Business Quote by Susan Cain
““At IBM, a corporation that embodied the ideal of the company man, the sales force gathered each morning to belt out the company anthem, “Ever Onward,” and to harmonize on the “Selling IBM” song, set to the tune of “Singin’ in the Rain.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock, 2015
Describes IBM’s ritual of singing an anthem to reinforce corporate identity and morale.
In simple terms: Corporate rituals boost unity and morale.
Key Takeaway
Embrace shared rituals.
Themes
culture
teamwork
motivation
Mood
inspirational
reflective
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- company onboarding
- team building
- leadership training
Key Concepts
organizational behavior
symbolic interaction
Questions to Reflect On
- How do shared songs affect employee engagement?
- What alternatives foster similar cohesion?
A Different Perspective
Rituals can feel forced or inauthentic.
![“The vocal credits for Singin’ in the Rain are interesting, and rather confusing. In the film, Debbie Reynolds has been hired to re-dub [Jean Hagen]’s dialogue and songs in the latter’s first talking picture. We see the process being done in a shot of Reynolds, back to camera, matching her dialogue…” quote by Ray Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9d8/ray-hagen-36017_quote_the-vocal-credits-for-singin-in-the-rain_1121280.jpg)
![“Donald O'Connor was in the film [ 'Singin' in the Rain' ] as well, and he was only 27 years old. So we were closer in age, and had more fun together on the set. Gene was more my teacher and mentor.” quote by Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5c0/debbie-reynolds-1883_age_donald-o-connor-was-in-the-film-singin-i_1059102.jpg)
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)