Bible-based culture works miracles

THE MANILA TIMES
Business Times p.B3
Thursday, August 11, 2005
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/aug/11/yehey/business/20050811bus12.html

LEARNING & INNOVATION
By Moje Ramos-Aquino, FPM
Bible-based culture works miracles

ON the subject of enhancing the learning and growth aspect of our organizational life, let’s take an interested look at what First Sumiden Circuits Inc. is doing with its Bible-based culture.

According to its HR top man, Gerry Domingo, “our culture is the enabler of our business and organizational excellence and a celebration of God’s faithfulness. The emphasis is that our success is a blessing from God.”

To achieve this end, First Sumiden started its culture-change programs in 2001 after a thorough diagnosis of the organization and its first strategic thinking and planning initiative. The company identified its core values as: integrity, discipline, continuous improvement, teamwork, customer satisfaction, ownership and commitment and respect for each other.

To define these core values, it chose Scriptural references that propound the principles of these values. One example is Proverbs 12:1, “Whoever loves discipline, loves knowledge” for discipline, and Romans 12:5, “We, being many, are one body in Christ” for teamwork.

To deploy the core values and promote culture change First Sumiden set the following objects:
• Increase productivity level as a component of high level of job satisfaction
• Express active participation in applying the seven corporate values
• Take pride in First Sumiden being a company that upholds discipline and integrity
• Serve as a benchmark for business excellence

It installed programs, systems and procedures to help the employees, from president down the line, to live these values. These programs are: Amazing Race (an interactive training program, patterned after the reality TV show, where employees compete to complete a set of business games to promote organizational awareness and system thinking), Encore (reorientation on company rules, policies, standards, rituals), In Touch (teambuilding), Technex (technology exchange center for continuous learning), TGIF (Thank God it’s Forum Day—a mediation and conciliation process for resolving conflicts with a teambuilding component), Bible studies, First Friday Mass, Vows (Value of Work Program to stress ownership and commitment.

To gauge the effectiveness of these culture-change programs, First Sumiden uses the critical success factors of increase customer satisfaction, decrease customer complaints, decrease cost of nonconformance, decrease SOP violation, decrease in internal quality assurance audit findings, increase membership in work teams, closure of customer and employee complaints, increase in implemented suggestions, increase in savings, increase in level of satisfaction in interpersonal relationships.

In the end, First Sumiden’s Bible-based culture change has resulted in increased efficiency of 101 percent, attendance rate of employees averages 97 percent (the 3 percent was spent for vacation and legitimate sick leaves), and their net income after tax has continuously risen from a negative P24 million in 2001 to +P52 million in 2002; +P141 million in 2003; and +P220 million in 2004. Also in 2004 First Sumiden was rewarded a Level 2 Recognition for Proficiency in Quality Management by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Philippine Quality Awards. The year 2005 promises to be a more profitable year.

Alleluia! Psalms 37:4 “Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Literacy program: After four rigorous Saturdays of study and practice, Principal Avelina Salvador will lead the 112 teachers of Tatalon (Diosdado Macapagal) Elementary School in their graduation from the accelerated learning workshop for teachers organized by the Rotary Club of Quezon City North. We invite all readers to cheer our heroes, our teachers, on Saturday, August 13, 1 p.m. to5 p.m., at Tatalon. RCQCNorth Rotarians, trainers and classroom guardians will continue to care for the teachers for the whole school year. Those who want to become classroom guardians may e-mail paradigms@mydestiny.net or call (0917) 899-6653 on how to participate in the Adopt-A-Classroom Program component of this literacy project of RCQCN. Gawa, hindi ngawa!

(Moje is president of Paradigms and Paradoxes Corp. and RCQCNorth. Her e-mail addy is moje@mydestiny.net)