THE
citizen
NOVEMBER 2 0 1 5 • PUBLISHED FOR GEORGI A P OW E R E M P L O Y E E S AND R E T I R E E S
Southern Style
20
YEARS
Unquestionable Trust.
Superior Performance.
Total Commitment.
Carrollton area employees celebrated 10 years Target Zero in 2014.
Southern
the evolution of
SouthernStyle
By Amy Fink
dahlberg:
The origin
“The tenets addressed
the ‘whats’ and the
‘hows’ at the same time.
They were also how
we wanted the world to
see us. We were going
national and international and we wanted
everyone else to know
who we were and what
we were about.”
W
hen Bill Dahlberg
took over as CEO of Southern Company in 1995,
the company had been experiencing a tough period
of time. Georgia Power had been investigated by
the Internal Revenue Service, a tragic company
plane crash had occurred, and possible deregulation loomed on the horizon. Southern Company’s
reputation and morale were not in a good place.
During a special webcast in May, Dahlberg recounted how Southern
Style originated 20 years ago.
“When I took over as CEO, it was obvious we needed a cultural change,”
said Dahlberg. “Not only had we been through a lot as a company, but we
needed to evolve with the changing market.”
Dahlberg, who believed companies with the highest principles earned
the highest returns, said he was always proud of how employees conducted
themselves in our communities.
“We put our aspirations as a business and how we would conduct ourselves, which we were already doing, in achieving our goals on a piece of
paper and that became Southern Style,” he said.
Employees rallied around the original Southern Style tenets, which were
Ethical Behavior, Customer First, Shareholder Value, Great Place to Work,
Teamwork, Superior Performance and Citizenship. In 1998, Dahlberg added
the value of Leadership.
“The tenets addressed the ‘whats’ and the ‘hows’ at the same time,”
said Dahlberg. “They were also how we wanted the world to see us. We
were going national and international and we wanted everyone else to
know who we were and what we were about.”
2
november 2015 • southern style
Southern
Southern
style
Originated by Bill Dahlberg in 1995
O
ur people are our company. We will be recognized
by the actions of our people. Our successful people
exhibit these behaviors and model these values, which
are the Southern Style of doing things.
Ethical Behavior
We tell the truth.
We keep our promises.
We deal fairly with everyone.
Southern
Southern
style
Customer First
Our business is customer satisfaction.
We will think like customers …
Shareholder Value
… And act like owners. We work to increase the value
of our investment.
Great Place To Work
We are a first-name company.
We enjoy our work and celebrate our successes.
We seek opportunities to learn.
We do not compromise safety and health.
Teamwork
We communicate openly and value honesty. We listen.
We respect all opinions and expect differing viewpoints
as we work together toward common goals.
We emphasize cooperation — not turf.
Updated by Allen Franklin in 2001
O
ur people are our company. We will be recognized
by the actions of our people. Our successful people
exhibit these behaviors and model these values, which
are the Southern Style of doing things.
Superior Performance
We have high expectations of ourselves. We set aggressive
goals and hold ourselves accountable. We take personal
responsibility for individual and organizational success.
We act with speed, decisiveness and individual initiative to
pursue opportunities and solve problems.
Citizenship
We are committed to improving the environment and to the
communities we serve.
Leadership
We lead by example.
Superior Performance
We continue to set high goals for ourselves. We take
personal responsibility for success. We act with speed,
decisiveness and individual initiative to solve problems.
We use change as a competitive advantage.
Ethical Behavior
Citizenship
Our business is customer satisfaction.
We think like customers …
We are committed to the environment and to the
communities we serve.
We tell the truth. We keep our promises. We deal fairly and
ethically with everyone.
Customer First
Shareholder Value
… And act like owners. We work to increase the value of our
investment.
Added in 1998
Leadership
Great Place To Work
We lead by example.
We are a first-name company. We enjoy our work and we
celebrate and reward successes. We value continuous learning
and development of people to their full potential. We do not
compromise safety and health.
Teamwork
We communicate openly and value honesty. We listen.
We work together toward common goals. We emphasize
cooperation and results, not turf.
Diversity
We encourage and value different backgrounds, perspectives
and ideas. We understand that diversity is a strength that
unlocks our full potential and helps us achieve our goals.
SouthernStyle
Updated by David Ratcliffe in 2005
The actions of our people are our company, and our people exhibit
these behaviors and model these values... Southern Style.
UNQUESTIONABLE TRUST
Honesty, respect, fairness and integrity drive our behavior.
We keep our promises and ethical behavior is our standard.
SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE
We are dedicated to superior performance throughout our
business. Our priorities are safety first, teamwork, diversity and
continuous improvement through strong leadership.
TOTAL COMMITMENT
We are committed to the success of our employees, customers
and shareholders and to citizenship and stewardship in all our
actions.
franklin: Diversity defined
I
“The addition of ‘Diversity’ underscores our belief that diversity is a
strategic business imperative that will help us produce superior results.
It is a clear acknowledgment that Southern Company will achieve the
highest performance levels only when all of the diverse viewpoints, backgrounds and experiences are fully utilized at all levels of the company.”
n an effort to better
reflect the business environment in 2001,
Allen Franklin added “Diversity” as one of
the major elements of Southern Style, as well
as several other revisions that put greater
emphasis on the four areas he believed were
critical to move Southern Company forward:
speed, teamwork, higher expectations and
people development.
In a Sept. 4, 2001 article from Highlights, Franklin said, “The
addition of ‘Diversity’ underscores our belief that diversity is a strategic business imperative that will help us produce superior results.
It is a clear acknowledgment that Southern Company will achieve
the highest performance levels only when all of the diverse viewpoints, backgrounds and experiences are fully utilized at all levels of
the company.”
Franklin said the revision to the “Superior Performance” section
was about setting higher expectations. “I want us to shift from our
tendency to create conservative, easily attainable goals to setting
higher expectations. We must become more aggressive in striving
for industry-leading, breakthrough performance in all areas of the
business, and we must act with speed.”
He also revised the “Teamwork” section to reflect his belief
that all employees, no matter where they work, have a common
goal, which was to make Southern Company the most trusted and
admired energy company in America. The changes to “Great Place
to Work” involved streamlining the section on the development
of people to re-emphasize the responsibility employees have as
individuals to grow and the responsibility of leaders to provide the
opportunity for employees in their organizations to develop their full
potential.
Franklin also added the word “improvement” to the “Citizenship”
section to highlight that our intent is to be not only committed to the
environment and the communities we serve, but to improve them
as well.
ratcliffe: Southern Style simplified
T
Ratcliffe worked with a group of
employees who were able to maintain
all of the original ideas under the
three main tenets that employees are
familiar with today: Unquestionable
Trust, Superior Performance and
Total Commitment.
he most significant
change to Southern Style to date occurred in 2005,
when then-Southern Company CEO David Ratcliffe
introduced a simplified format that condensed the
nine values into the current three.
Ratcliffe joined Dahlberg in the May celebration webcast and explained
his thinking behind simplifying the tenets.
“Southern Style had been around for 10 years, and although the tenets
were good, it was not easy to remember,” he said. “Even though I had a
hand in the original version, I wanted to boil it down to three simple ideas
that could be easily remembered.”
Ratcliffe emphasized how important it was to him that Southern Style
did not lose anything in the simplification process. “Southern Style had
become so important to who we were as a company, we simply could not
lose any of the sentiment.”
Ratcliffe worked with a group of employees who were able to maintain
all of the original ideas under the three main tenets that employees are
familiar with today: Unquestionable Trust, Superior Performance and Total
Commitment.
In the anniversary webcast, CEO Tom Fanning asked Ratcliffe how he
thought Southern Style would remain relevant for the next 50 years.
“We already have the words on paper,” Ratcliffe said. “The words may
evolve, but the ideas behind them will not change. We just have to continue
to hold everyone accountable for their behaviors.”
Unquestionable Trust, Superior Performance, Total Commitment.
southern style • november 2015
3
Q&A
Tom Bishop talks about Southern Style
By Kirk Martin
“There are very few business issues we deal with –
for our customers, our employees, our stakeholders – that
cannot be resolved with a look toward Southern Style.”
T
4
he Citizen recently sat down with Tom Bishop, senior vice president, general counsel,
corporate secretary and corporate compliance officer, to get his thoughts on how
Georgia Power is living up to the tenets of Southern Style.
november 2015 • southern style
Q:Besides the 20-year anniversary, is there a push to reinvigorate Southern Style?
A:Georgia Power decided to treat the anniversary as a yearlong kickoff to encourage employees to recommit to Southern Style. We’ve done
a couple of things to refocus on Southern Style.
First, each member of the management
council participated in a video, sharing a minute
or so with employees about why Southern Style
is important. Second, we rolled out a voluntary
pledge online asking employees to recommit to
Southern Style.
Southern Style is more than just what we
are required to do; it also reflects the aspirational component of being what we ought to be
as a person and as a team.
Q:Southern Style evolved from
a much longer list to just three
elements. Do you see it evolving
even further? Have we distilled it
to its essence?
A:The three elements – Unquestionable Trust,
Superior Performance and Total Commitment
– crystallize our priorities. When it comes to
customers, employees and other stakeholders, Southern Style gives us a great toolkit for
handling almost all situations. There are very
few business issues we deal with – for our
customers, our employees, our stakeholders
– that cannot be resolved with a look toward
Southern Style. I think the current version is
mature in its life cycle. We should always challenge ourselves to get better and be better.
No matter what organization we belong to,
we are going to have teammates who struggle
sometimes. So, for Southern Style to work,
two things have to happen. One is individual
accountability, and two is that, as a team, we
remind each other we will adhere to Southern
Style. Let’s help folks learn how to make it a
natural part of doing their job.
Superior Performance is common to all of
us, no matter where we work. Everybody has
a bad day now and then, but you come in and
do the best job you can do because your teammates are depending on you. Their best is
depending on your best.
Q:Do you have a favorite among
the three?
A:There’s a reason why Unquestionable Trust
“As long as
Southern Style
makes us better,
it will be part of
how Georgia Power
does business.”
Q:What defined us before
Southern Style?
A:For a long time at Georgia Power, the
phrase “a citizen wherever we serve” put that
sense of commitment into words. It gave us an
initial answer to the question, Why do we do
what we do?
Southern Style gave us words to share
common values with the other companies
inside Southern Company.
Q:How are we doing? Are we
living up to our values?
Q:What are our challenges around
Southern Style? Which one of the
three do we struggle with?
A:We are a company of human beings, and
A:I don’t know that we struggle with any one
every day employees work toward taking care
of customers, taking care of teammates and
taking care of the business. That’s why we have
been, and continue to be, so successful. I hear
and see Southern Style in action all across the
company. I think there is tremendous employee
engagement, no matter what your job is –
whether you are in an operating headquarters,
a generating plant or a call center, or you work
in an office.
more than the other.
With customers and communities, we get
the chance every day to earn Unquestionable
Trust from the people we serve. Georgia Power
has a reputation, and the challenge every day is
whether we leave things better than they were
when we came to work.
If you think about storm season, the line
crews get pushed on the Total Commitment
front and set a great example for all of us.
comes first. One of Stephen Covey’s books is
called The Speed of Trust. It talks about how
the presence or absence of trust is either fuel
for a team and its effectiveness or a tax on it.
Organizations with trust among team members are able to do great things. Organizations
where that trust is missing sometimes struggle.
I think it is listed first because it is the great
enabler. What we are doing either depends on,
or is depended on, by others who are part of
this team. And the ability to be a good team is
driven by trust.
Q:Why do we do the compliance
survey?
A:We do it every year for a couple of reasons.
One is, every employee sits down for a few
minutes at least once a year to be reminded of
Southern Style. Two, it also provides a vehicle
to flag any issues they believe have not been
handled correctly. Issues that are raised in the
survey are investigated. And when necessary,
action is taken. If you see something, say something and it will get a serious look.
Q: After 20 years, how relevant is
Southern Style moving forward?
In this changing world, how
important is it?
A:It seems like we are always going through
a period of change in the business, but our
values haven’t changed. As long as we work
with other people, inside the company and out,
values will matter. As long as Southern Style
makes us better, it will be part of how Georgia
Power does business. n
southern style • november 2015
5
Southern Style: A Portrait of Excellence
In January 2002, Georgia Power began recognizing three employees annually with Southern Style Excellence
Awards. Since then, 42 individuals have been honored for their commitment to Unquestionable Trust, Superior
Performance and Total Commitment. Here’s a sampling of Southern Style excellence personified.
‘We should try our best to understand and respect each other’
‘Give it 110 percent’
Owen Searcy, 2007
Josephine Tan, 2002
Josephine Tan, a corporate relations employee, was
honored as the very first Southern Style Excellence
Award winner for her outstanding commitment to service and diversity.
Tan, herself of Chinese origin, said, “We should try our best to understand and respect
each other in a sense of family and to do something good for our state and our nation.”
Tan lived her commitment to this philosophy, having worked with more than 100 AsianAmerican organizations in Georgia and throughout the Southeast.
‘I can call him day or night’
Michael Gibson, 2011
“Mike strives for excellence every day,” said
Gibson’s manager, Mitch Baird, then a distribution supervisor. “He is a quality person
and a quality lineman. I can call him day or
night to get anything done and I do not worry
about the results.”
“I believe total commitment is a lifestyle. I go all out or nothing in everything I do,”
said Ellijay lineman Gibson in accepting the award. “This award is definitely a good
accomplishment, and I am proud of it, but it won’t change my work ethic.”
Senior transmission specialist Owen Searcy
was recognized in 2007 for his superior
performance during construction of three
metro area substations. When presenting
the award President and CEO Mike Garrett
said, “Owen is Georgia Power’s daily voice
and face on the scene of these critical projects. He has headed off several possible
conflicts by building relationships and earning the trust of the customers and leaders
in these areas.”
“I’ve always tried to give 100 percent to my
job every day,” said Searcy. “Superior performance for me means I do every job the
same – I give it 110 percent.”
‘I want to be that person the customer calls’
Mark Mills, 2012
Mark Mills, then-Fort Gordon project manager with more than 30 years of service, credited his winning
attitude to an old line foreman who only had a pickup truck and an extendo stick while on the job. “It was
amazing to watch him,” Mills said. “He told me, ‘The first thing you got to do is to want to.’ I want to be
the engineer that the linemen call when they really need something they can’t get answered. I want to
be that person the customer calls if he can’t get the help he needs. That ‘want to’ has stuck with me.”
6
november 2015 • southern style
A Portrait of Excellence
continued
‘Trust,
performance,
character …’
‘She follows through
on her promises’
Shay Batton, 2009
“Shay treats each customer as if it
were her first customer of the day,”
said Kathy Ames, Batton’s then
-manager. “If she tells a customer
she is going to do something, she follows through on her promises. Shay exemplifies unquestionable trust and has a ‘my pleasure’
attitude when serving all customers.”
HOW DO
YOU LIVE
SOUTHERN
STYLE
EVERY DAY?
As part of the
tanley Warren,
S
2013
“Trust, performance,
character – these are
the things I learned from my parents years ago, and I’m happy to
work for a company that recognizes those traits,” said Warren,
corporate tax team lead.
“I was taught that you can catch more bees with honey than you can with vinegar. Southern Style is an
extension of that, meaning being nice to someone gets more results than being rude.”
– David Douglas, security guard, Plant Bowen
“Having lived in the south all my life, Southern Style has literally been my way of life. It’s the principles of
living taught by my parents and family. Always be honest and trustworthy, perform your best in everything
you do, and be committed to everything you take on in life.” – Mitzi Fields, administrative assistant, Forest Park
“Southern Style is the same principle I was taught growing up – to treat others as you would like to be
treated. Be the change you want to see in the world.” – V. Lynn James, accounting representative, Plant Scherer
20th anniversary
of Southern Style,
The Citizen
asked employees
to reflect on the
tenets of
“Southern Style is a reminder of the core values and beliefs that make our interactions with our internal
and external customers a success. The ideals of Unquestionable Trust, Superior Performance and Total
Commitment allow us to be well-rounded in our personal and professional lives. Committing to a lifestyle
where integrity comes first allows me to have a positive impact on those whom I interact with on a daily
basis. It is important for me to treat every interaction with a customer as an opportunity to share the
core values of the company and to be a citizen wherever we serve.”
– Jeffrey Poston, forestry specialist, Metro East Region
Unquestionable Trust,
Superior Performance
and Total Commitment.
Here is what
“Southern Style is not only about the business – it’s FAMILY.”
– Kathy A Stubbs, customer service representative, Rochelle
Southern Style
means to the
Georgia Power
family.
“I live Southern Style because I
always want to be known as being
honest and being kind. This is very
important to who I am and who I
want to always be.”
– Beth Godsey,
service consultant, Customer Care Center
“Southern Style is
simply about being
trustworthy and
honest.”
– James Bens,
collections specialist,
Customer Care Center
“To me, Southern Style is doing
things the right way, caring
about people and showing
consideration for others.”
– Dexter Chapman,
auxiliary equipment operator,
Plant Hammond
southern style • november 2015
75
IN MEMORIAM
EMPLOYEES
Dianne T. Pomeroy, 53, distribution support representative, Statesboro, Sept. 18
RETIREES
Jack R. Stapleton, 84, field inspector, Transmission, Feb. 20
Paul E. Greenway, 76, West District Operating, March 27
W. W. Anderson Jr., 91, operating-engineering, West Metro, May 16
L. H. Courson, 92, Waycross Operating, May 25
Bryson J. Sumner, 90, assistant to vice president, Area Development, May 25
Richard Outing, 72, Revenue Protection, May 27
C. B. Ellington Jr., 87, foreman, Central Operating, June 1
Milton L. Vinson, 93, operating-engineering, Airport, June 1
B. J. Manning, 80, Fleet Operations, June 5
Fred Bowles, 90, Statesboro Operating, June 6
Michael W. Lathem, 64, operator line, Atlanta Region, June 6
R. T. Jackson, 81, Customer Accounts, June 10
W. D. Pinson, 87, maintenance, Plant Bowen, June 10
Richard W. Harmon, 86, overhead lines clearing supervisor, Savannah Electric, June 16
R. T. Anderson, 78, senior display specialist, Corporate Communication, June 20
William L. Knight, 68, operator, Wallace Dam, June 25
Barbara T. Sheets, 68, customer service supervisor, Forest Park, June 27
William L. Shuman, 87, assistant to vice president, Procurement, July 1
J. M. Mealor, 64, mechanic, Plant McDonough, July 1
Thelmage T. Gay, 84, lead lineman, Baxley, July 4
J. A. Byrd, 81, equipment operator, Transmission, July 8
William B. Land, 90, Area Development, July 8
P. A. Postell, 88, foreman, Rome, July 12
L. D. Long, 82, customer service representative, Smyrna, July 14
D. N. MacLemore Jr., 92, vice president and chief engineer, Power Supply
Engineering & Services, July 15
the
Citizen
Internal Communications
Manager
Jim Barber
Editor
Amy Fink
Design
Jane Hill
The Citizen is published by
Corporate Communication
for active and retired
Georgia Power employees.
Address internal
correspondence to:
The Citizen
Bin 10220
241 Ralph McGill Blvd.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
Email
[email protected]
Retirees
Please report address
changes to the Southern
Company Employee-Retiree
Service Center by calling
1-888-435-7563.
Printed by Georgia Power
print shop on recycled and
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1503350
Sam Byrd, 92, Rome Operating, July 19
Henry J. Bloodworth, 65, operator, Atlanta Distribution Center, July 20
W. H. Hartman, 78, equipment operator, Corporate Services, July 21
James B. Saye, 69, senior storekeeper, Tucker, July 22
George H. Alexander, 73, supervisor, Metering Services, July 26
James W. Bennett, 80, maintenance team leader, Plant Bowen, Aug. 1
Willie S. Webb, 65, Meter Services, Milledgeville, Aug. 5
John L. King Jr., 86, accounting specialist, Aug. 7
C. C. Reed, 82, customer accounts, Lavonia, Aug. 9
Betty T. Braselton, 87, secretary, Land Management, Aug. 13
Jerrell D. Lambert, 66, electrician, Plant Yates, Aug. 20
J. J. Casbarro, 80, solar energy specialist, Aug. 22
Richard V. Dover, 68, troubleman, Dalton, Aug. 22
Philip M. McLaughlin Jr., 74, engineer, Area Planning, Aug. 24
Dixie O. Perkins, 88, secretary, General Office, Aug. 25
D. J. Slocum, 89, Operating General, Aug. 28
Bernard E. Francis, 63, winch truck operator, Brunswick, Aug. 30
Thomas Harrell, 68, CBM specialist, Plant Bowen, Sept. 9
Marion Jones, 69, team leader, Plant Mitchell, Sept. 12
David R. Durden, 77, Support Services, Savannah Electric, Sept. 16
W. H. Royal, 88, Valdosta Operating, Sept. 16
M. L. Wood, 89, coal handling foreman, Plant Arkwright, Sept. 16
C. W. Weese, 86, boiler operator, Sept. 18
Steve R. Bullington, 61, assistant boiler turbine operator, Plant Mitchell, Sept. 22
W. L. Wester, 90, district manager, Carrollton, Sept. 23
James H. Layfield, 90, Methods & Training, Columbus, Sept. 25
Lemuel F. Waters Jr., 77, manager, Customer Service, Sept. 30
Raymond D. Braley, 87, troubleman, Oct. 5
Myra E. Teat, 95, materials clerk, Rome, Oct. 5
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