But but you've got

614
00:45:42.599 --> 00:45:45.760
it. You got it. If
you don't try and you don't take on

615
00:45:45.440 --> 00:45:49.960
nothing, nothing moves forward right from
that, you don't have the advancement.

616
00:45:50.039 --> 00:45:54.000
So you know, I'll just give
an example today as we're speaking. We

617
00:45:54.320 --> 00:45:59.320
have these regular sessions within anna Plan. I call him Frank answers questions.

618
00:45:59.320 --> 00:46:01.159
I talk about it in the book, where it's an open forum on a

619
00:46:01.239 --> 00:46:06.320
topic, or it could just be
wide open and we allow everyone in the

620
00:46:06.360 --> 00:46:10.599
organization to ask questions and I answer
them. Today, what I tried to

621
00:46:10.639 --> 00:46:16.320
do is I focused, and I
did on gender pay parody, big focus

622
00:46:16.360 --> 00:46:22.679
item across all organizations. But we
we we This goes back to the question

623
00:46:22.719 --> 00:46:25.360
you were asking about maniplan. I
took this on a couple of years ago

624
00:46:25.360 --> 00:46:30.880
and I said, OK, one
of the ways of addressing this whole gender

625
00:46:31.920 --> 00:46:36.320
issue was to kind of look at
pay pay for performance and make sure it

626
00:46:36.960 --> 00:46:39.239
has parity. Right, I signed
up for paradigm for parity. It's a

627
00:46:39.239 --> 00:46:44.920
CEO organization to get CEOs to acknowledge
support around that. We talked about it

628
00:46:44.960 --> 00:46:49.000
today. We had we had some
good exchange, We showed data as far

629
00:46:49.039 --> 00:46:52.639
as the progress we've made. We
had an active discussion. I think people

630
00:46:52.679 --> 00:46:58.840
felt good about just the transparency the
openness that we felt. It was a

631
00:46:58.880 --> 00:47:04.840
topic for discussion among all both men
and women as well as even other types

632
00:47:04.880 --> 00:47:10.119
of diverse groups that want us to
elevate some other issues. That's amazing,

633
00:47:10.159 --> 00:47:14.639
Frank, great way to finish the
show as well. We are really close

634
00:47:14.679 --> 00:47:15.320
to out of time, but I
want to give you a chance to close

635
00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:17.800
as you like, say in about
thirty seconds, what would you like to

636
00:47:17.880 --> 00:47:23.320
leave our listeners with Again, just
strongly encourage spend the time as a leader

637
00:47:23.519 --> 00:47:30.280
with your company's character. Engage the
organization, make them feel part of it,

638
00:47:30.760 --> 00:47:36.079
align it to a purpose, let
them participate in creating what values they

639
00:47:36.119 --> 00:47:40.960
can resonate with with behaviors, and
then make sure you live by those values.

640
00:47:42.360 --> 00:47:46.599
And it will evolve. I mean
again, nothing stays constant, so

641
00:47:46.639 --> 00:47:51.559
you have to always understand and appreciate
that those values will evolve. The behaviors

642
00:47:51.559 --> 00:47:58.039
will evolve, but providing that guidance
in that direction allows employees to have a

643
00:47:58.079 --> 00:48:00.880
sense of belonging and as a result, they're going to do their best job

644
00:48:00.960 --> 00:48:06.360
for you. Beautiful way to finish, Frank. I'm so very very happy

645
00:48:06.360 --> 00:48:07.719
and privileged to have you on the
show and share you. I love the

646
00:48:07.719 --> 00:48:10.639
book, as you know, and
I'm happy to get the word out here

647
00:48:10.679 --> 00:48:13.760
about it. So thank you very
much for joining me as a guest and

648
00:48:13.760 --> 00:48:17.199
sharing your heart and your soul.
Thank you, Eleise enjoyed the conversation.

649
00:48:17.760 --> 00:48:21.320
Yeah I do too, Listeners and
viewers. If you want to learn more

650
00:48:21.320 --> 00:48:24.519
about Frank Calderoni or and a Plan, you can start by going to Upstanding

651
00:48:24.599 --> 00:48:28.199
character dot com. That's where you
learn more about the book. Again,

652
00:48:28.280 --> 00:48:31.119
Upstanding character dot com. You can
also go to the company website and a

653
00:48:31.199 --> 00:48:35.920
Plan dot com. That's a N
A P L A N dot com.

654
00:48:36.239 --> 00:48:38.400
I also did discover and this will
probably also embarrass you. Frank also has

655
00:48:38.440 --> 00:48:43.199
a Wikipedia page if you want to
go there. So that's pretty amazing.

656
00:48:43.639 --> 00:48:45.880
Thanks again to our partnering sponsor,
work Proud, which helps companies build a

657
00:48:45.920 --> 00:48:50.320
platform where your workforce receives meaningful feedback, and thanks for their work from people

658
00:48:50.360 --> 00:48:52.119
across your company. Last week,
if you missed the live show, you

659
00:48:52.119 --> 00:48:54.760
can always catch it me recording a
podcast. We were on the air with

660
00:48:54.800 --> 00:49:00.559
Sean Harvey, who's the Chief Compassion
Officer at the Simponia Institute, talking about

661
00:49:00.559 --> 00:49:05.079
the work he does helping to infuse
compassion into hyper masculine cultures and work environments.

662
00:49:05.679 --> 00:49:07.960
Next week will be on the air
with Bob Graham, the founder of

663
00:49:07.039 --> 00:49:12.360
Nama State Direct, a nonprofit organization
that supports women business owners in Guatemala with

664
00:49:12.440 --> 00:49:15.519
micro loans and business education to lift
them from poverty and allow them to thrive.

665
00:49:15.880 --> 00:49:19.119
See you there. Remember that works
at least a third of our life.

666
00:49:19.119 --> 00:49:27.639
So let's work on purpose. We
hope you've enjoyed this week's program.

667
00:49:27.920 --> 00:49:31.039
Be sure to tune in too Working
on Purpose featuring your host, doctor Elise

668
00:49:31.119 --> 00:49:37.800
Cortes each week on the Voice America
Empowerment Channel. Together, we'll create a

669
00:49:37.840 --> 00:49:45.559
world where business operates conscientiously, leadership
inspires impassioned performance, and employees are fulfilled

670
00:49:45.559 --> 00:49:49.760
in work that provides the meaning and
purpose they crave. See you there,

671
00:49:50.199 --> 00:49:51.639
Let's work on Purpose.