Real Estate and Construction
Family ties
How Howard Hanna III drives a collaborative culture at Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
By Brian Horn
Smart Business | August 2009
Page 1 of 3
When Howard “Hoddy” Hanna III and his team decided to set a new vision for the $250 million real estate firm in 2005, they didn’t sequester themselves in a conference room to create it.
Instead, Hanna, chairman and CEO, was completely hands-off in the process. Two committees composed of a 120-person sampling of the company’s 4,900 employees were charged with forming a new vision and mission statement to reflect the firm’s new outlook following the acquisition of Smythe Cramer Co. the year before.
The committees successfully navigated the vision-setting process, and as a result, the company ended up with an employee-driven set of goals that everyone could immediately buy in to.
For Hanna, it was just another example of the benefits of having a collaborative culture.
“You have to have a sense of people believing that they are part of something and that your input is worthwhile as well as your productivity is worthwhile,” he says.
When you do that, you create a driver for success in your business.
“It’s a direct link,” Hanna says. “Nothing beats hard work, nothing beats knowledge, but you have to have a culture you are working from. If you’re not part of that culture, it comes across in any organization you are with. You’re not going to get 5,000 people all with the same culture and philosophy, but if you get the great majority that are following that culture and that philosophy, you make yourself a lot stronger, (with) a lot better people and a lot better organization overall.”
Here’s how Hanna connects with employees to keep his company growing.
