SwitchPoints: Culture Change on the Fast Track to Business Success [Hardcover]

SwitchPoints is the inspiring story of how Canadian National Railway (CN) advanced from good to great in a few short yearsbecoming North America's top-performing railroad and a favorite with of corporate customers and investors. In it, the authors reveal how company-wide culture change propelled this aging transportation giant to become the profitable powerhouse it is today. Rich with insights and anecdotes, SwitchPoints offers lessons that can be applied to any organization seeking to improve the bottom line by improving their culture.

List of Illustrations xvii

Foreword xix

Preface xxiii

Acknowledgments xxv

Introduction: A Broken Culture xxix

The Culture of Early Quits xxx

A New Trip Plan xxxi

Switchpoints xxxi

Spiking the Switch xxxiii

Part I Building One of North Americas Top Railroads 1

Chapter 1 The Road to Best-in-Class 3

1830: Pioneering Days 3

1919: Nationalization 3

The 1980s: Deregulation 5

1992: Organizational Redesign 6

A Quick Change 7

1995: Privatization 8

The Right Leaders for the Job 9

1998: Precision Railroading 10

2003: Passing the Reins 13

Chapter 2 Culture Change on the Fast Track 15

Acquisitions 15

Buying Other Cultures 16

The Challenge 17

The Results 17

The Trip Plan for Culture Change on the Fast Track 18

Part II Clarifying the Vision 21

Chapter 3 CNs Five Guiding Principles 23&llƒ-