What Would John Do? — A Leadership Case Study [300 words]
Just how important is a living vision for your organization? Critical if you’re John Rice, General Manager of Sierra-At-Tahoe ski resort, and hospitalized in the middle of your ski season.
While hospitalized with a six week illness, John received a call from Marketing Director Tracy Owen Chapman updating him on the increasing number of employee performance issues. John’s response was to refer to the resort’s Vision and supporting Values. The Value that fit this situation was that "People are Important" and with that John recommended to "Err on the side of the employee."
Tracy shared this message with other top managers and the word rapidly spread: When in doubt, look to our Core Values and Vision for the answers. When facing a difficult customer, employee, or media situation, the mantra throughout the resort became: "What would John do?"
Consequently, while flat on his back in a hospital in San Francisco, John was able to positively influence the decisions and actions of his organization because of the living vision he had created with his management team.
How well would your operation run if you were away from it for a week?
Would your people continue to perform at the same level?
Do they have the management tools to support their efforts?
Are you the type of leader that employees would ask the question "What would ______ do?"
Now extend that time for up to six weeks and answer the same questions.
NOTE: Sierra-At-Tahoe’s Vision statement is not something whipped up one afternoon and posted on the wall. The managers directly participate in creating, revising, defining, and implementing the Vision. It is a long term strategy that has been very effective in keeping Sierra-At-Tahoe people focused and driven along the same goal lines.