Now is the Time to Build a Great Workplace for All

Timing is everything.

Consider the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King, Jr. wasn’t the first person to talk about civil rights; indeed, there were many before him. And yes, Dr. King was a great orator…but there were other great orators too. If Martin Luther King, Jr. had entered the scene ten years prior, we probably wouldn’t know who he is today. But enough of the world was ready to consider the powerful, human-centric ideals he stood for. This nation was ready for a change.

Timing mattered, and the rest is history.

With the release of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list today, it is clearer than ever that business is in the midst of its own pivotal era. Study after study shows us that people are looking for more—and not just Millennials. Everyone is questioning purpose, seeking connection, and feeling a pull to bring more of their authentic selves to the table more of the time—including at work.

This wasn’t as true ten years ago as it today. Best-selling business books, executive forums, as well as hard evidence are all showing us that more and more, business is just as much about the people who drive it as it is about the product they create; just as much about culture as it is about the bottom line. If there was ever a time for building a great workplace, it is now—not only for executives on the 99th floor, but for people on the 37th floor, the second floor, in a trench in the middle of the street, working for a telecom company eight feet underground, up on top of a hot roof, or in a warehouse that gets up to 126 degrees. All of these employees need to feel their workplace is great.

Because a great workplace is not just for some people—it’s for everybody who’s doing this thing called “work.” It’s not just for some, but for ALL.

My first experience of a great workplace happened when I was in college, working part-time at Hewlett Packard in the late ‘70s.  In their open management system, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard sat in cubicles on the main floor, just like everyone else. One day, I was on my way out of the office to go teach science and math—subjects I was passionate about—to middle school kids from a very tough local neighborhood.

Though we’d never interacted directly before, on a whim I decided to stop by Mr. Hewlett’s desk to tell him about my volunteer work, and ask if he would be willing to donate calculators to the kids.

He asked how many I needed, and I told him, “About two-hundred.” His response was: “Is Friday soon enough?”

Now, there I was, just 18 years old, and this man was at least ten levels above me in the company. But sure enough, on Friday, the 200 calculators were on my desk with a note: “Let me know if you need anything else.”

Amazingly, years later when I was an executive at Kaiser Permanente, I got a call from a manager in the IT department. He told me that he was one of those kids who received a calculator that day, and it was the turning point for him in pursuing a career in math. It will always be unknown to him, but Mr. Hewlett’s small decision years prior made a profound impact on this man’s life.

For this reason and many others, Hewlett Packard was a great workplace for me. I could be myself, and I had a voice. Without any paperwork involved, Mr. Hewlett made an investment in me, because that’s the kind of leader he was. He trusted me, and his actions directly helped me achieve my goal to help others. I realized that this is how leadership could be done…better yet, this is how leadership should be done.

Fast forward 40 years, and now I am a CEO myself. As a leader, I want my employees to experience a great workplace—each and every one of them. Not just because it makes me feel good to do this—because it does. Caring about people makes a person’s life better. But if you’re in business, the bottom line matters too.

But when you have the kind of workplace I experienced at 18, it does impact the bottom line. It means that when you’re in the shower, you’re thinking about what you can do to help your employer and your colleagues. You’re thinking about your next great idea, because your job is a part of who you are, and you know you’ll be supported. You’re a person who has been empowered to bring your gifts into the world. When you’re in it, you know that you’re in it; it’s kind of like being in the zone in sports. You don’t want to think about it, you’re just in it and you enjoy it.

Who doesn’t want an employee like that?

On the flip side, when people are not having an experience of a great workplace, it’s impossible to bring their best self to work…the inspired ideas, the enthusiastic involvement, all fall to the wayside. Worse than that, they bring the lesser parts of themselves to work. They start to feel separate from everybody else. Work becomes “just a job”; a means to a paycheck. These people often leave, but the worst thing is to have people like this stay, because their negativity starts to spread. One rotten apple can wreck the barrel. That worm travels.

But when people are working and feel activated, are enjoying what they do, are making a difference, making a good living and taking care of their families, they feel a certain way about themselves that has a positive ripple effect through our lives, through our communities and out to society at large.

This is something that every employee deserves, and it’s something that every leader has the ability to influence.

It’s not just for some, but for all.

True leadership isn’t about continuing to be the leader that you are. It’s about moving forward, constantly challenging yourself, re-thinking. It’s about living in the question, and learning, so that you can find out what kind of leader your customers need you to be, what kind of leader your business needs you to be, and what kind of leader your community and society needs you to be. It’s about growing and challenging yourself in that way.

 Building a great workplace is a powerful way to do this—I know, because at Great Place to Work, we help companies build great cultures, and we see the incredible impact it has on leaders, employees, customers, and communities. As with any profound change, it’s not something you can do overnight. It’s a journey. And once you start, it’ll be what you do through your life as a leader.

 Every great leader has their time. This may just be yours. Don’t let it pass you by.

To learn more about Great Place to Work? and how to apply to our lists visit: greatplacetowork.com/100best