Page 11 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

xB Preface

The passion they invoke with their employees nears cultlike fer-
vor in the best possible sense. Stories of employees choosing a longer
commute or making a lateral career move to stay with a winning
workplace are common. And the way these employees consistently
work harder and take extraordinary steps to serve customers, a great
challenge for most businesses, displays the true differences between
so-so and outstanding employers.
Remarkably, these successful employers are willing, even eager, to
share their stories, including some of the “company secrets” that have
helped them create great places to work. Lest you think them selfless in
their efforts to share, many, on the contrary, see this as a way to build
their brand in the marketplace, knowing that great workplaces tend to
attract more of those they would like to have on their payrolls. You see,
they understand that creating a great workplace is a strategic advan-
tage, one that is within their control and can help insulate them from
competitive threats. It is best that you beware of these winning work-
places—they may be attracting your best and brightest as we speak!
In some cases it’s clear to us that those who lead these great places
to work are almost daring the rest of us to take on this challenge,
goading those who only pay lip service to the tenets of great work-
places. They seem to be saying:

: “Stop pretending to care about your employees, and actually . . . care.”
: “Stop telling your employees they are valued and then treating
them no better than a disposable soda can—for limited use and
then tossed away.”
: “Stop throwing unnecessary bureaucracy into the way of smart
people who, for the most part, will do the right thing by you and
dazzle customers.”

The stories we chronicle in this book can act as a beacon for those
who are weary of those old and tired ways. Another path awaits you.
At the heart of what’s chronicled in Re-Engage is a company’s
culture—how it is led, what is valued, how folks come together to
get things done, how people really listen to and talk openly and