Welch made Crotonville a central part of his mission to transform GE into an informal learning organization.
What was really great about what Welch and other leaders of General Electric did at Crotonville was to have meetings and sessions that were directly connected to the strategic priorities of the company, and would specifically tackle the tough issues that challenged them where they worked in the company.
"Jack calls Crotonville the coffee pot," says Steven Kerr, vice-president of leadership development (at the time). "It doesn't just percolate. It gives off aromas that draw people from all over the company."
This is true too. You wouldn't find yourself bored and think you were wasting your time at these meetings. They were expected to be rough-and-tumble exchanges that dealt with the truly difficult things that faced those partaking in the sessions. Welch and other expected there to be this type of interaction. The people responded and loved them.
Think of the usual sighs when you hear about the types of company meetings many of us have had to endure over the years. They served no purpose and would have been better if they had never happened. But when you get lively meetings where just about anything goes and you can talk about what really matters and is relevant, it changes the whole picture of what meetings are meant to be.
The word informal was an integral part of the success of these gatherings. You didn't have someone up front doing some type of monologue, these were dialogues that people eagerly waited to be part of. They became the stuff of company legends where word got around of the tremendous value they added to the people involved, and they did indeed draw people from all over the company to want to participate in them.
This is all part of Welch's communication strategy he knew he needed to employ so that the imprint of what he knew the company needed would be streamed across the entire huge organization. It worked!
Other Jack Welch Resources:
Jack Welch's advice to MIT Sloan students
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