Secrets of the Best-of-the-Best Organizations
 
 

Every successful organization has one goal--to be the best: to return the highest yield for investors; to be viewed as an employer of choice; to provide the highest-quality service or product; and to be on the cutting edge of growing, learning and changing. For the last 11 years, we have had the privilege of partnering with leaders to help their organizations become the best.

Through our employee surveys, we have tallied the opinions of nearly 75,000 employees to find out what truly separates the best-of-the-best companies from the great companies. Each and every client we work with always asks the same questions: “Are our results good?” “How do we compare with the best organizations?” In response to these questions, we have created an overall “PBS Benchmark,” based on the opinions of nearly 40,000 employees; and the “Best-of-the-Best PBS Benchmark,” based on the survey results of employees in organizations that scored in the top 25 percent of all those we have surveyed.

Because of the incredibly high response rate for our surveys, we are confident about the significance of these results. While many organizations experience difficulty getting their employees to respond to surveys, the organizations we work with have a tremendous response rate of between 74 and 90 percent. This assures us that the data we collect are highly reliable and credible. Low response rates to employee opinion surveys can lead to false conclusions in data interpretation. However, with average participation rates of 74 percent, we can provide an organization’s leaders with a realistic and credible picture of their organization’s climate ¾ and their employees’ attitudes.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could step inside the best organizations and find out what they do differently? Well, you can! Based on our intense scrutiny of organizational cultures and employee attitudes, we have discovered 10 significant differences that separate the best-of-the-best organizations from organizations represented in our overall benchmark.

For years, David Letterman has captivated his audience's interest by counting backward for his top 10 list. Following his lead, we present: “The Top 10 Things the Best-of-the-Best Companies Do Differently”:

#10     Leaders have a positive vision and create an environment that encourages employees to believe there is opportunity and hope within the organization.

• Leaders in the best-of-the-best companies convey an unwavering sense of enthusiasm and optimism about the success, or potential for success, of the organization. They create working environments that encourage each and every employee to contribute optimally, and recognize each employee for his/her contributions.

#9        Leaders are trusted.

• Leaders in the best-of-the-best companies “walk their talk.” They follow through on their commitments to      employees. They trust employees and, in turn, are viewed by employees as trustworthy.

#8        Leaders communicate honestly with employees.

• Leaders in the best-of-the-best companies are fully committed to keeping employees informed and well supported with all the information they need to complete their jobs. Employees see these leaders as being open and honest, and as valuing employee input.

#7        Employee training and education are highly valued.

•  Leaders in the best-of-the-best companies are focused on success and recognize that their employees are the ones who will help achieve this success. As a result, these leaders are committed to providing ongoing training to support and educate their employees.

#6        Management is accessible and works well as a team.

•  In the best-of-the-best companies, employees see their leaders as: (1) being there, (2) being approachable and (3) being united and focused on a common goal.

#5        Employee opinions are valued and acted on.

• Leaders in the best-of-the-best companies acknowledge that employees are usually the ones with firsthand knowledge of changes that are needed. These leaders regularly ask for employee input, value that input and take actions based on employee recommendations.

#4        Innovation is valued and expected.

• Leaders in the best-of-the-best companies convey to employees that to be successful, the company needs, not only doers, but thinkers. Creativity is encouraged and supported. When people make mistakes, they are not punished, but encouraged to keep looking for solutions that will work.

#3       Leaders provide employees with a clear vision of the organization’s philosophy, goals and future direction.

•  Leaders in the best-of-the-best companies not only are clear in their vision but also articulate this vision to employees on a regular basis. A clear vision enables employees to focus their energies on a common goal.

#2        Improvements to products and systems are made quickly.

• Leaders in the best-of-the-best companies are aggressive in their pursuit of products and services that are current and user-friendly. They listen to employees and customers and, based on their input, make needed changes.

#1        Employee contributions are recognized and rewarded.

• Leaders in the best-of-the-best companies are fully committed to recognizing and rewarding employees who contribute optimally. On a daily basis, these leaders look for things that are going well and recognize the people responsible.

It is important to note that all the organizations represented in our benchmarks are already great organizations. Less-than-great organizations are simply not interested in gaining employee input and do not conduct employee opinion surveys. While the data in our benchmarks represent only great organizations, it is clear that the best-of-the-best organizations outshine the great organizations by excelling in the top 10 areas outlined above. We challenge you to consider how your employees would rate your organization in these areas.

We’d like to help you move your organization to become a best-of-the-best. There are two ways we can assist you: (1) We have compiled a special report outlining what separates good organizations from the best-of-the-best organizations. This report details what the differences are and, more important, what leading organizations have done to achieve this distinction. (2) We encourage you to partner with us and have us conduct an employee opinion survey for your organization. Once you have an accurate picture of the reality in your organization, we’ll help you develop an action plan that will move you into the elite ranks of the best-of-the-best! <>