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Shaping Culture and Values

Commerce Bank is one of the fastest growing banks in the United States—

but it’s also one of the goofiest places of business you’re likely to fi nd. Com-
merce’s two costumed mascots regularly visit branches and mingle with
customers at special events. Mr. C, a jolly, oversized, red letter, serves as
the bank’s walking logo. On “Red Fridays,” Mr. C joins the “Wow Patrol”
visiting branches and taking photos of staffers and customers. The second
mascot, Buzz, an exuberant giant bee, also gets in on the act, making sure
employees are creating buzz within the branches. “It sounds juvenile, but
people love getting their picture taken with Mr. C,” says John Manning, vice
president of the Wow Department.
The What Department? “Wow is more than a word around here,”
Manning emphasizes. “It’s a feeling that you give and get.” That’s right—all
this silliness has a very serious purpose. Leaders rely on this playful culture
to create and maintain Commerce Bank’s obsession with customer service.
In Commerce lingo, that means its focus on “wowing” customers. Through
the company’s Kill a Stupid Rule program, any employee who identifi es a
rule that prevents Commerce from wowing customers wins $50. Each week,
Dr. Wow (no one knows his or her real identity) reviews hundreds of letters
and e-mails from employees and customers. Branches compete to out-wow
one another and take home the coveted Hill Cup (named for president and
CEO Vernon Hill).
Whereas most banks try to steer customers from branches to ATMs and
online banking, Commerce looks for ways to lure more customers in. Build-

ings are designed to attract visitors, with floor-to-ceiling windows and his-
toric murals on the walls. Most are open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. seven
days a week—and the company’s 10-minute rule means that if you arrive at
7:20 a.m. or 8:10 p.m. you can still get service.
Commerce Bank’s approach is working. Customers who are tired
of being treated shabbily by other banks are enamored of Commerce’s
service and convenience orientation. “There’s a different attitude around
here, like we’re all in this together,” said one customer. As the organization
grows, what tools does Commerce plan to use to keep its focus on superior
service? President and CEO Vernon Hill gives one answer: “Culture, cul-
ture, culture.” Without the wow, he says, Commerce would be just another
bank. 1
Commerce Bank has definite cultural values that make it unique in

the banking industry. New managers and employees who attend sessions
at Commerce University, the bank’s training department inspired by
McDonald’s Hamburger University, learn that they’ve joined a service cult.
A one-day course called Traditions—part game show, part training session,
and part culture festival—begins socializing people into Commerce’s unique
way of doing things. Weekly activities such as Red Fridays and the care and
attention of Dr. Wow help to keep the culture strong.
In the previous chapter, we talked about creating a vision that inspires
and motivates people and defi ning the strategies to help achieve it. Successful
leaders recognize that culture is a core element in helping the organization
meet strategic goals and attain the vision. Leaders align people with the vision

by influencing organizational culture and shaping the environment that de-
termines morale and performance. The nature of the culture is highly impor-
tant because it impacts a company for better or worse. Thriving companies

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