Nobody thinks Fun management now
Twenty or thirty years ago, as the importance of organizational culture grew, many companies started to copy Southwest Airlines’ "fun management" approach. They all tried to make work enjoyable and valued their employees, following the trend. But now, not many companies talk about "fun management" anymore.
Southwest Airlines had a fun company atmosphere, largely thanks to its humorous founder, Herb Kelleher. However, their success wasn’t just about fun; it was also driven by fast decision-making, cost efficiency, and offering friendly service at affordable prices for car travelers. But other companies tried to copy only the fun part without considering their own situations, and these efforts didn’t match their unique needs, so they weren’t very effective.
Because of this trend, the concept of a "Great Workplace" (GWP) became popular. Companies wanted high GWP scores by organizing fun activities like group outings & activities. Employees climbed mountains and drank with their bosses, but their satisfaction levels dropped. Even in companies with high GWP scores, that employees were skeptical. They wondered if the workplace culture had really improved or if fun activities were actually helping their work or performance. Not many believed that just copying others could improve their company culture.
Still, companies continue to benchmark. Benchmarking is useful for analyzing best practices from leading companies or understanding competitors. But many companies make the mistake of copying these examples directly or with slight changes.
Benchmarking has its limits because it focuses only on specific points. Success is usually complex and can’t be guaranteed by copying a few key ideas. Companies need to understand whether these ideas fit their own situation. Before benchmarking, the first step should be to thoroughly understand their own company’s situation.
A long time ago, the Greek philosopher Socrates said,
"Know yourself!"
Despite this, some clueless bosses still ask,
"What are our competitors doing?" or
"What is headquarters saying?"
"Did you go to the MS cafeteria?"
These insecure followers lack confidence and can’t articulate what their own company stands for. They likely don’t even know themselves well or what they like. They are just a face in the crowd with no individuality.
Please don't put these kinds of people on leader positions. They’ll spend their lives regretting that they only copied others. While they might live like that individually, it’s not acceptable in an organization because leading affects many people’s lives.
This is the problem with ready-made clothing. People who understand style prefer custom-made clothes that fit them perfectly. Although it might cost more, they like clothes that match their unique character and body shape. This process involves taking measurements, considering lifestyle, and choosing designs and fabrics carefully.
Our companies also need a custom fit. We should analyze our own organizational structure, processes, performance, competition, and workplace atmosphere. We need to decide whether to enhance our strengths or address our weaknesses. This is what customization means. The problem comes when we copy others without thinking. Even if we copy perfectly, it rarely works because it doesn’t fit.
In a world where diversity and individuality matter, market & things are becoming more complex and changing faster. To survive, companies must express their own unique character and creativity. Ordinary and generic ideas don’t have energy anymore. Instead of focusing on competitors or best practices, companies should prioritize their own identity and customers. This doesn’t mean rejecting benchmarking — it just means using it as a reference after fully understanding your own situation and challenges.
Don’t be a copycat; be your own stylish self.
After all, we are all valuable!
Southwest Airlines had a fun company atmosphere, largely thanks to its humorous founder, Herb Kelleher. However, their success wasn’t just about fun; it was also driven by fast decision-making, cost efficiency, and offering friendly service at affordable prices for car travelers. But other companies tried to copy only the fun part without considering their own situations, and these efforts didn’t match their unique needs, so they weren’t very effective.
Because of this trend, the concept of a "Great Workplace" (GWP) became popular. Companies wanted high GWP scores by organizing fun activities like group outings & activities. Employees climbed mountains and drank with their bosses, but their satisfaction levels dropped. Even in companies with high GWP scores, that employees were skeptical. They wondered if the workplace culture had really improved or if fun activities were actually helping their work or performance. Not many believed that just copying others could improve their company culture.
Know yourself!
In 2018, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and McKinsey released a report on organizational culture. When asked about the effectiveness of corporate culture improvements, 59.8% of 2,000 employees from large companies said there were some changes but no real improvement. Another 28% said these efforts had no effect at all, meaning 87.8% gave negative responses. They pointed out "unscientific work processes," "unreasonable performance evaluations," and "lack of leadership skills" as the top issues harming organizational health. The phrase "a boss wearing jeans but still old-fashioned" was used to describe this situation. This is the result of superficial benchmarking and mismatched activities.Still, companies continue to benchmark. Benchmarking is useful for analyzing best practices from leading companies or understanding competitors. But many companies make the mistake of copying these examples directly or with slight changes.
Benchmarking has its limits because it focuses only on specific points. Success is usually complex and can’t be guaranteed by copying a few key ideas. Companies need to understand whether these ideas fit their own situation. Before benchmarking, the first step should be to thoroughly understand their own company’s situation.
A long time ago, the Greek philosopher Socrates said,
"Know yourself!"
Despite this, some clueless bosses still ask,
"What are our competitors doing?" or
"What is headquarters saying?"
"Did you go to the MS cafeteria?"
These insecure followers lack confidence and can’t articulate what their own company stands for. They likely don’t even know themselves well or what they like. They are just a face in the crowd with no individuality.
Please don't put these kinds of people on leader positions. They’ll spend their lives regretting that they only copied others. While they might live like that individually, it’s not acceptable in an organization because leading affects many people’s lives.
Don't be a copycat
A company must become more stylish if it recognizes its own unique character. Fashion leaders, like designers, don’t usually wear ready-made clothes—they often express their uniqueness through custom-made items. Ordinary people try to copy this, but they can’t keep up with fashion leaders.This is the problem with ready-made clothing. People who understand style prefer custom-made clothes that fit them perfectly. Although it might cost more, they like clothes that match their unique character and body shape. This process involves taking measurements, considering lifestyle, and choosing designs and fabrics carefully.
Our companies also need a custom fit. We should analyze our own organizational structure, processes, performance, competition, and workplace atmosphere. We need to decide whether to enhance our strengths or address our weaknesses. This is what customization means. The problem comes when we copy others without thinking. Even if we copy perfectly, it rarely works because it doesn’t fit.
In a world where diversity and individuality matter, market & things are becoming more complex and changing faster. To survive, companies must express their own unique character and creativity. Ordinary and generic ideas don’t have energy anymore. Instead of focusing on competitors or best practices, companies should prioritize their own identity and customers. This doesn’t mean rejecting benchmarking — it just means using it as a reference after fully understanding your own situation and challenges.
Don’t be a copycat; be your own stylish self.
After all, we are all valuable!
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