© THE SEATTLE TIMES COMPANY

CREATING A NEW COMPANY CULTURE

Much of the groundwork for creating the new culture was done in the late 1980s. The first step was opening up the lines of communication. We all worked together to share information, engage everyone across all departments, encourage new ideas and create an open and trusting atmosphere of cooperation.

By 1990, the new culture was becoming well-established. We saw the evolution of a collegial management process that shared responsibility more widely.

Our goal through these developing years was to put the right people on the right tasks, give them the means to do the job and get them working in energetic teams.

The Publisher's Initiatives, begun in 1994, are a good example of this practice. This collection of task forces looked for lasting solutions to complex issues by encouraging leadership, cooperation and cross-disciplinary study.

Ignoring the "tyranny of the 'or'." | We embraced a phrase made popular by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras in their best-selling book, "Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies." We avoided thinking along the old lines of "choose this OR this." Instead, we determined to "choose this AND this." We became a creative, innovative company where people comfortable with ambiguity flourish.

Frank Paiva, Vice President of Operations and the man who organized the monumental task of designing and building a new printing plant, summarized the leadership style of the early 1990s: "They told us what needed to be done and said, 'Tell us how to do it. We're here to help.' No orders, no advice, no suggestions. Of course, they asked tough questions, but it was up to us to find the right way."

One of the touchstone sayings around that time was, "It's management's job to see the company not as it is, but as it can be." Our managers took that to heart.

Clarifying our focus. | This participatory style of working is possible only because everyone in the company, top to bottom, is focused on the same set of core values. When everyone has the same values, everyone will find the right thing to do.

Our core values are instilled in everyone's mind and reflected in every decision we make. The strength of these core values derives from their relentless application as a set. They complement and reinforce each other.

All of us are determined to remain an independent company that serves the community through quality journalism. We all do what we can to enhance workplace satisfaction. And if we keep these values in front of us at all times, we're sure to be the country's best regional newspaper on a consistent basis.

Our core values, the underpinning of our business strategy, give us a code of conduct that directs our actions for results that include not only financial benefits but also rewards on the human scale.