Yvonne Bryant J ohnsonit is the beliefs, the way people treat customers, and the way they treat
each other. It is a way of being that has develop ed over time. The type
of culture needed to feed the soul of world-class organizations is one
where management listens to its people and its customers. I t must b e a
culture that supports quali ty, innovation, technology, high performance,
and empowered employees.WRIGHT^
How important are the people t o building and keeping a world-class
organization?
JOHNSON^
To build and maintain a world-class organization, companies must
train, develop, coach, and retain e xcellent workers. An organization
th at strives to achieve a world-class status must u nderstand that people
matter and that they are a key component to the success or failure of
an organization. What is a Nordstrom without well-trained
salespeople? What is a Medtronic, the global leader in medical
te chnology, without employees who are well-trained and passionate
about the company’s mission, products, and services? Plain and simple,
people matter. In fact, I agree with the saying that people are a
company’s greatest asset. They will play a critical role in building and
sustaining world-class standards.
WRIGHT^
How does your role as coach assist in building a world-class
organization?
JOHNSON^
Sir John Whitmor e, in his book, Coaching for Performance,
defines coaching as “unlocking a person’s potential to maximiz e th eir
own performance. It is helping them t o learn rather than teaching them.”
In addition, coaching can make a difference in the lives of the
executive, personally and professionally. As an executive coach, I
work with