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Leadership Lessons From North America’s Best

Places to Work

Presented by Linda Mechem

Leadership

Creativity

The way your company is tackling a practice

Whether or not your practice is working

1. Google2. SAS3. CHG Healthcare Services4. Boston Consulting Group5. Wegmans Food Markets6. NetApp7. Hilcorp Energy Company8. Edward Jones9. Ultimate Software10. Camden Property Trust

Top 10

Commonalities#1Employee wellness

Commonalities#2

Employee development

Commonalities#3

Leadership development

Commonalities#4

Diversity development

Commonalities#5

Global work force

Commonalities#6Employee ownership

Commonalities#7Employee retention

Commonalities#8Balancing personal

and professional lives

Commonalities#9

Quality service

Commonalities#10

Company culture

• Rigorous attention to employee feedback

• Solutions that build upon the company’s culture and values

• Focus on areas that will net the greatest impact.

Trus

t1. Anticipate the change.

2. Communicate objectives.

3. Openly discuss the change.

4. Address individual needs.

5. Involve teams.

6. Promote flexibility.

7. Make them feel valued.

8. Stay visible.

“ ”Building trust through consistent two-way

communication is at the heart of a great workplace. The bi-product (sic) of listening to your employees,

soliciting their input on a regular and consistent basis, is that we learn how to run the business better. They

become the catalyst of great changes in our business.

— Dwight Cooper

A Few Suggestions• You don’t need a huge

training budget.• Start by building

commitments with the people you work with.

• Share information with the people you have the most contact with.

Trust

Honesty• Not distorting the truth• Not withholding

pertinent information• Admitting when you

don’t know

Keeping Agreements• You’re better off saying “no,”

than promising and not following through.

• No one is motivated to perform for an organization they perceive can’t be believed.

FairnessTrust is created when responses are predictable and consistent.

1. Common courtesy2. Avoidance of

public embarrassments3. Zero tolerance for harassment

4. Zero tolerance for abuse5. Zero tolerance for vilification6. Refusing to talk about others 7. Refraining from put-downs

Family Friendly

Scripps Health

Google

1. Focus on the user.2. It’s best to do one thing well.3. Fast is better than slow.4. Democracy on the Web works.5. You don’t need to be at your desk to

need an answer.6. You can make money without evil.7. There’s more information out there.8. The need for information crosses all

borders.9. You can be serious without a suit.10.Great just isn’t good enough.

SAS

Shift Your Culture Without Spending Billions

Define who you are.

Hire people who fit your company’s culture.

Collaborate with employees.

Be the embodiment of your culture.

Look toward the future.

“ ”The beatings will continue until morale improves.

— Unknown

3 Core StrategiesCommunity Consistency Appreciation

Control-Driven Commitment-Driven

1. The HUB2. Consistency3. Emphasis on total well-being4. Measurement5. Employee morale boosting6. Stop micromanaging.7. Developing leaders

Best Practices

Control-Driven Commitment-DrivenFocus Company CustomerVision Near horizon, past & present Far horizon, present & futureValues Given Shared

Strategy Product MarketLeadership Top-down, maintenance Self-directed, entrepreneurialLeverage Product Process

Style Hierarchical, bureaucratic Participatory, adaptiveSkills Specialized, approved Broad, self-propelled

Staffing Jobs, work groups Projects, teamsProcess Sequential Concurrent

Communication One-directional MultidirectionalProblem solving Management Work force

Systems Stand-alone Integrated

Autocratic

Democratic

Free Rein

Blended

Successful and Integrated Strategies Include:Determining organizational readiness

Managerial-styles assessment

Team leader and member skill development

Orientation to employee involvement, high-commitment and self-directed leadership

Leadership/management steering committee

Employee Influence

Individual• Training needs• What are the in-house

community resources to meet our needs?

Work Units• Unit goals and objectives• Problem solving• Latest trends• Mutual expectations

Company• Corporate reorganizations• What’s happening in other units?• Business trends• Corporate programs• Up-to-date information

Welcome to Leadership Lessons From North

America’s Best Places to Work

Q&AWith Linda Mechem