This means more than a one-day retreat. It means that the company might emulate Residence Inn which, when they began their company, involved all 1,500 employees in the visioning process. They understood it, could articulate it, and certainly owned it. The result was energy, enthusiasm and focus on the customer. Such an organization is flatter than the traditional business, and rank becomes far less important than performance.
Teams learn how to resolve differences collaboratively, and respect becomes the modus operandi.
There are no secrets in business anymore. With e-mail systems, intranets and collaborative netware, there are few, if any, technical barriers to full communications. To create an environment of trust, we are far better off opening up the lines of communication. The bottom line is that all things being equal, the fastest way to achieve sustained competitive advantage is to create a workplace which is stable in the face of all the pressures to optimize and cut costs. Creating a company which truly values relationships means we entrust our future to our people.