Late last summer, Brad Harper was tapped on the shoulder and entrusted with leading the “culture revolution” at TELUS.
His orders from new company president and CEO Darren Entwistle were clear: do it well, and do it quickly.
Harper, an outgoing, highly energetic personality, gulped — and then went to work.
“We’re creating a culture, and building values that we can hang on to for a lifetime,” said Harper in a speech last week to the Human Resources Association of Calgary. “It’s a story of transformation.”
Speaking in an entertaining rapid-fire Robin Williams delivery, Harper outlined the telecommunication company’s efforts to build a culture of growth and stability during a period when TELUS sees mergers and acquisitions as its most expedient means of expanding.
With the backing of Entwistle, Harper and his so-called Energy Team surveyed nearly 1,000 employees. The information led to the development of four core value statements that will be “embedded” in all aspects of behaviour at TELUS. The values were discussed, in person, with more than 21,500 employees from last October to the end of March.
“In 150 days we did 280 sessions in 40 cities. Darren was at all of them, if not in person then on video, and every senior VP did at least one session,” said Harper.
While cynics might call the four value statements nothing but motherhood and apple pie, Harper believes otherwise. The statements – We embrace change and initiate opportunity; We have a passion for growth; We believe in spirited teamwork; We have the courage to innovate — are now printed on employee business and ID cards.
Last week, an eight-foot-by-four-foot statue was unveiled at corporate headquarters in Burnaby, B.C., with the company values clearly emblazoned. (Similar statues will be unveiled in the Edmonton and Calgary offices in the next two weeks.)
“Darren supports this,” said Harper, in an interview with Business Edge. “This was costly and time consuming. I had to haul all these senior people into meetings, and put employees through these three-hour sessions.”
Mergers and acquisitions, he said, can be terribly hard on people who have built work processes and relationships and then find themselves in a new business culture.
In his speech, Harper acknowledged that TELUS — which in recent years has merged with BC TEL, and acquired Quebec Tel and Clearnet — underestimated how tough it is to blend people into its corporate structure.
It is important that new employees have an understanding of what TELUS wants and how it intends to get there, he said. Creating core values, and a strong cultural foundation are the keys to unlocking change.
Harper, 46, has worked with the company for 21 years. Experience has shown him that the crucial component to successful transformation is leadership. “That is so important, the most important thing,” he stressed.
Entwistle took over the TELUS controls last July and immediately called for change. He launched a 100-day plan, out of which a strategy was drafted. The strategic intent and vision was shaped quickly, said Harper.
“Darren’s mantra is that speed is of the essence. He has been incredibly communicative. He’s out there in the public and in the company. He created an instant e-mail from himself, an e-Letter that is sent out regularly.”
The seed has been planted and now various processes will be used to cultivate the culture, said Harper.
“We knew we couldn’t do everything so we picked just a few things to launch and get enough going so it’s permeated throughout a bunch of areas. The culture change is going to happen over the next little while.”
TELUS has already launched Pulse Check, a program of monitoring how the organization is behaving concerning values, leadership, and how engaged employees feel throughout the company.
Since the values were launched, performance development plans — where managers discuss objectives with employees — have been rewritten. Staff are asked how they display the values, and how they live them, Harper said.
And for good measure, every month employees will have a value statement on their computer’s screen saver. “You won’t be able to get away from these things,” he laughed. “It’s coming together piece by piece.”
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