The Culture Builders

The Culture Builders Deep Dive - Looking beneath the wings of WestJet - a company breaking the aviation industry mould

We had the opportunity to spend some time with Pam August, Director, Culture Activaiton, for WestJet. It's a brand that, from day one 22 years ago, has done things differently. They don't have passengers they have guests, they aim to Create A Remarkable Experience (CARE) and they are an organisation full of investors.  The figures for aviation are startling - more than 95 percent of carriers go out of business and the profit margins for flying people a thousand miles struggles to make double figures. Yet WestJet has been a major success - 22 year of profit with only two quarters showing a loss. As they expand and take on more routes their complexity is increasing and this is starting to stress-test the organisation's culture and the ability to retain who they are and how they deliver their service. 
Pam talks through the company's journey and digs into the reasons that their culture is so powerful and their service is so popular. With great insights into the 'ownership' culture and a strong view on what works with their people, she is an incredible source of insight and ideas.

The Culture Builders Burst - Using appreciation to ensure we show people true value

Google's latest email update has added quick messages for response. A great tool to burn through your email inbox, but a terrible one when it comes to showing how you value someone.
Appreciation is not an art, it's a habit that requires effort and thought. In this podcast Chris Preston shares two short stories of appreciation and gives tips on how to ensure your own approach to it is working.

The Culture Builders Burst - How to Maintain Energy for the Long Run - Talking With Darren Childs, CEO, UKTV

Jane Sparrow asks Darren Childs how he manages and builds his own energy to ensure he is match fit to take on the challenges of the CEO role - exploring the need to plan for the long term and recognise that the most challenging roles often come when our energy starts to dip.

The Culture Builders Deep Dive - Talking to the CEO of UKTV and the journey the company has been on

Jane Sparrow talks to Darren Childs about the amazing journey that UKTV has been on over the last seven years - going from niche broadcaster to an audience bigger than Channel 5.
Darren talks candidly about the journey they have been on, the ups and downs and the key factors that helped to get UKTV into the Times Top 100 Companies to work for. The first broadcaster in the UK to ever do this.