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Devin Morris

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Rodney Adkins: Motivational

Inspiring leader of the tech industry. Grew up in Liberty City in Miami which is one of the worst cities in Miami, FL and Dade County.

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"Organizational goals are desired states of affairs or preferred results that organizations attempt to realize and achieve" - Amitai Etzoni

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Strategic Management :: Organizational Goals

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Strategic Management :: Organizational Goals

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Woman Managers:  This poster was created during WWII as an inspirational image to boost the morale for both managers and female employees in the workforce.

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Dual Career Couples: Having one family member (spouse,parent,kid, etc.) can be hard. Imagine having both spouses/parents in the miltary perusing the same career...

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When both spouses are service members, dual-military life as a couple can be challenging. But many choose to endure the hardships, f inding a balance between their marriages and their careers.

More than 20,000 dual military couples currently serve in the U.S. Army. The majority of these couples- 79 percent- enjoy joint domicile assignments, but that doesn't mean they won't endure long separations and domestic difficulties.

Married Army Couples Program

Keeping a family together while accomplishing the missions set forth by the Army, is something many dual military couples face. One way to meet the challenge is by enrolling in the Married Army Couples Program (MACP). Established in August 1983, the MACP is a program designed to help ensure Soldiers married to other Soldiers are considered for joint domicile assignments.

"The hardships associated with maintaining a family while being a Soldier are compounded in a married Army couple," said Lt. Col. Patrick Sedlack, chief of Plans, Procedures and Operations Branch, Army Human Resources Command. "The MACP was established to help alleviate some of the problems by trying, when possible, to assign married couples at the same location. The goal of the program is to ensure that MACP Soldiers are considered for assignment together as often as possible."

To enroll in the MACP, married couples need to submit a Department of the Army Form 4187, Request for Personnel Action, to their local military personnel office.

The personnel office will then process the information and enroll the Soldiers. If the Soldiers are assigned to separate duty stations, each Soldier must submit a DA Form 4187 to his or her personnel office.

Challenges for Being Stationed Together

The Married Army Couples Program works, but it doesn't guarantee you will be assigned together.

There are a number of things which can make it difficult for the MACP to station a couple together, said Sedlak. If two Soldiers have the same low-density MOS, they may be more difficult to station together, he explained. Or if a Soldier has a MOS in which most available assignments are outside the continental United States (CONUS), for example, a Soldier who's a Korean linguist is married to a Soldier with a MOS in which most available assignments are in CONUS; it may be difficult to station them together.

MACP also applies to Soldiers married to members of other services or Army Reserve or National Guard Soldiers, but it is more difficult for assignments managers to station them together, Sedlack said. In addition to the difficulties inherent in stationing Soldiers from different career fields together, there are also problems stationing Soldiers together when they volunteer for special duty.

"There are no specific restrictions on the MACP, but some programs and situations are much more difficult to accommodate a (joint domicile) assignment," said Sedlack. For assignments such as Drill Sergeant and Recruiter, selectees enrolled in MACP are required to provide a written statement saying he or she understands a joint domicile assignment may not be possible due to restrictions pertaining to the duty.

"The assignments managers will still consider (joint domicile) for those couples, but want to make sure the Soldiers understand that it is very difficult to provide (it) due to the demands and locations of those assignments," said Sedlack.

"If it meant being separated for a long period of time, I don't think either one of us could (provide) such a (written statement)," said Staff Sgt. William Herold, married to Sgt. Antoinette Herold. "Our branch manager has worked very hard to ensure we stay together and I think signing a (written statement) wouldn't stop our branch from working just as hard to keep our family together."

Managing Your Military Careers to Stay Together as a Couple

While some, like Herold, place a lot of faith in their branch managers, others recommend that couples take a more proactive hand in their careers.

"You have to plan properly and manage your own career," said Sgt. Maj. Henry Garrett, Human Resources sergeant major for Fort Bliss, Texas and married to Sgt. Maj. Shirley Garrett. For example, Garrett said when he knew he was due for an assignment outside CONUS, he volunteered for duty in Korea with the hope that his wife would be able to follow. When Shirley became the tactical NCO at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Henry called his branch manager to find out what was available for him at the same location.

Master Sgt. Yolanda Choates and her husband, Sgt. 1st Class Meco Choates have made similar sacrifices. "When we moved here from the (Washington) D.C. area, (Yolanda) had only one position available here," said Sgt. 1st Class Choates. "If she had to choose a position, this probably wouldn't be it, but she made that choice for the family." "I would rather have been a first sergeant in Korea, but that's not what was best for my family," said Master Sgt. Choates. "We do these things because, being in the Army, you don't always have a choice."

Unfortunately, this strategy also has some drawbacks. "We had to decline appointments because as command sergeants major it would be harder to station us together," Garrett said. He added, the key to a successful dual military marriage is a consideration for each other's career goals. "I really didn't want to go to West Point, but I knew Shirley needed something that would help her stand apart from her peers," he said. "If a couple is not in the same career management field, I recommend they learn as much as they can so they know what it takes to advance each other's careers."

Communication, said the Choates, is another important factor in maintaining a successful dual military marriage. "You have to communicate," said Sgt. 1st Class Choates. "If you don't let each other know what's going on or how you feel, you're not going to succeed."

Family Care Plans

Another challenge dual military couples must tackle are family care plans-written instructions for the care of family members in the event of deployments, temporary duty or field exercises. Dual military couples have 30 days after arriving at a new unit to produce a valid family care plan, which includes naming both a short-term and long-term care provider.

In some cases, finding a short-term care provider at a new duty station can be difficult. "(Early in our careers), we didn't really know anybody at our next duty stations. We had 30 days to find someone we'd trust enough to take care of our kids, who was willing to do it," said Master Sgt. Choates. "Now that we're older and we've been in a while, we know people at most of our duty stations when we get there."

Master Sgt. Choates added that those who haven't been in the Army long enough to know someone at every duty station should look amongst their coworkers for short-term care providers. The people a soldier works with on a daily basis are the ones they get to know first. "Family (readiness groups) (FRG) are another good source of information," said Sgt. 1st Class Choates. "But you have to go to the FRG meetings. They won't come to you."

Sacrifices for Dual Military Marriages

Many soldiers married to other soldiers agree that being a member of a dual-military couple involves a lot of sacrifices. Some, however, find the sacrifice to be too much. Being a soldier is something Staff Sgt. Alison Kempke enjoys. A technical engineer assigned to Company A, 94th Engineer Battalion, Hohenfels, Germany, she is currently deployed in Iraq. And though she's a dedicated soldier in the War on Terrorism, her husband and two children waiting for her in Germany are never far from her thoughts. Kempke said she finds her job both rewarding and challenging, but she'll be ending her military career after only eight years.

"I love the military, and I'd love to stay in, but the separations are hard, especially this one because you don't know when you're coming back," she said. "I'd also like to be around to raise my kids."

Benefits of Being a Dual Military Couple

Still, other dual-military couples said while there are difficulties, there are also a number of benefits. "When things happen that are beyond my control, (my husband) understands because he knows how things are in the military," said Sgt. 1st Class Regina Jamerson, married to Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Jamerson.

"We can relate to each other because we understand how things happen in the Army," she said. "Also, my husband can pack my duffle bag when I have (a field training exercise). How many civilian spouses can do that?"

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How Dual Military Couples Manage Their Careers and Relationship

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When both spouses are service members, dual-military life as a couple can be challenging. But many choose to endure the hardships, f inding a balance between their marriages and their careers. More than 20,000 dual military couples currently serve in the U.S. Army.

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Volunteering: Organizations should also consider voluntary social activities. These companies are some of the best that give back to their local communities.

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It might be common for corporations to make charitable donations. But a few companies go above and beyond with their philanthropic work, with initiatives like food drives, cancer walks, and even volunteer bonuses. Fortune partner Great Place to Work combed through more than 350,000 staffer surveys to compile this list of the U.S. companies employees feel are doing the best job at giving back. Employees are asked detailed questions about how proud they are of their impact on the community, the difference they feel they make, and whether their work has special meaning. Outtakes of their responses are below.

Click here to read more about the list, and find out more about how the ranking is compiled here.

1. Salesforce

Employees say: "This is an extraordinarily special place that really cares about its employees, customers, and community. We are strongly encouraged to give back. I have done everything from volunteering in a soup kitchen, to working at a children's hospital in Morocco-all supported by the company. Most importantly, I look forward to coming to work everyday, working with our wonderful community, and doing satisfying, challenging work."

"The thing I think that most separates [Salesforce] from other companies is the focus on giving back. Personally, it provides me with a greater sense of purpose when I come in each day."

Worldwide Employees: 22,070

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: San Francisco

Total Philanthropic Donations: $137,000,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

2. NuStar Energy

Employees say: "One of the outstanding things that I like about working at NuStar is that the company and I share the same moral compass. I enjoy giving back to the community and NuStar not only does the same, but helps provide opportunities for its employees to go above and beyond what each could do as an individual."

"NuStar inspires in its employees a sense of community pride and compassion for those who make up the community. This is demonstrated through the presence of a NuStar Volunteer Council that organizes charitable events for local groups including San Antonio's Haven for Hope, Ronald McDonald House, and YMCA. All of these events are company-sponsored, manned by NuStar employees, and most occur during work hours. Throughout the NuStar Corpus Christi and South Texas area, NuStar employees volunteered almost 10,000 hours to these and other charitable groups. By making a difference in our company, NuStar employees are well compensated for their efforts, but it is in the community where we receive the most gratification for giving back."

Worldwide Employees: 1,630

Industry: Transportation

HQ location: San Antonio

Total Philanthropic Donations: $8,492,793

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

3. Veterans United Home Loans

Employees say: "Our employee-funded foundation is a perfect example of why I love to work at Veterans United. From helping a veteran get a service dog to partnering with the Gary Sinise Foundation to get a veteran into a smart home, over 95% of us donate 1% of our paychecks to enhance the lives of those in need, both locally and as far away as our service members overseas. Every week our foundation shows us a new person or family whose lives we have made a little easier. I'm proud to work for a company with the vision for such a foundation and with people who will give that weekly donation to touch someone else's life."

"It is truly an honor to work for this organization. The work that we do for veterans and the charity that Veteran United is involved with is well beyond any other organization that I have ever worked for prior to this one. I am always proud to say that I work for this company and always work my hardest to produce quality, so these veterans can get into their homes."

U.S. Employees: 1,991

Industry: Financial Services & Insurance

HQ location: Columbia, Mo.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $7,100,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

4. Intuit

Employees say: "Everything about this company is unique in my work experience. I was always resistant to working for a big corporation, but joining Intuit was the best career decision I have ever made. I truly love it and intend to spend the rest of my working days here. People truly care about each other and our customers. ... Our dedication to giving back to the community is enviable. I am personally a leader of an employee network and am given the time and support needed to effectively manage the network and plan and execute activities supporting our community. We are known in the area as a very giving organization, and that is really important to me. My friends and family get tired of hearing me talk about how awesome this company is and how much I love my job."

"Intuit is always giving back to the community. It believes so much in giving back that each employee is given 32 paid hours to help out local organizations. This can be used going to work in the food bank for a few hours a month, or participating in your child's school for an hour a week or volunteering at a fundraiser you believe in. In addition, the company will match monetary contributions dollar for dollar as long as the contribution is made to a 501c3. We feel empowered to give back to the community and know Intuit supports us."

Worldwide Employees: 7,905

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: Mountain View, Calif.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $42,000,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

5. Autodesk

Employees say: "I love how this company encourages you to help out in the community, and gives you an opportunity to volunteer on work time and get paid. Also, it offers volunteer work that you can do from your office."

"I really value the fact that our company seeks to make the world a better place not only through the sale of our products, but also through free educational software grants and the Autodesk Foundation. The Autodesk Foundation grants thousands of licenses each year to nonprofits and startups meeting our criteria. In addition, each June we host a Global Month of Impact where events are set up at many of the offices and employees are encouraged to donate their time. This year we assembled 3D-printed prosthetic hands. In addition, we are provided time each year to conduct volunteer activities during work time and for every 10 hours that we volunteer and log, employees are allowed to direct $100 to a non-profit of their choice."

Worldwide Employees: 8,632

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: San Rafael, Calif.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $20,400,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

6. Deloitte

Employees say: "The Impact Day held each year to invest in the community is a fantastic experience. I love being able to tell friends and family that I'm being paid to spend a day volunteering."

"The commitment to community and volunteering really shows the heart behind Deloitte. Every year, we have an Impact Day where we take time away from client service to perform community service. We also conduct fun events like golf tournaments that benefit a charity or foundation in the area. There are many companies that do the consulting and auditing work that Deloitte does, but I haven't been a part of a company that also gives so much back to our local communities."

Worldwide Employees: 80,631

Industry: Professional Services

HQ location: New York, N.Y.

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

7. ULTIMATE SOFTWARE

Employees say: "I love Ultimate Software because they do follow their motto of 'people first.' During my time here we have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for people in need due to disasters in our country and beyond. It's times like these where I feel we are leaving our footprint on the world and giving back."

"There are many things about Ultimate Software that make this a great place to work. The one that makes me feel the most rewarded and proud is the commitment to giving back. That is one of the cornerstones of Ultimate Software's culture of people first. When a call to donate goes out, the employees always come through with payroll contributions, time, or donating needed items. With charity walks, charity raffles, drives for clothing, school supplies, and food, everyone has the opportunity to contribute in their own way. During a company-wide donation drive, Ultimate Software commits to matching 100% of the employee payroll contributions. Between April and August of 2017, Ultimate Software collected employee donations and, along with a 100% company match, donated between $120,000 to $180,000 to each of the following: the family of a deceased employee of less than a year, the Ecuador earthquake disaster relief, the Canada wildfire disaster relief, Equality Florida for the Orlando Club Shooting, and the Louisiana flood disaster relief."

Worldwide Employees: 3,126

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: Weston, Fla.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $1,700,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

8. Patagonia

Employees say: "The founding principals of the company are still at work today with the absolute commitment to environmental advocacy and product quality. I love being connected to a company with integrity that has put to the test many times over. Patagonia continues to be a leader in the outdoor industry and continues to reassess environmental and community outreach."

"They built a café for us to have organic healthy local food (though we still have to pay for it, of course). We have a large garden outside for produce. We give 1% of all sales to nonprofit organizations. We now have a child care center on site. We are able to take fully paid days to give back to the community and nature. And we get reimbursed a few bucks a day for carpooling, biking, or walking to work."

Worldwide Employees: 2,120

Industry: Retail

HQ location: Ventura, Calif.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $7,881,385

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

9. Cisco

Employees say: "One of the unique benefits of working here is the ability to take five days of paid time off to work with charities. This is in addition to company matching for donations and cash given to charities based on the amount of hours an employee works at the charity."

"There is a very strong culture of giving back to the community, whether it is financial contributions, time off to do volunteer work, or corporate social responsibility activities. I am very proud of the social commitment here."

Worldwide Employees: 73,040

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: San Jose, Calif.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $286,200,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

10. Nationwide

Employees say: "Nationwide promotes community involvement, including giving associates work time to go help out at a local food bank, participate in community care day, or mentoring students. In addition, Nationwide has a Red Cross blood donor center in the building and associates can earn time off for a successful blood donation."

"The company is always involved in food bank volunteer work, Sam Ministries, and diaper giveaways. I have never worked for a company that wanted to help the community as much as this one."

Industry: Financial Services & Insurance

HQ location: Columbus, Ohio

Total Philanthropic Donations: $44,300,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

11. Cadence

Employees say: "From my perspective, Cadence is continuously looking for ways to improve an already great place to work. While I haven't had the opportunity to take advantage of the volunteer time off, I very much appreciate the fact that Cadence cares so much about making the world a better place through volunteering. I think the executive management team is doing a fantastic job of finding ways to make Cadence an increasingly better place to work, which in turn sets a strong foundation for individual and collective excellence. I'm proud to be part of Cadence and appreciate the opportunity to work here."

"I believe we have a management team that really values its employees and works hard at making their work and life better. They are also committed to their community with a program of having an extra week off for volunteer work which allows employees to feel empowered to help their community."

Worldwide Employees: 6,811

Industry: Electronics

HQ location: San Jose, Calif.

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

12. Genentech

Employees say: "Genentech dedicates one full week in June-the week leading up to Father's Day-to giving back to the community. During this week employees can: donate money while purchasing their lunch in the cafeteria to feed the homeless, participate in the Hay to Beakers Walk-a three mile loop on site that Genentech will donate $25 to children's causes on behalf of every walker, volunteer during work hours for nonprofits, participate in a silent auction to raise money for children's causes, and enter your personal story of giving back in a contest with a chance to win a philanthropic trip to Africa. There are also company groups that provide community outreach opportunities specific to a sector's business plan and mission statement. For example, the disability group has provided community outreach to several nonprofits that help special needs children. These groups provide development opportunities for employees and provide the community an invaluable amount of volunteer hours by happy, willing. and vested helpers. Win, win."

"Genentech Gives Back is a week where employees give back time to the community. It includes auctions for great experiences or items. The money earned goes to charity. There's an awesome concert with free food and drink and A-list entertainment (Pink and Justin Timberlake, for example) at the end of the week as a thank you for employee participation. Genentech Goes to Town is when the company provides employees with GenenMoney that can be used in the community to support local businesses."

U.S. Employees: 14,815

Industry: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals

HQ location: South San Francisco, Calif.

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

13. Atlassian

Employees say: "The employees are incredibly invested in philanthropy, volunteerism, diversity, and giving back. It's amazing to see how much personal time people invest in causes they care about, and how effective they are at mobilizing other employees. Our foundation and volunteerism isn't just a department or policy-it's really a culture of giving that runs deep in the company DNA. It feels good to be a part of it."

"The amount we encourage people to 'be the change they seek' is wonderful. Recently, for Pride Week, a couple of employees decided that instead of just showing support by marching in the pride parade, we'd actually volunteer to help at a local LGBT shelter. They were inundated with volunteers."

Worldwide Employees: 1,760

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: San Francisco

Total Philanthropic Donations: $2,812,395

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

14. VMware

Employees say: "We have a strong focus on giving back to the communities where we work. I was lucky enough to qualify for a sales trip to China based on sales achievement. During the trip, VMware planned an event where we all pitched in with volunteer work around the Great Wall of China. There were people painting, laying bricks, and planting trees. We also did a sales kick off in New Orleans recently, and participated in a Habitat for Humanity event there. VMware always thinks about how we can give back when we have major events."

"We have a commitment to giving back to the community. I donate a paid week to my favorite non-profit every year. This is time spent giving back to the community that has given so much to my family and me. It's special to work for a company that thinks that way and puts its money where its mouth is."

Worldwide Employees: 19,357

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: Palo Alto, Calif.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $5,400,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

15. Baird

Employees say: "The amount of volunteer opportunities and encouragement to participate without fear of missing work time is incredible. Donations are constantly being solicited for various worthy causes. There's always a chance to give back to people in need and thanks are often provided to participants through meals or snacks brought into the office."

"Baird fosters a culture in which integrity and professionalism are paramount. Moreover, the company proactively encourages its associates to become immersed in community activities. It encourages this with its own support through the charitable foundation used to further a plethora of worthy causes and non-profit activities. Taken together, these attributes make this firm a great place to work. I look forward to getting up each business day and going to the office!"

Worldwide Employees: 3,311

Industry: Financial Services & Insurance

HQ location: Milwaukee

Total Philanthropic Donations: $4,063,199

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

16. Novo Nordisk

Employees say: "Our company goes above and beyond with community service projects. We sent a team of volunteers to Alabama when they had the deadly tornadoes a few years back. We've consistently helped out in New Orleans, as that community is still living with the devastation that followed Hurricane Katrina. We are actively involved in a charity called Cinderella's Closet that donates dresses to underprivileged high school girls to be able to go to prom. Just recently, at a meeting in Orlando, we ordered a blood donation bus for employees to give blood to the Pulse Nightclub terrorist attack victims that took place two weeks prior. We also had a link at our meeting to donate to the GoFundMe page for these victims and their families. I'm not even scratching the surface here. The list of community service initiatives goes on and on."

"I've never worked for a company that gives so much back to the community and allows its employees to take part in charitable activities during work hours. I've always been really impressed by this! I recently participated in a boat race with 40 other Novo Nordisk women. I noticed that our team stood out from the other teams because it was obvious how proud we all were to be representing Novo Nordisk. Maybe that's why we won!"

Worldwide Employees: 42,847

Industry: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals

HQ location: Plainsboro, N.J.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $19,000,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

17. Kronos

Employees say: "I love that, after 30 years, a lot has changed about our products, our customers, and our industry, but our mission is exactly the same: to improve our customers' financial lives so profoundly they could never imagine going back to the old way. Most companies in our technology industry have struggled to stay relevant and navigate the disruptive changes; we are navigating very well."

"Kronos is an ethical company that is trying to do the right thing, and gives back to the community."

Worldwide Employees: 4,949

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: Chelmsford, Mass.

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

18. Crowe Horwath

Employees say: "The personal support management provides to people by chipping in to help someone in need is great. Examples include helping an employee dealing with a family member's terminal illness or reacting to national tragedies with a way for all employees to contribute to a charity."

"We have a strong commitment to the community. There is encouragement to go out and get involved. The company financially supports people's passions for giving back. The team I work with could all be considered friends. We care about each other's well being and often reach out to share the load of work."

Worldwide Employees: 3,500

Industry: Professional Services

HQ location: Chicago

Total Philanthropic Donations: $1,570,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

19. PCL Construction

Employees say: "We coordinate numerous charity opportunities throughout the year including donation drives for food banks, beach cleanup days, and Habitat for Humanity builds. The company puts a high priority on community involvement."

"I am very proud to work for a company that is so well-recognized for its contributions to the community, both through corporate donations, employee campaigns, and volunteerism. Not only are employees encouraged to volunteer, we actually have a volunteer hours goal!"

Worldwide Employees: 4,572

Industry: Construction & Real Estate

HQ location: Denver

Total Philanthropic Donations: $4,010,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

Employees say: "The product that we produce here at Stryker has a direct impact on patients everyday. Our product is used in people's times of need, be it an emergency or planned hospital stay. It really makes you realize how special of a place Stryker is when you visit a loved one in the hospital and they are laying on a Stryker bed. My son was born in a Stryker maternity bed and my grandparents have passed away in Stryker beds and stretchers. It gives you an awareness that the product we build is important to so many people at pivotal times in their lives."

"Just the other day my supervisor told us in a meeting that she received an email she wanted to read to us. It was from another cell supervisor, about an elderly lady who had hip surgery using our products. The surgery went so well and she was so happy with the results that she reached out personally thanking us for our hard work. She provided all the information she could about the parts that were now in her body. She asked if that supervisor could find all the people that worked on those parts. I was one of them. Just hearing this story in the meeting was so uplifting because I contributed to someone else's wellbeing and happiness. Lastly she asked if all the people that worked on those parts could take a group picture so she can see our faces. It is amazing what we do here, and it was an amazing experience hearing this story."

Worldwide Employees: 25,000

Industry: Manufacturing & Production

HQ location: Kalamazoo, Mich.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $33,900,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

Employees say: "This company has a culture you can feel-ethical, caring, inclusive, and forward-thinking. We are a financial services company, yet we care greatly about our community and give back, at an individual employee level and at a corporate level. I LOVE working here. As a millennial, I have high expectations. I want to retire from this company, which tells you how special this place is!"

"One thing I really appreciate about PFG is that it provides us with volunteering time off so we can help in our communities. I also like the level of involvement our company has with the community. It makes me not only proud of the company I work for, but also of my city and how it has grown over the years."

U.S. Employees: 9,787

Industry: Financial Services & Insurance

HQ location: Des Moines, Iowa

Total Philanthropic Donations: $13,600,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

22. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Employees say: "We provide an important and valuable service to the community. Because my heart is in service I am proud of what we do here."

"This is the best place to work. Being able to see the improvement I make in the life of a child is the most rewarding work I could do. Seeing former patients in the community and the appreciation they share make me want to do even more. We are blessed with the resources we need to do our work and I have coworkers that are as dedicated to our mission as I am."

U.S. Employees: 8,664

Industry: Health Care

HQ location: Atlanta

Total Philanthropic Donations: $164,400,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: No

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

23. Hyatt Hotels

Employees say: "Our commitment is to care for each other, our guests, and our local communities."

"Hyatt truly cares about their employees and makes them feel like they truly care. The benefits and the programs that they provide are truly a great asset to the company. They promote education and getting involved in local organizations in many ways."

Worldwide Employees: 100,000

Industry: Hospitality

HQ location: Chicago

Total Philanthropic Donations: $7,200,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

24. Roth Staffing Companies

Employees say: "I admire the philanthropy that my company is involved with. We are involved in a women's career event later this month and I have volunteered to participate in helping women write their résumés and practice interviewing skills."

"All discussions revert back to what is the best thing to do for the employees of this company. From contributing to gym memberships, to flex time, to awards and recognition, to community giving and paid time off to volunteer. Each branch receives yearly funds that they can give to a charity or charities of their choice."

U.S. Employees: 617

Industry: Professional Services

HQ location: Orange, Calif.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $350,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

25. Astellas

Employees say: "Astellas is truly a people-focused company! We put our commitment to giving back to our communities with five days every year and also by using time at our national meetings to give back. It is unique and inspiring to see the organizational commitment to our company mission."

"[We are] focused on giving back to the community. The company provides five paid days off to use for volunteer activities and it really encourages us to use them. Meetings always have some type of volunteer activity built into them. It's a great organization!"

Worldwide Employees: 17,217

Industry: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals

HQ location: Northbrook, Ill.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $1,326,624

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

26. West Monroe Partners

Employees say: "What this company brings to our community in giving back I have truly never experienced in my previous jobs. I am so proud to represent the company in local volunteer events. As an added bonus they give you days for just doing your bit. Best company I have worked for in my 17 years in the job market!"

"The amount of energy, money, and time employees from all levels give back to our communities is unusual for how small the firm is. We just had our corporate-wide Day of Giving. We are genuine and truly committed to giving back to the places where we have a presence."

U.S. Employees: 670

Industry: Professional Services

HQ location: Chicago

Total Philanthropic Donations: $748,555

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

27. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

Employees say: "The firm is very committed to having a positive impact in the community. Pro bono work is highly encouraged and rewarded. I cannot imagine working at another firm."

"I appreciate the opportunities we are given to reach out to our communities to help others and to make a real difference in our own backyard. Orrick Cares was seen and felt by so many and has been impossible to ignore. It has paid dividends not just for those in need but for all who are involved."

Worldwide Employees: 2,300

Industry: Professional Services

HQ location: San Francisco

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

28. Cooley

Employees say: "Cooley is always involved in giving back in the form of giving Christmas gifts to families every year, contributing to emergency funds for unexpected situations such as for hurricane survivors or Orlando shooting victims, among others."

"The firm has numerous team and group-focused activities across its many offices. In Reston we've hosted the Cooley Olympics as a way to raise money for a local charity. There are probably not many law firms that host events where senior firm partners are building tents blindfolded, stuffing their faces with marshmallows, and doing handstands in the street outside the building (not all at the same time, of course)."

Worldwide Employees: 1,956

Industry: Professional Services

HQ location: Palo Alto, Calif.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $29,348,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: No

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

29. GoFundMe

Employees say: "Aside from being a great organization with amazing people who care about each other and really care about our product, there is a major focus on giving back to the community here. Two examples of this include giving all employees an extra three days per year (in addition to our paid time off days) to do service-related activities. People have taken advantage of this by volunteering at food banks and soup kitchens and spending days volunteering in educational programs to teach programming to underprivileged children. Additionally, each month, GoFundMe allows all of its employees to nominate a campaign that is meaningful to them in some way, and selects about 50 to 80 of these campaigns to donate $1,000 to. It's a really special program that allows employees to feel great about the work they are doing."

"We have an amazing giveback program, where 50 employees are able to donate $1,000 to an inspiring campaign of their choice. GoFundMe is all about philanthropy, ongoing training and education, and ideation! Love my job."

U.S. Employees: 143

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: Redwood City, Calif.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $1,100,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: No

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

30. PricewaterhouseCoopers

Employees say: "The firm's commitment to youth education and volunteering and the frequent advertising of opportunities of this nature [make it a great place to work]."

"At this job, I am constantly challenged to solve problems in my day-to-day work with clients and I feel like everyone, starting even from the associate level, has the opportunity to make a real impact at the client and at the firm. ... The firm encourages staff to start initiatives to give back to their communities and schools as well as the network across the entire organization. I feel respected and invested every day at my job and I truly love coming to work every day."

U.S. Employees: 45,428

Industry: Professional Services

HQ location: New York City

Total Philanthropic Donations: $88,064,516

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

31. Dixon Schwabl

Employees say: "We do a ton for charity. We have big teams in the American Heart Association Heart Walk. We also do a team stair climb for the American lung association, and a lot of bell ringing for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign. Plus, we donate pro bono work to charities to help with their fundraising efforts for the year."

"We have produced fundraising videos for nonprofit organizations trying to get new equipment or facilities. On several occasions, we have returned to these groups and seen changes in place as a result of our efforts. It is a tremendously rewarding experience, and I am filled with an incredible sense of pride that our company has given back to the community, changing lives for the better-and I helped!"

U.S. Employees: 104

Industry: Advertising & Marketing

HQ location: Victor, N.Y.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $1,800,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

32. NVIDIA

Employees say: "Nvidia encourages employees to get involved and give back to the community. It does a lot of charity work and encourages employees to donate to charities by matching their donation up to $1000 per year. Which I think is not only a great benefit but also a great characteristic of a company. We do charity, rebuilding, and cleaning work with all employees. It's a very unique way of giving back to the community and I respect Nvidia for that."

"NVIDIA is a big financial supporter of cancer research and cancer care. The company encourages volunteerism, contributes to the community in each of its offices worldwide, and matches employee contributions in the causes we support. NVIDIA also supports GPU research, start-ups, science and computing students at the high school and college level, advancing science, technology, and innovation. Our company enables individuals, organizations, and our own most important life's work, which is an incredible thing! It's so great to be affiliated with a company that is the source of innovation and discovery!"

Worldwide Employees: 9,431

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: Santa Clara, Calif.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $6,010,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

33. American Express

Employees say: "I am particularly proud of the company's extension into the community through its corporate social responsibility activities, and I am pleased to know that the chairman and CEO supports this work, in words and actions."

"The company's devotion to work-life balance is really the driving factor in making American Express a great place to work. Close second is its commitment to philanthropic initiatives and community responsibility. These two things are, in my opinion, amongst the best in class."

Worldwide Employees: 55,064

Industry: Financial Services & Insurance

HQ location: New York, N.Y.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $39,000,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

34. Stellar Solutions

Employees say: "Stellar arranges for a charitable donation to be made on behalf of each employee to the charity of their choice. They work to seek employee participation in giving and volunteering. Community involvement and volunteering is a part of our annual review as they value employees being active participants and role models in their communities. Who does that?"

"Contributions as a team to community service are outstanding. The annual payments to a personally selected charity from their foundation are unparalleled."

U.S. Employees: 177

Industry: Aerospace

HQ location: Palo Alto, Calif.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $204,850

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

35. USAA

Employees say: "USAA has a great passion for its members, focused around the military community. We serve those who have served us and are very proud to do it."

"USAA has wonderful community involvement. Some of the most unique corporate ambassadors are the USAA chorus and concert and jazz Bands. We perform for retirement center members and the general public and all performances are free! It is a great privilege to participate in these musical groups."

Worldwide Employees: 28,738

Industry: Financial Services & Insurance

HQ location: San Antonio, Texas

Total Philanthropic Donations: $15,119,461

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

36. Cornerstone OnDemand

Employees say: "Beyond the general perks, for me the heart of the company is its understanding that a great work environment encourages not just the work we do, but the full human experience. Cornerstone's emphasis on giving back with the Cornerstone Foundation, building skateboards with underprivileged youth as a part of new hire orientation, child mentorship programs like Spark, encouraging Cornerstars to vote in the upcoming election, and having marathons, triathlons, and walks throughout the year for various charities are a constant reminder that we as an organization are more than simply the sum of our parts. We have a corporate responsibility to give back, and it's so refreshing to see the company hold true to its roots, even with all the growth that has occurred over the past few years."

"I've worked for several of Cornerstone's competitors, and there are a few things that stood out for me about Cornerstone that helped me decide this is the company I wanted to work for. First, Cornerstone has a team called Cornerstone Foundation that focuses solely on how Cornerstone gives back to the community and how we as employees can get involved in helping to make this world a better place. As a matter of fact, at my new-hire orientation, we spent part of one day working with a group of kids to help them create and build their own skateboards-pretty cool. Another thing that sets Cornerstone apart is that they invest in small startup tech companies, providing them with free office space within the Cornerstone headquarters and access to resources to help them grow their business. Amazing."

Worldwide Employees: 1,769

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: Santa Monica, Calif.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $345,358

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: No

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

37. SAS Institute

Employees say: "SAS allows me to volunteer during work hours every month at the Food Bank of Eastern and Central N.C. I enjoy volunteering with my colleagues and am proud that my company supports us in giving back to people in need in our community."

"At all significant team meetings, we engage in a giving back activity that both helps enrich our community as well as team bonding and relationship building. It is so meaningful and always a highlight of our time together. Activities have included working in local food banks, sorting donations at thrift shops, installing irrigation for a community garden, and building residences with Habitat for Humanity."

Worldwide Employees: 14,254

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: Cary, N.C.

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

38. Etsy

Employees say: "There are so many things that make this a great place to work, but I think the main one is the impact. It's the impact we're making on our community, the impact we're making on the environment, and the impact we're making in corporate America as we explore what it can mean to be a public company."

"Our commitment to social good is unique, authentic, and nothing short of incredible. With every social good initiative or announcement (parental leave, solar initiative, etc.), I am filled with tremendous pride to work at Etsy. Our leaders are truly good people who want to make and create good for the world. It is a truly unique and special opportunity to work here."

Worldwide Employees: 1,043

Industry: Tech

HQ location: Brooklyn

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

39. American Transmission Company

Employees say: "I have been a high school coach of track and field for the last nine years I've been working at ATC, under five different supervisors. Although the season is demanding of my time and requires an adjusted work schedule, I've been encouraged and supported each and every season by ATC employees and supervisors, which allows me to have a positive work-life balance while investing in my community."

"This company stands head and shoulders above my past employers in community involvement. ATC demonstrates its commitment not only to the local communities around its offices, but also to the communities it serves through the business, by sponsoring fundraisers for charity, holding public environmental education events, and by allowing employees paid leave to serve charities."

U.S. Employees: 657

Industry: Manufacturing & Production

HQ location: Waukesha, Wis.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $536,588

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

40. KPMG

Employees say: "We have created a culture that has a family feel and cares about the individual. We encourage and support giving back to our communities and it is very easy to find other people to help with your personal cause. Seeing this teamwork around passion is an incredible motivator of our people."

"One of the most important reasons why I feel KPMG is a great place to work is that integrity is one of the cornerstones of our firm. Giving back to our communities with our book distribution to elementary schools, our disaster relief fund to help all in need, and our blood drives, are just a few of the many ways our firm shows it cares."

Worldwide Employees: 174,000

Industry: Professional Services

HQ location: New York City

Total Philanthropic Donations: $28,417,153

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

41. American Fidelity Assurance Company

Employees say: "AFA is very involved and devoted to our community. We are encouraged to volunteer and contribute to local charities and programs through company-sponsored events, payroll deductions, and paid volunteer time. AFA cares about more than just profit, but also sees the profitability in colleague and community engagement."

"The company makes a genuine effort to involve colleagues in community involvement, offering paid time off for charity work, incentives for community fundraisers and food drives, t-shirt days to raise money for charities, etc."

U.S. Employees: 1,757

Industry: Financial Services & Insurance

HQ location: Oklahoma City

Total Philanthropic Donations: $1,051,065

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

42. Firespring

Employees say: "The company's focus on being part of the community is unique. They give employees time off every month to volunteer and encourage them to help make an impact for nonprofits in our community."

"Firespring's B-Corp status was something that attracted me to the company and is something I'm very proud of as an employee. I enjoy volunteering 96 hours per year to help make an impact on my community."

U.S. Employees: 221

Industry: Advertising & Marketing

HQ location: Lincoln, Neb.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $518,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: No

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

43. SAP America

Employees say: "As we are a technology company, we are always looking for what technology can do to not only make businesses run better but how it can improve people's lives. There are examples of how our technology has saved lives in disasters, through research for diseases, through individual commitment, always with SAP leadership support, to help whereever we can in the communities we work in all over the world. I feel that SAP is part of the larger global community, with a company that values giving back and citizenship. I am humbled and amazed by what my colleagues do daily, and how SAP supports it all."

"We have a month of service each year when employees are encouraged to volunteer their time to charitable organizations. I think my company gives back to the community better than any other company!"

Worldwide Employees: 79,061

Industry: Information Technology

HQ location: Newtown Square, Pa.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $5,600,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

44. Baker Donelson

Employees say: "Each year our company picks a different charity organization to support. Individual offices also take on smaller charity events, such as walks, runs, food drives, and local volunteer work. The company gives us eight hours of paid time off devoted specifically to volunteering and community service. I think it's great that we are encouraged to give back to the community and those in need."

"Baker Donelson cares about more than just the business. Each year, through a nomination and voting process, we select a charity organization that will receive the firm's support for the upcoming year through various fundraising activities held by each office. In addition to the named firm-wide project, individual offices may choose their own local charity or cause to support as well. That's the kind of caring family we belong to at Baker Donelson!"

U.S. Employees: 1,338

Industry: Professional Services

HQ location: Memphis

Total Philanthropic Donations: $8,446,441

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: No

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

45. QuikTrip

Employees say: "I think the way Quiktrip really cares about its employees is what really sest us apart from everywhere else. We have great pay and benefits and really help out our community during holidays (Freedom Fest, the United Way golf and poker tournaments). It makes our community really support us as much as we support them."

"Our company participates in many charitable organizations and allows many of us to participate in volunteer activities. And any donations we make as employees get matched by the company."

U.S. Employees: 20,460

Industry: Retail

HQ location: Tulsa, Okla.

Total Philanthropic Donations: $14,945,024

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: No

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

46. Edward Jones

Employees say: "I've been with Edward Jones for over 20 years. Not only are we a company that cares about our clients, but about our community as well. The generous hearts of Edward Jones branch offices comes through when we hold food, school supply, or toy drives in our individual offices. Over the past four years, our office has gathered over 250 pounds of food, enough toys for several families, and helped raise $20,000 for Special Olympics as well as over $500 for the AFSP."

"Edward Jones is a great corporate sponsor for community organizations. EDJ provides the opportunities for associates to volunteer with organizations such as United Way and Junior Achievement. In addition, EDJ has associates in board positions with diverse organizations such as Black Rep Theater, Mentor St. Louis, and Boys and Girls Club."

Worldwide Employees: 43,090

Industry: Financial Services & Insurance

HQ location: St. Louis

Total Philanthropic Donations: $11,200,000

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: No

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

47. CHG Healthcare Services, Inc.

Employees say: "Since day one I have been shown on a daily and weekly basis that CHG cares about its employees, their families, and the community as a whole. Departments are always doing service projects and charity work. There is support for just about anything you might need. The managers are the ones pushing these projects and they participate just like the rest of us."

"The kindness of people within CHG is remarkable. People genuinely care for each other. It's the most welcoming, caring, compassionate place I've ever worked. You see that in programs like volunteer time off, our employee compassion fund where I can donate to help employees who fall on hard times and our difference makers program that honors people who contribute their time and talents within local communities. Yet we're still a highly profitable business, which proves you can be kind AND successful."

U.S. Employees: 2,259

Industry: Professional Services

HQ location: Salt Lake City

Total Philanthropic Donations: $428,614

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

48. Grovo

Employees say: "In two years, I can honestly say I wake up almost every morning excited to come to work, and I realize how rare that is to be able to work somewhere with all your friends and do meaningful and challenging work. Working with friends every day is only topped by the fact that our mission as a company is to empower and educate people, which makes our work that much more special."

U.S. Employees: 168

Industry: Education & Training

HQ location: New York City

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: No

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

49. Hagerty

Employees say: "We have a strong presence in the community with tons of volunteer opportunities. Hagerty will pay us for 16 hours a year to participate in these opportunities."

"Hagerty has created a very healthy culture to work in. There is a solid work-life balance and a real focus on giving back to our local community through charitable organizations."

Worldwide Employees: 786

Industry: Financial Services & Insurance

HQ location: Traverse City, Mich.

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: No

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

50. VMS BioMarketing

Employees say: "VMS BioMarketing encourages volunteer work and pays you during the time you spend volunteering rather than having to use your own personal time off."

"Philanthropy is extremely important and many are actively involved. This year VMS is sponsoring a room at the Ronald McDonald House at Riley Hospital. There have been opportunities for employees to prepare and serve breakfast for family members staying there. It really gives us a chance to keep things in perspective and appreciate our good fortune. I am extremely grateful I was given the opportunity to be a VMS employee. I have never been so proud to be part of an organization!"

U.S. Employees: 147

Industry: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals

HQ location: Indianapolis

Total Philanthropic Donations: $35,750

Offers PTO for Volunteering: Yes

Offers Employee Matching Funds: Yes

Learn more in the Great Place to Work review here.

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It might be common for corporations to make charitable donations. But a few companies go above and beyond with their philanthropic work, with initiatives like food drives, cancer walks, and even volunteer bonuses. Fortune partner Great Place to Work combed through more than 350,000 staffer surveys to compile this list of the U.S.

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LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

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The most widely used green building rating system in the world.
Start a project

Green building leadership is LEED

LEED provides a framework for healthy, efficient, carbon and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership.

How LEED works

LEED certified buildings save money, improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions and create healthier places for people. They are a critical part of addressing climate change and meeting ESG goals, enhancing resilience, and supporting more equitable communities.

To achieve LEED certification, a project earns points by adhering to prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality. Projects go through a verification and review process by GBCI and are awarded points that correspond to a level of LEED certification: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points) and Platinum (80+ points).

Platinum
80+ points earned

Gold
60-79 points earned

Silver
50-59 points earned

Certified
40-49 points earned

LEED system goals

The goal of LEED is to create better buildings that:

Reduce contribution to global climate change

Enhance individual human health

Protect and restore water resources

Protect and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services

Promote sustainable and regenerative material cycles

Enhance community quality of life

LEED is a holistic system that doesn't simply focus on one element of a building such as energy, water or health, rather it looks at the big picture factoring in all of the critical elements that work together to create the best building possible. In fact, 35% of the credits in LEED are related to climate change, 20% of the credits directly impact human health, 15% of the credits impact water resources, 10% of the credits affect biodiversity, 10% of the credits relate to the green economy, 5% of the credits impact community and 5% of the credits impact natural resources. In LEED v4.1, a majority of the LEED credits are related to operational and embodied carbon. Learn more.

A LEED for every project

LEED is for all building types and all building phases including new construction, interior fit outs, operations and maintenance and core and shell. Unsure of which rating system to use? Check out our interactive Discover LEED tool to get started; then, use the rating system selection guidance to make a final decision.

BD+C
Building Design and Construction

For new construction or major renovations. Includes:

New Construction

Core & Shell

Learn more about building design and construction.

ID+C
Interior Design and Construction

O+M
Building Operations and Maintenance

For existing buildings that are undergoing improvement work or little to no construction. Includes:

O+M also includes applications for Schools, Retail, Hospitality, Data Centers, and Warehouses & Distribution Centers.

Learn more about operations and maintenance.

ND
Neighborhood Development

For new land development projects or redevelopment projects containing residential uses, nonresidential uses, or a mix. Projects can be at any stage of the development process, from conceptual planning to construction. Includes:

Learn more about neighborhood development.

For single family homes, low-rise multi-family (one to three stories) or mid-rise multi-family (four to six stories). Includes:

Homes

Multifamily Lowrise

Multifamily Midrise

Homes and residential buildings that are greater than six stories use LEED BD+C. Learn more about LEED homes.

For entire cities and sub-sections of a city. LEED for Cities projects can measure and manage their city's water consumption, energy use, waste, transportation and human experience. Learn more about LEED for Cities.

LEED recertification is an important step in protecting your building asset. Recertification helps you maintain and improve your building while keeping your sustainability investment in place. Applies to all occupied and in-use projects that have previously achieved certification under LEED - including BD+C and ID+C, regardless of their initial rating system or version. Learn more about recertification.
Recertification guide

Available for all LEED projects certified under the BD+C or O+M rating systems or registered to pursue LEED O+M certification. LEED Zero is for projects with net zero goals in carbon and/or resources. Learn more about LEED Zero.

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The most widely used green building rating system in the world. Start a project LEED provides a framework for healthy, efficient, carbon and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership. How LEED works LEED certified buildings save money, improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions and create healthier places for people.

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Diversity and Inclusion.

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Practical diversity: taking inclusion from theory to practice | Dawn Bennett-Alexander | TEDxUGA

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M2: Building a Multi-Generational Workforce.

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M2: Building a Multi-Generational Workforce.

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Generational Diversity: it is of great importance to also incorporate multi-generational diversity with your workforce.

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There is so much to be learned through generational diversity.

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International Management: When dealing with International Organizations, to prepare, one may have to study culture profiles and incorporate actions to adapt to the host countries cultural courtesies.

** In the military, we are briefed on the cultural do(s) and don't(s) of the particular region we are serving in.

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In Chapter 4, we read briefly on McDonald's global growth. Here is a list of the 10 Largest Food Chains in the World.

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Where to find your favorite food may be one main thing comes to your mind while travelling . Thankfully, fast food services like McDonald, KFC, Starbucks and Domino's Pizza available across the world. Followings are 10 largest fast food services across the world.

10 Papa John's Pizza

Papa John's is the fourth largest Pizza delivery service in US. This service available in 34 countries in total. Out of 4000 restaurants of Papa John's, 3200 are situated in the United States. The founder, John Schnatter opened the first restaurant of Papa John's Pizza in 1984 in Indiana. "Better ingredients, Better pizza" is the slogan of Papa John's pizza service.

In 2002, Papa John's became the first pizza chain service in United States with online ordering facility. Today, over 205000 employees work in Papa John's and have a net revenue of $1.4 billion.

9 Dairy Queen

The dairy queen service available in 6000 locations across the world. Dairy Queen operates in 18 countries apart from United States. Among the U.S States,Texas has the most number of Dairy Queen restaurants - 600 restaurants.

Dairy Queen was founded by John Fremont McCullough in 1940. The first Dairy Queen store started in Joliet city of Illinois state. Soft serve ice cream is the signature product of Dairy Queen. It has also featured on company logo. The stores of DQ also serves burgers, french fries, processed fried chicken, frozen treats and hot dogs.

8 Dunkin' Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts operates in 3 countries and have 11000 restaurants in total. The company mainly focus for baked goods and coffee service. Baked goods, hot and iced beverages, sandwiches and soft drinks are main products from Dunkin' Donuts.

The first ever store of Dunkin' Donut opened in Quincy city of Massachusetts in 1950. 'American run on Dunkin' is the slogan of the company since 2006. Nowadays, Dunkin' Donuts offers coffee in thousands of flavors and has switched to Coca-Cola company from PepsiCo since 2012.

7 Domino's Pizza

Domino's pizza is the second largest pizza delivery service in us. The first one is Pizza hut. This company has 10000 stores in total across 70 countries. Pizzas from Domino's available in variety of crust styles in accordance with the location of store. Bread bowls, pasta and Owen-baked sandwiches are other main products in the menu of Domino's.

In beverages section, Domino's sells products of Coca-Cola. Even though there are thousands of stores in U.S, Domino's pizza delivery drivers travel millions of miles every week. The Super Bowl Sunday is the busiest day for Domino's, the day on which the company delivers millions of pizzas.

6 Burger King

This global chain of hamburger service has 13000 restaurants in 79 countries across the world. It is the third largest burger chain service in United Sates. Everyday, around 1 million people visit burger king stores world wide. Whopper sandwich is the signature product of burger king, which is introduced back in 1957. Burger King sales more than 1.9 million whopper sandwich everyday across the world.

5 Starbucks

The Seattle based, Starbucks is the largest coffee company in the world. Starbucks has 23187 stores across 64 countries. Upon them, 12973 located in US. Starbucks serves cold & hot beverages, wines, beer and snacks. Starbucks offers 87000 drink combination for the customers.

Starbucks founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegl. Interestingly, Since 1987, Starbucks has been adding minimum 2 new stores on daily basis. They also uses 93 million gallons of milk and 2.3 billion paper cups per year for the service.

Pizza hut is the largest pizza delivering service in the world. It has 6000 restaurants in US itself and 5139 stores in other 93 countries. It was founded in 1958 by Dan and Frank Carney, in Kansas city.

In 2001, Pizza hut became first ever company to deliver pizza to international space station, launched on Soyuz spacecraft. Every year Pizza hut uses 300 million pounds of cheese from 360 million gallons of milk.

Subway fastfood service operates in 107 countries, has 42174 restaurants in total. Submarine sandwiches and salads are main products of subway. There are 38 million subway sandwich options available for the customers. It serves 7.6 million sandwiches on daily basis. In fact, subway makes enough sandwiches in an year that could cover the Earth for 14 times.

Submarine sandwich is the signature product of subway. But products from service varies in accordance with the location. Roasted chicken, tuna, subway club, subway melt, chicken teriyaki are other popular products from subway.

KFC or Kentucky Fried Chicken is the second largest restaurant chain in the world. It was founded by Harland Sanders in 1930 in Kentucky. The image of Harland Sanders widely uses in advertisements and logo of KFC. Now KFC has 18875 stores in 118 countries. KFC gets nearly 8 million customers everyday from US alone.

The recipe of pressure fried chicken pieces, signature product of KFC still unknown to outer world. It is kept in a safe in Louisville in Kentucky State. In order to ensure freshness, KFC discard the chicken pieces those has not been sold within 90 minute. Main products within KFC's menu also include chicken burgers, popcorn chicken and various finger foods.

Related Articles

1 McDonald's

McDonald's is the largest fast food chain in the world. This food chain has 35000 outlets in total across 119 countries. Everyday, nearly 68 million customers visit McDonald's. That's more than total population of Great Britain.

Hamburger is the signature product of McDonald's. The company sells 75 hamburgers in every seconds. Chicken sandwiches, French fries, desserts and soft drinks are other major products from McDonald's.

McDonald's business begun in the year 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald's in San Bernadino in California. Today, McDonald's employing more than 1.7 million people. This global food chain also partnered with number of entertainment companies and became largest distributor of toys.

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Top 10 Largest Fast Food Chains In The World - The Mysterious World

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Where to find your favorite food may be one main thing comes to your mind while travelling . Thankfully, fast food services like McDonald, KFC, Starbucks and Domino's Pizza available across the world. Followings are 10 largest fast food services across the world. Papa John's is the fourth largest Pizza delivery service in US.

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Advantages and Disadvantages: 17 reasons (both pros & cons) to consider multinational corporations.

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Multinational corporations provide the developing countries around the world with the necessary financial infrastructure to achieve economic and social development. But though they bring about several benefits to such nations, they also come with ethical conducts that happen to exploit the neediness of these countries. So, are multinational corporations really good for both the country of origin and the country of operation? Let us take a closer look at their pros and cons.

List of Pros of Multinational Corporations

1. Their size benefits consumers.
The operational size and scale of these corporations can give them the chance of taking advantage of the economies of scale, which paves the way for lower average costs and prices for consumers. This is particularly important to industries that carry extremely high fixed costs, such as car manufacturers and airlines.

2. They can help a country in many ways.
Multinational corporations have the ability to bring advanced technology to poorer countries, while bringing low-cost products to the wealthier ones.

3. They are cost-effective.
By utilizing labor in parts of the world where the low cost of living does not require high wages for production, these companies can keep consumer costs down. As a result, many industries can also benefit.

4. They can create jobs and wealth.
These global companies' inward investments offer the much needed foreign currency for developing economies, which in turn help with creating jobs and increasing expectations of things that will likely happen.

5. They help other companies.
Through merger and acquisition, multinational companies can help other commercial organizations with achieving economies of scale in distribution and marketing, allowing well-managed businesses to take over those that are poorly managed.

6. They adhere to the best brand standards.
This is one of the best qualities of these corporations. For example, McDonalds is still McDonalds wherever it is operating in the world. There is a standard that this restaurant chain is expected to adhere to. The same goes to the manufacturing sector, where standards are set and are expected to be adhered to. This builds trust and confidence among consumers, which is then converted to consumer loyalty.

7. They ensure minimum standards.
Somehow connected to the previous pro, the main reason for the success of multinationals is that consumers would usually purchase products and services on which they can go for minimum standards.

8. They help improve standard of living.
Multinational corporations have the capability to improve the world's standard of living, providing people with access of quality products regardless of the place.

9. Their large profits are consumed for development and research.
Taking into consideration pharmaceutical companies, they can easily afford to pour millions of dollars into their research and development efforts. The same goes for automobile manufacturers and other large corporate entities. Without their global presence and large profit margins, they will not be able to do this. Another good example is oil exploration, which is both costly and risky. As such, only large firms can undertake it by using significant amount of money and other resources.

10. They allow for a wider market.
With these big businesses, huge markets have been created both domestically and internationally.

List of Cons of Multinational Corporations

1. They might unfavorably dominate the market.
Remember that the market dominance of multinational corporations would make it hard for smaller local companies to thrive and succeed. For example, arguments state that the larger supermarkets can squeeze out local corner stores' notable margin, leading to lesser diversity.

2. They might exploit the workforce.
These corporations are not well-known for treating people fairly and are instead known for ignoring rules and regulations, as well as turning a blind eye to injustice in the workplace. They are put into the spotlight for outsourcing to the lowest bidders and for skimping on quality. They are not known for having what smaller businesses have-the "human" touch. Many of them are even found exploiting workers and natural resources without considering the economic well- being of any country. In fact, some of them are criticized for using slave labor, where workers are paid with very small wages.

3. They take advantage of consumer expense.
Usually, companies are interested at consumers' expense, but multinational companies, with more power, is taking this to another level.

4. They can push local firms out of business.
Giant multinationals use the scale of developing economies to push the local firms out of their business.

5. They are willing to gain ridiculous profits at any cost.
These companies are able to realize tremendous profits and do not share their wealth. For example, these organizations that have manufacturing plants in China, where wages are very low, do not increase worker salaries when actually they have very huge amounts of extra revenues.

6. They strive for a monopolized business.
Naturally, many of the largest corporations are monopolizing their industries. They are very powerful, which makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for start-ups and smaller businesses to compete. By monopolizing, they cut out the competition, which eventually stunts economic growth. Plus, authorities might put power in the hands of these global corporations, so they will be able to set the rules.

7. They a great environmental threat.
In the name of profit, multinational corporations commonly contribute to pollution and make use of non-renewable resources, which can pose a threat to the environment. They often abuse the environment and are typically not very careful when using their resources. Moreover, they are well known for leaving an environmental mess in their wake and even have a strong reputation for dumping waste and utilizing natural resources until they are depleted. In general, they are not being very good as keepers of the earth.

Conclusion

While it is a fact that multinational corporations bring a lot of benefits, we cannot also deny that they can cause of some major issues in the economy. On your end, do you think they are beneficial or a big threat in countries, based on the pros and cons listed above?

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17 Main Pros and Cons of Multinational Corporations

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Multinational corporations provide the developing countries around the world with the necessary financial infrastructure to achieve economic and social development. But though they bring about several benefits to such nations, they also come with ethical conducts that happen to exploit the neediness of these countries.

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Developed one of the most widely accepted methods of describing foreign culture values.

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How to analyze your company utilizing SWOT.

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During module 4, we were asked to develop a SWOT for In & Out Burger on whether they would should expand to the Eastcoast. I would also incorporate the military's deadly force triangle(Opportunity, Intent, and Capability) in a business aspect.

Opportunity: Does the business have the opportunity to be successful.
Intent: What is the companies intent? What are its willingness to achieve their goals and visions.
Capability: Does the company have the ability to meet its goals and the opportunity a successful one.

* If a company met these three things, I would consider expanding.

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ORM: Operational Risk Management the military's decision making process. It addresses some of the similar steps to the civilian's process.

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Group Decisions: It's very important to implement group thinking and decision making. It gives everyone the opportunity to bring forth great ideas through such things as diversity, level of knowledge, experiences, etc.

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After reading Fayol's Organization guidelines. I found this article discussing the 14 principles of management.

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This article explains the administrative theory of the 14 Principles of Management by Henri Fayol in a practical way. After reading you will understand the basics of this powerful management tool.

Introduction 14 principles of Management

In the last century, organizations already had to deal with management in practice.

In the early 1900s, large organizations, such as production factories, had to be managed too.

At the time there were only few (external) management tools, models and methods available.

Thanks to scientists like Henri Fayol (1841-1925) the first foundations were laid for modern scientific management.

These first concepts, also called principles of management are the underlying factors for successful management.

Henri Fayol explored this comprehensively and, as a result, he synthesized the 14 principles of management.

Henri Fayol 's principles of management and research were published in the book 'General and Industrial Management' (1916).

14 Principles of Management

14 principles of Management are statements that are based on a fundamental truth.

These principles of management serve as a guideline for decision-making and management actions.

They are drawn up by means of observations and analyses of events that managers encounter in practice.

Henri Fayol was able to synthesize 14 principles of management after years of study, namely:

1. Division of Work

In practice, employees are specialized in different areas and they have different skills.

Different levels of expertise can be distinguished within the knowledge areas (from generalist to specialist).

Personal and professional developments support this.

According to Henri Fayol specialization promotes efficiency of the workforce and increases productivity.

In addition, the specialization of the workforce increases their accuracy and speed.

This management principle of the 14 principles of management is applicable to both technical and managerial activities.

2. Authority and Responsibility

In order to get things done in an organization, management has the authority to give orders to the employees. Of course with this authority comes responsibility.

According to Henri Fayol, the accompanying power or authority gives the management the right to give orders to the subordinates.

The responsibility can be traced back from performance and it is therefore necessary to make agreements about this.

In other words, authority and responsibility go together and they are two sides of the same coin.

3. Discipline

This third principle of the 14 principles of management is about obedience. It is often a part of the core values of a mission and vision in the form of good conduct and respectful interactions.

This management principle is essential and is seen as the oil to make the engine of an organization run smoothly.

4. Unity of Command

The management principle 'Unity of command' means that an individual employee should receive orders from one manager and that the employee is answerable to that manager.

If tasks and related responsibilities are given to the employee by more than one manager, this may lead to confusion which may lead to possible conflicts for employees.

By using this principle, the responsibility for mistakes can be established more easily.

5. Unity of Direction

This management principle of the 14 principles of management is all about focus and unity. All employees deliver the same activities that can be linked to the same objectives.

All activities must be carried out by one group that forms a team. These activities must be described in a plan of action.

The manager is ultimately responsible for this plan and he monitors the progress of the defined and planned activities.

Focus areas are the efforts made by the employees and coordination.

6. Subordination of Individual Interest

There are always all kinds of interests in an organization. In order to have an organization function well, Henri Fayol indicated that personal interests are subordinate to the interests of the organization (ethics).

The primary focus is on the organizational objectives and not on those of the individual.

This applies to all levels of the entire organization, including the managers.

7. Remuneration

Motivation and productivity are close to one another as far as the smooth running of an organization is concerned.

This management principle of the 14 principles of management argues that the remuneration should be sufficient to keep employees motivated and productive.

There are two types of remuneration namely non-monetary (a compliment, more responsibilities, credits) and monetary (compensation, bonus or other financial compensation).

Ultimately, it is about rewarding the efforts that have been made.

8. The Degree of Centralization

Management and authority for decision-making process must be properly balanced in an organization.

This depends on the volume and size of an organization including its hierarchy.

Centralization implies the concentration of decision making authority at the top management (executive board). Sharing of authorities for the decision-making process with lower levels (middle and lower management), is referred to as decentralization by Henri Fayol.

Henri Fayol indicated that an organization should strive for a good balance in this.

9. Scalar Chain

Hierarchy presents itself in any given organization. This varies from senior management (executive board) to the lowest levels in the organization.

Henri Fayol 's "hierarchy" management principle states that there should be a clear line in the area of authority (from top to bottom and all managers at all levels).

This can be seen as a type of management structure. Each employee can contact a manager or a superior in an emergency situation without challenging the hierarchy.

Especially, when it concerns reports about calamities to the immediate managers/superiors.

According to this principle of the 14 principles of management, employees in an organization must have the right resources at their disposal so that they can function properly in an organization.

In addition to social order (responsibility of the managers) the work environment must be safe, clean and tidy.

The management principle of equity often occurs in the core values of an organization.

According to Henri Fayol, employees must be treated kindly and equally.

Employees must be in the right place in the organization to do things right.

Managers should supervise and monitor this process and they should treat employees fairly and impartially.

12. Stability of Tenure of Personnel

This management principle of the 14 principles of management represents deployment and managing of personnel and this should be in balance with the service that is provided from the organization.

Management strives to minimize employee turnover and to have the right staff in the right place.

Focus areas such as frequent change of position and sufficient development must be managed well.

13. Initiative

Henri Fayol argued that with this management principle employees should be allowed to express new ideas.

This encourages interest and involvement and creates added value for the company.

Employee initiatives are a source of strength for the organization according to Henri Fayol.

This encourages the employees to be involved and interested.

14. Esprit de Corps

The management principle 'esprit de corps' of the 14 principles of management stands for striving for the involvement and unity of the employees.

Managers are responsible for the development of morale in the workplace; individually and in the area of communication.

Esprit de corps contributes to the development of the culture and creates an atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding.

In conclusion on the 14 Principles of management

The 14 principles of management can be used to manage organizations and are useful tools for forecasting, planning, process management, organization management, decision-making, coordination and control.

Although they are obvious, many of these matters are still used based on common sense in current management practices in organizations.

It remains a practical list with focus areas that are based on Henri Fayol 's research which still applies today due to a number of logical principles.

It's Your Turn

What do you think? What are the (14) principles of management of today's management? Do these management principles work in every organization or are there exceptions? And if so, what are the exceptions and what can we learn from them?

Share your experience and knowledge in the comments box below.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our Free Newsletter for the latest posts on Management models and methods. You can also find us on Facebook and Google+.
More information

1. Fayol, H. (1917). General and Industrial Management. Dunod et E. Pinat.

2. Hodge, B. J. (2002). Organization theory: a strategic approach. Pearson Education.

3. Wren, D. A. , Bedeian, A. G. , Breeze, J. D. (2002). The foundations of Henri Fayol's administrative theory. Management Decision, Vol. 40 Iss: 9, pp.906 - 918 state: It was not until the Storr's translation that Fayol's (1949) Administration Industrielle et Générale reached a wider audience, especially in the USA and established Fayol as a major authority on management.

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14 Principles of Management by Henri Fayol, an administrative theory | ToolsHero

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This article explains the administrative theory of the 14 Principles of Management by Henri Fayol in a practical way. After reading you will understand the basics of this powerful management tool. In the last century, organizations already had to deal with management in practice.

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This website has a awesome video regarding Barnard's Informal Organizations and Acceptance Theory.

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Acceptance Theory to Authority

Management theorist Chester Barnard believed organizations need to be both effective and efficient. Effective means meeting organizational goals in a timely way. Efficient, in his opinion, means the degree to which the organization can satisfy the motives of its employees. In other words, the organizational goals will be accomplished and authority will be accepted when workers feel satisfied that their individual needs are being met. This is known as the acceptance theory of authority.

Acceptance theory of authority states that a manager's authority rests on workers' acceptance of his right to give orders and to expect compliance. Workers have to believe that the manager can legitimately give orders and there is a legitimate expectation that the orders will be carried out. There are a few reasons for this expectation:

Workers will be rewarded for compliance

There will be discipline for non-compliance

Workers respect the manager for his experience

Informal and Formal Organizations

Organizations are made up of groups of individual workers. Naturally, these individual workers form informal social groups that become the informal organization. The informal organization exists within a larger formal organization. Let's take a look at Cheap's Variety Store to gain a better understanding of how informal groups and acceptance theory work together.

Cheap's management likes to keep things professional at all times. There is a hierarchy or chain of command for each department. Formal organizations operate under a set of rules and policies designed to carry out the organizational purpose, like meeting financial and production goals. A formal management-employee relationship dictated by hierarchy exists. Work flows from top-management to workers through hierarchical channels.

At Cheap's, the chain of command starts with the general manager, then department managers, and then the salespeople. Cheap's Variety Store houses several departments. Each department is staffed with a manager and a few salespeople. Managers assign tasks to employees, and it is expected that employees will complete the work. Some managers reward employees for accomplishing all of their goals by giving them extra time off or an extra break. Other managers are less generous with rewards. Some even threaten punishment for a less-than-productive day.

Randy, the shoe department manager, likes to reward employees by giving them lots of praise for a job well done. He also shares sales goals and outcomes with the staff so they understand the reason for special promotions. This makes his employees more apt to accept the tasks he delegates. They enjoy working with him because he communicates the purpose of their work and includes them in the celebration when the department hits their goals.

It is not uncommon to see a group of cosmetic sales girls hanging around the mirror chatting away, testing the newest lipsticks while work piles up and shelves are empty. But who can blame them. Liza, their manager, is not very qualified to manage the department. She is very young, nearly half the age of the others, and has no retail experience. She doesn't even have a knack for applying makeup.

Sales goals are never shared with the girls. It's just work, work, work! When the girls ask Liza about a new sales promotion, Liza just tells them to get back to work. Liza requires the girls to move the displays around the department every three hours. When the girls question why, Liza dismisses their concerns completely. As a result, work doesn't get done and sales are very low. There is always conflict in cosmetics.

Cheap's allows managers to direct work any way they see fit. But as we witnessed in the cosmetics department, not all employees perform their jobs well. Some do the work while others loaf around.

The informal organization is structured much differently. It is the personal contacts and interactions between workers that form into small groups. These informal groups of workers form their own organization within the larger organization and have a powerful impact on the acceptance of formal authority.

Water Cooler Culture

Informal organizations exist everywhere on the job. When workers hang around the water cooler to talk about last night's big game or where to go to lunch, they are really doing much more than chit-chatting. They are bonding together to form and sustain the informal organization.

The organizational culture evolves from the beliefs and values the small informal groups cherish. This social interaction over time forms into cohesive relationships necessary for people to work together. And it creates an independence from the formal authority because the informal organization is not governed by rules and policies.

The break room is the place where salespeople at Cheap's go to talk about work. The shoe salespeople talk about their sales goals and share ideas. The cosmetic girls talk about Liza and her poor management skills. Each conversation the groups have builds a strong union between each of the salespeople.

This water cooler culture is necessary. Its function can be beneficial to the formal organization in that it:

Provides individuals with social status not experienced in the formal organization

Promotes communication between group members

Influences and regulates behavior inside and outside the group

Motivates people to want to work together

Leads to new and innovative idea sharing

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chester barnard: informal organizations and acceptance theory - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Chester Barnard: Informal Organizations and Acceptance Theory - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Management theorist Chester Barnard believed organizations need to be both effective and efficient. Effective means meeting organizational goals in a timely way. Efficient, in his opinion, means the degree to which the organization can satisfy the motives of its employees.

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Positional Authority: In the military, you are often put in difficult situations a leader/supervisor. One of my main difficulties is when I was assigned as Leading Petty Officer (LPO) as an E-5. This was mostly assigned to an seasoned E-6. That being said I had to do learn how to delegate to my peers. I was no longer an ordinary E-5, I had positional authority to delegate certain tasks. That was difficult, as I had to learn to put personal relations aside and focus on the main objective.

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One of the most difficult transitions for leaders to make is the shift from doing to leading. As a new manager you can get away with holding on to work. Peers and bosses may even admire your willingness to keep "rolling up your sleeves" to execute tactical assignments. But as your responsibilities become more complex, the difference between an effective leader and a super-sized individual contributor with a leader's title is painfully evident.

In the short term you may have the stamina to get up earlier, stay later, and out-work the demands you face. But the inverse equation of shrinking resources and increasing demands will eventually catch up to you, and at that point how you involve others sets the ceiling of your leadership impact. The upper limit of what's possible will increase only with each collaborator you empower to contribute their best work to your shared priorities. Likewise, your power decreases with every initiative you unnecessarily hold on to.

While it may seem difficult, elevating your impact requires you to embrace an unavoidable leadership paradox: You need to be more essential and less involved. When you justify your hold on work, you're confusing being involved with being essential. But the two are not the same - just as being busy and being productive are not necessarily equal. Your involvement is a mix of the opportunities, mandates, and choices you make regarding the work you do. How ancillary or essential you are to the success of that portfolio depends on how decisively and wisely you activate those around you.

This means shaping the thoughts and ideas of others instead of dictating their plans, having a sought-after perspective but not being a required pass-through, and seeing your own priorities come to life through the inspired actions of others.

On the surface this advice may sound like common sense; it's what motivational leaders should do. Yet too many of us are in a constant state of overextension, which fuels an instinctive reaction to "protect" work. This survival instinct ultimately dilutes our impact through an ongoing, limited effect on others.

To know if you're guilty of holding on to too much, answer this simple question: If you had to take an unexpected week off work, would your initiatives and priorities advance in your absence?

If you answered no or if you're unsure, then you may be more involved than essential. To raise the ceiling of your leadership potential, you need to extend your presence through the actions of others. Regardless of your preferred methodology for delegation, here are four strategies that I've found work for leaders at all levels.

Start with your reasons. When people lack understanding about why something matters and how they fit into it, they are less likely to care. But if you give them context about what's at stake, how they fit into the big picture, and what's unique about the opportunity, then you increase personal relevance and the odds of follow-through. Instead of giving just the business justification, make it a point to share your reasons. You can't motivate somebody to care when you can't express the reasons why it matters to you, so this essential step sets the table for effective partnering. Otherwise, you leave people to come to their own conclusions about what you're asking them to do and why. The risk of misalignment is highest during the first conversation, so make sure you articulate your reasons from the start.

Inspire their commitment. People get excited about what's possible, but they commit only when they understand their role in making it happen. Once you've defined the work, clarified the scope of their contribution, and ensured that it aligns with their capacity, carefully communicate any and all additional expectations for complete understanding. This is crucial when you have a precise outcome or methodology in mind. They can't read your mind, so if the finished product needs to be meticulous, be equally clear-cut in the ask. Once clarity is established, confirm their interpretation (face-to-face, or at least voice-to-voice, to avoid email misinterpretations). "But I told them how I wanted it done!" will not be the reason the ball got dropped; it will simply be the evidence that you didn't confirm their understanding and inspire their commitment.

Engage at the right level. It's essential to stay involved, but the degree matters. You should maintain engagement levels sufficient for you to deliver the agreed-upon mix of support and accountability. However, there are risks when the mix is not right: Too involved, and you could consciously or inadvertently micromanage those around you; too hands-off, and you could miss the critical moments where a supportive comment or vital piece of feedback would be essential. To pick your spot, simply ask people what the right level is based on their style. This not only clarifies the frequency of touchpoints they will find useful but also gives them autonomy in how the delegated work will move forward.

Practice saying "yes," "no," and "yes, if." This is the art and science of being selective. Successful investors don't divert their money into every opportunity that comes their way, so we should be equally discerning with our time. Start by carefully assessing every demand that comes your way, and align the asks with the highest-valued contributions that you're most skilled at making. For those requests that draw on this talent, you say yes and carve out the time and attention to be intimately involved. But for those requests that don't align, you say yes, if... and immediately identify other people to accomplish the goals through their direct involvement. You may still consult, motivate, and lead - but you're essential as the catalyst, not as the muscle doing the heavy lifting. This discerning approach may mean delegating some tasks to others, negotiating a reduction in your direct contribution, or just saying no while making the business case for why your effort and attention will have a greater impact elsewhere.

To illustrate these strategies in action, consider Anika. The word no was not in her vocabulary, and as a result she involved herself in every team priority. As demand continued to rise, Anika could no longer remain credibly engaged in everything. But since she staked out her territory in the middle, various initiatives began to stagnate. As members of her team stood idly by waiting for some of her precious time to consult on, review, or approve various items, their frustration grew. Anika found herself on the edge of burnout, while confronting a potential loss of credibility with her team.

The first step for Anika was challenging the definition of her leadership mandate. Up to that point, she defined her core responsibility like this: "I'm the one in charge of getting the job done." As she reflected on this, she recognized it as doer's mindset that lowered the ceiling of her potential impact. The proof was that in recent months her peers were included in various strategic conversations and business development opportunities with senior leaders, yet Anika, with no energy or space for these endeavors, was dealt out of these opportunities to demonstrate her upside.

She recognized that her focus on executing work was not only holding her back from the big-picture work of leading but also was the source of frustration among her junior staff. Although it was uncomfortable, she wanted to start giving them more rope. As Anika considered her obligation to develop others - upskilling, providing tangible leadership experience, and so on - she redefined her leadership mandate to avoid being involved and not being essential: "I lead people, priorities, and projects - in that order - and the work will get done because the right people are focused on the right tasks."

With this refreshed vision, her next step was to reassess her portfolio. She looked at her calendar for the two weeks prior and two weeks ahead, then she counted the hours devoted to each effort (for example, through meetings, working sessions, and conference calls). Once she finished the time count, she ranked each item on a 10-point scale to assess how important the initiative was to the team's overall success.

This two-column exercise quickly revealed a few mismatches where Anika was devoting too much time and energy to priorities that were not in the top five. These were candidates for delegation, so her next step was to consider each team member's unique mix of skills and development needs in order to make an intelligent match regarding who could take on more responsibility. Some of the initiatives could be completely handed off, while others could be broken down into a few smaller pieces in order to involve others without a full transfer of responsibility.

With these new assignments in mind, she devoted 15-20 minutes preparing for each conversation. She brainstormed ways to share her reasons for the change, as well as how she could inspire their commitment. With eight team members, this was a significant investment of time on an already overloaded schedule, but Anika recognized it as a short-term cost to create long-term benefits.

Within a short period of time, Anika became considerably less involved in the details, but she remained essential to the purpose and momentum of each critical initiative. Said differently, her influence was ever-present, but the bottleneck dissolved.

Finally, with the additional bandwidth she created for herself, Anika was concerned that her knee-jerk tendency to say yes could quickly erase the gains. So moving forward she made a commitment to apply the strategy of saying yes, no, or yes, if to new requests in order to avoid diluting her impact through involvement in areas that didn't align with her desired growth and personal brand. And to ensure an objective perspective, Anika asked a colleague to act as an ongoing sounding board for her when the factors were ambiguous and the right answer wasn't evident.

Staying mindful of these four strategies, working out the kinks like Anika did, and becoming proficient at empowering others to deliver their best builds your capacity to get the job done through the contributions of others. With this momentum you'll be able to focus on the secondary potential of your deliberate collaboration: to leverage each delegated task as an opportunity for others' development. Then, over time, they too can be more essential and less involved.

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To Be a Great Leader, You Have to Learn How to Delegate Well

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One of the most difficult transitions for leaders to make is the shift from doing to leading. As a new manager you can get away with holding on to work. Peers and bosses may even admire your willingness to keep "rolling up your sleeves" to execute tactical assignments.

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These are the Navy's core values: Honor, Courage, and Commitment. We are reminded of them daily when reciting the Sailors Creed. Each Sailor is expected to perform their daily duties according to these values.

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This web-page gave insight as to why a company should have core values, and how to select values that best suit your company. If I were to create a business, I would use this tool to help me develop core values for our company to abide by.

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Once you get all of your sound bytes down, write 3-5 sentence descriptions for each one to provide more clarity. Your descriptions should be short, but help to establish the expectations for each of your "rules of engagement". Remember, these are your expectations and guidelines.

Don't create a cult

Another word of warning: don't adhere to your core values so closely that you develop a cult in the process . You can laugh, but it does happen. It breeds a culture of uber exclusiveness where outsiders are shunned, newbies aren't welcomed, and creativity and innovation are stifled. Find a balance between new ideas, perspectives, and rules of engagement and you will be fine.

Examples of Companies with Effective Core Values

Here are some great examples of strong core values that will help you develop your own. Be sure to visit their websites for more complete descriptions.

1. Always be truthful and honest in every aspect of business.

2. Give back to the people whom you owe your success to.

3. Setting goals creates the road map to positive gains.

4. Great things will happen with a passion for competition.

5. It's our goal to make the big idea bigger.

6. Our mission is not complete until the customer says "WOW"

Focus on the user and all else will follow.

It's best to do one thing really, really well.

Fast is better than slow.

Democracy on the web works.

You don't need to be at your desk to need an answer.

You can make money without doing evil.

There's always more information out there.

The need for information crosses all borders.

You can be serious without a suit.

Great just isn't good enough.

(Disclosure: this is my brother's business and I participated in their development. I'm one super-proud sister!)

Fanatical support in all we do.

Results first. Substance over flash.

Treat rackers like friends and family.

Passion for our work.

Full disclosure and transparency.

Committed to greatness.

We Sell the Highest Quality Natural and Organic Products Available

We Satisfy, Delight and Nourish Our Customers

We Support Team Member Happiness and Excellence

We create wealth Through Profits and Growth

We Serve and Support Our Local and Global Communities

We Practice and Advance Environmental Stewardship

We Create Ongoing Win-Win Partnerships with Our Suppliers

We Promote the Health of Our Stakeholders Through Healthy Eating Education

1. Deliver WOW Through Service

2. Embrace and Drive Change

3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness

4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded

5. Pursue Growth and Learning

6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication

7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit

8. Do More With Less

9. Be Passionate and Determined

Are you getting the gist of it? The process takes a while and for many it's ongoing. Don't rush it because it's important. These are your expectations and guidelines and should be used by every employee for decision making. The biggest thing leaders can do to ensure that their core values are indicative of the culture is to listen, and have conversations with employees to capture the language as best they can. Your core values are your culture and employees need to be involved.

What do you think? Does your company have awesome core values or generic ones? I'd love to read them - leave a comment and tell me what they are.

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Core Values: The Secret to Creating a Thriving Company Culture

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When I say core values what words come to mind? Words like integrity, diversity, inspiration, community, creativity, sustainability... blah, blah, blah. Right? This is the problem with most companies' core values: too often, they're just empty words that mean nothing to the people they're meant to i

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Knowing your Purpose: Awesome TED Talk about how leaders inspire action, and its all done with communication.

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How Great Leaders Inspire Action | Simon Sinek | TED

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This is an overview on the importance of performance appraisals. The military uses a similar 5 point rating scale in particular categories which include: Professional Knowledge, Quality of Work, Command/Organizational Climate/EO, Military Bearing, Personal Job Accomplishment, Teamwork, and Leadership.

This video helped give a better understanding as to some other aspects I could look at and tools to utilize when doing performance evaluations.

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Executive Headhunters: As we learned about the recruitment process (both external agencies and in-house) this illustration and dialog  It speaks on the importance of having the RIGHT PEOPLE for the RIGHT JOB!

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Team Building and Cohesiveness: This website provided fun and created ways yo build team chemistry,  trust, and effectiveness.

I've actually done a escape with some of my co-workers and it was a great opportunity to build team chemistry outside the workplace.

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A team that works well together is more effective, more productive, and more successful - not to mention happier and more fun to work with! But team building at work can be tricky, especially when typical team-building activities tend to induce more eye rolls among teammates than high-fives.

Whether you were hired to put together some team-building initiatives or you think your team just needs to get together and do something fun, workplace team-building activities are the way to go. There are even lots of options available for online team-building activities when your team is distributed. Adults can have fun, too!

Don't be seen as the Michael Scott of your office, trying to organize team bonding ideas that involve egg and spoon races and hotdog eating contests. Corporate wouldn't stand for that. This list is going to become your go-to for office team-building and can even be modified as games to play with remote employees. Everything from small team-building activities to problem-solving exercises, we've scoured the internet to create the ultimate list of fun team-building activities for the workplace to laugh, learn, and connect with your team.

Team building activities and games

1. Zombie Escape

For: Creative Problem Solving & Collaboration Exercise

What you'll need: 1 rope, 1 key, and 5-10 puzzles or clues, depending on how much time you want to spend on the game

Instructions: Gather the team into a conference room or other empty space and "lock" the door. Beforehand, select one team member to play the zombie - dead eyes, arms outstretched, muttering "braaaaiiiinnnnssss" and all. The volunteer zombie will be tied to the rope in the corner of the room, with 1 foot of leeway. Once the team exercise starts, every five minutes, the rope restraining the hungry zombie is let out another foot. Soon, the zombie will be able to reach the living team members, who will need to solve a series of puzzles or clues to find the hidden key that will unlock the door and allow them to escape before it's too late.

2. Battle of the Airbands

For: Team Bonding

What you'll need: Speakers, smartphone or mp3 player

Instructions: Ever watched Lip Sync Battle? ( Tom Holland's is a personal favorite.) Expand the idea to a full battle of the air bands. Split your group up into teams of 3-4 people and let them decide who will be the singers, guitarists, drummers, etc. Give them some time to choose, rehearse, and perform a lip-synced version of whatever work-friendly song they like. If they have a few days, teams can dress up or bring props. After the performances, teams can vote on the winner (with the caveat that no one can vote for their own band). Or, let a neighboring department in on the fun and have them choose the winner.

3. A Shrinking Vessel

For: Creative Problem Solving

What you'll need: A rope, blanket, or tape to mark a space on the floor

Instructions: Make a space on the floor and have your whole group (or a set of smaller teams) stand in that space. Then gradually shrink the space, so the team will have to think fast and work together to keep everyone within the shrinking boundaries.

4. Back-to-Back Drawing

For: Communication Skills

What you'll need: Paper, pens/markers, printouts of simple line drawings, or basic shapes.

Instructions: Split your group into pairs and have each pair sit back to back. One person gets a picture of a shape or simple image, and the other gets a piece of paper and a pen. The person holding the picture gives verbal instructions to their partner on how to draw the shape or image they've been given (without simply telling them what the shape or image is). After a set amount of time, have each set of partners compare their images and see which team drew the most accurate replica.

5. Office Trivia

For: Team Bonding

What you'll need: 20-25 trivia questions about your workplace

Instructions: Looking for a quick and easy team-building activity that is also suitable for remote cultures? Come up with a series of questions specific to your workplace and test your team's knowledge. "What color are the kitchen tiles?" "How many people are in the IT department?" "How many windows are there in the entire office?" "What brand are the computer monitors?" "What month of the year is most common for birthdays among our employees?" This is a quick team-building activity that tests how observant your team is and can be done in both a conference room and over Zoom.

6. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

For: Creative Problem Solving & Collaboration Exercise

What you'll need: 20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti, 1 roll of masking tape, 1 yard of string, and 1 marshmallow for every team.

Instructions: Using just these supplies, which team can build the tallest tower? There's a catch: The marshmallow has to be at the very top of the spaghetti tower, and the whole structure has to stand on its own (that means no hands or other objects supporting it!) for five seconds.

7. Community Service

For: Team Bonding & Icebreakers

What you'll need: A few hours out of the workday

Instructions: Participate in Adopt-a-Family programs during the holidays, organize a beach clean-up, take on a community beautification project - find an activity that appeals to your team or reflects your company values, get out of the office, and do some good for your community and your team.

8. Salt and Pepper

For: Communication Skills

What you'll need: Tape, a pen, a small piece of paper for each employee, and a list of well-known pairs (think peanut butter and jelly, Mario and Luigi, or salt and pepper).

Instructions: Write one half of each pair on the sheets of paper (Mario on one piece, Luigi on another, and so on). Tape one sheet of paper to each person's back, then have everyone mingle and try to figure out the word on their back. The rule: they can only ask each other yes or no questions. Once they figure out their word, they need to find the other half of their pair. When they find each other, have them sit down and find three things they have in common while the rest of the team continues.

9. Masterpiece Murals

For: Team Bonding & Icebreakers

What you'll need: Pre-drawn canvases, paints and brushes, a drop cloth or tarp

Instructions: Give each member of your team a canvas and brush, and let everyone create a colorful masterpiece on their canvas. Once they're dry, they can be put together and displayed in your office as a mural or placed throughout your workspace.

10. Afternoon at the Races

For: Collaboration Exercise

What you'll need: One pinewood derby car kit for each team, chalk for start and finish lines

Instructions: Have teams build and race their own mini pinewood cars. If you want, go all out and let teams create mascots and themes, and host a mini-tail gate with snacks and music.

11. Toxic Waste

For: Creative Problem Solving & Collaboration Exercise

What you'll need: 1 small and 1 large bucket, 1 rope, 1 bungee cord loop, 8 bungee cords, 8 plastic balls or tennis balls

Instructions: Use the rope to make an 8-foot circle on the ground that represents a toxic waste radiation zone. (You can make the radiation zone bigger to increase the difficulty.) Put the balls in the bucket and place the bucket in the center of the circle to represent the toxic waste. Place the large bucket about 30 feet away. Teams must use the bungee cords to find a way to transfer the toxic waste balls from the small bucket to the large bucket within a certain amount of time (15-20 minutes). Anyone who crosses the line into the radiation zone will be "injured" (you can blindfold them or make them hold one hand behind their back) or "die" (must sit out for the rest of the game). Dropping toxic waste balls will similarly result in injury, and spilling the entire bucket means everyone on the team is dead.

Solution for referees: Attach the bungee cords to the bungee loop, then have everyone hold and pull on the cords to stretch the loop and guide it over and down around the toxic waste bucket. Loosen the cords to contract the bungee loop so that it grips the bucket. Use the cords to lift the bucket and tip the balls into the large "neutralization" bucket.

12. Company Coat of Arms

For: Team Bonding

What you'll need: Paper, pens, markers

Instructions: Have teams create your company coat of arms. In the first space, draw something that represents a recent achievement. In the second space, draw something that reflects your company values. In the third space, draw something that represents where you see the company going in the future. Post the finished coat of arms in your office.

13. Campfire/Memory Wall

For: Team Bonding & Icebreakers

What you'll need: Post-It notes or a whiteboard

Instructions: Write a few general work-related topics on the whiteboard or on sticky notes posted to the wall: "My first day," "Teamwork," "Work travel," etc. Gather your team together and have everyone choose one of the topics and share a story from their time with your company to laugh and bond over shared experiences. You can also pass out sticky notes and have everyone write down positive memories of working together or special team accomplishments. They can use words or pictures to record these memories. Then have everyone share their memory and post it on the wall, forming a positive memory cloud.

14. Frostbite

For: Creative Problem Solving & Collaboration Exercise

What you'll need: 1 packet of construction materials (like card stock, toothpicks, rubber bands, and sticky notes) for each team, an electric fan

Instructions: Your teams of 4-5 are no longer sitting in your office - they're Arctic explorers trekking across the frozen tundra! Have each team elect a leader to guide their expedition. When a sudden storm hits, the team must erect an emergency shelter to survive. However, both of the team leader's hands have frostbite, so s/he can't physically help construct the shelter, and the rest of the team has snow blindness and is unable to see. Give each team a set of construction materials and start the timer. When time runs out, turn on the electric fan's arctic winds and see who successfully built a shelter that will keep them safe. Adjust the difficulty with sturdier construction materials (provide popsicle sticks instead of toothpicks, etc.), change the fan's settings, or have the fan running while the team constructs their shelters.

15. Minefield

For: Creative Problem Solving & Collaboration Exercise

What you'll need: An empty room or hallway, and a collection of common office items

Instructions: Use boxes, office chairs, water bottles, etc., to create an obstacle course of "mines" within your empty space. Divide the group into pairs, where one partner is blindfolded. The other must guide that person from one end of the course to another without setting off any mines. The person guiding their partner cannot enter the course and must only use verbal instructions to get their partner through. Depending on the number of people you have and how difficult you want this activity to be, you can vary the number of pairs trying to complete the course at the same time so that pairs have to work harder to listen to each other and communicate clearly.

16. Egg Drop

For: Creative Problem Solving & Collaboration Exercise

What you'll need: A carton of eggs; basic construction materials like newspapers, straws, tape, plastic wrap, balloons, rubber bands, popsicle sticks, etc.; tarp or drop cloth, parking lot, or some other place you don't mind getting messy!

Instructions: Divide the group into teams and give each one 20-30 minutes to construct a carrier that will keep an egg safe from a two-story drop (or however high you choose). If you end up with a tie, gradually increase the height of the drop until you're left with a winner.

17. Scavenger Hunt

For: Collaboration Skills & Team Bonding

What you'll need: Pen and paper

Instructions: A classic team bonding game that we did ourselves! Split everyone into groups and make a list of fun things to find or do outside your office. Make it each team's mission to find and photograph everything on that list within a certain time limit. The first team to complete each item on the list wins!

18. Plane Crash

For: Creative Problem Solving & Collaboration Skills

What you'll need: 20-30 minutes

Instructions: Imagine this: the plane carrying your team has crashed on a desert island. Have your group work with 12 items from around the office that they think would be most useful in their survival, ranking each item in order of importance. Alternatively, have individuals make their selections first and then have the group discuss and come to a consensus. This game focuses on communication and negotiation skill-building.

19. Spider Web

For: Creative Problem Solving & Collaboration Exercise

What You'll Need: String and tape

Instructions: Tape two pieces of string across a doorway, one at about three-and-a-half feet and the other around five feet. This string is the poisonous spider web. Teams must get all their members through the opening between the strings without touching them. Increase the difficulty by taping more pieces of string across the doorway.

20. Paper Plane Contest

For: Collaboration Exercise

What you'll need: A long hallway, tape to mark the launch line, measuring stick, card stock

Instructions: This game can be played either indoors or outdoors. Each team gets a piece of card stock to construct a paper plane. Show them a variety of airplane designs and let them work together to construct one they think will fly the farthest. Add to the fun by decorating the planes before launch. The team whose plane flies farthest wins all the glory!

21. Dare Jenga

For: Team Bonding & Ice Breaking

What you'll need: A Jenga set (preferably with large blocks)

Instructions: This one is a fun team-building icebreaker for work that will get your team to test their limits. Write a dare on the surface of each block. Make them fun dares around the office, such as: doing 15 pushups, singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" out loud, or wearing the oversized sombrero for the rest of the workday (yes, we have an office sombrero). When all the blocks have dares on them, stack them up like in Jenga. When people pull a block out, they have to perform the dare that's written on it.

Team-building activities for remote teams

Team-building activities are not just for staff in the office. Whether your team is fully remote or operates a hybrid model, involving everyone in team-building activities is crucial for building team morale. Check out these virtual team-building games that can be played by staff working remotely, so you can try them out wherever you're based.

1. Whose Office Is It, Anyway?

For: Team Bonding & Icebreakers

What you'll need: Internet connection, file sharing tool

Instructions: Have your team members send a photo of their home offices, and then have everyone guess whose workspace is whose. Keep the game going with photos of everyone's coffee mugs, desktop backgrounds, or the view outside their window.

2. Conference Call Trivia

For: Team Bonding & Icebreakers

What you'll need: Internet connection

Instructions: Divide into teams and play trivia. You can find good trivia questions and answers online or pull out some Trivial Pursuit cards. It's a great way to learn about people's non-work interests and personalities.

3. Online Multiplayer Games

For: Creative Problem Solving & Collaboration Exercise

What you'll need: Internet connection

Instructions: Pick a game that will let your team work together to strategize and problem-solve, like Travian, or browse the many free and paid co-op games on Steam. Use your computer's built-in microphone and speakers to chat, or use headsets.

4. Charades or Catchphrase via Video Hangout or Skype

For: Collaboration Exercise & Team Bonding

What you'll need: Internet connection, video chat app

Instructions: Divide your group into two teams, and play classic party games like Charades or Catchphrase via video call. You can send everyone the link to an online Charades or Catchphrase ideas generator that will provide word prompts for you.

5. Online Karaoke Party

For: Team Bonding & Icebreakers

What you'll need: Internet connection

Instructions: Let loose with an online karaoke party! Use your computers' built-in microphones and speakers to challenge teammates to a karaoke battle, compare high scores, or just have fun showing off your singing skills.

How Wrike can bring the collaborative spirit to your team

Team-building activities are a great way to build morale and team spirit in your organization. But for this to carry over into your everyday work, you need to ensure your employees have the tools they need to collaborate seamlessly. Wrike's versatile collaboration software allows teams to work as one, fostering an environment of accountability, productivity, and growth for every person, regardless of where they're based.

Features like collaborative workspaces, custom-field request forms, customized workflows, real-time updates and approvals, and powerful reporting tools all help teams to do the best work of their lives from anywhere. Try it now with a free two-week trial.

Additional team-building resources for work

Sources:

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Ultimate Guide to Team Building Activities That Don't Suck

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A team that works well together is more effective, more productive, and more successful - not to mention happier and more fun to work with! But team building at work can be tricky, especially when typical team-building activities tend to induce more eye rolls among teammates than high-fives.

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A: Ask
C: Care
T: Treat

You can depict how serious and helpful a employee satisfaction survey can be if used properly. You can address issues that may be leading to a destructive action by your employees.

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M7: Can Servant Leadership be effective?

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M7: Can Servant Leadership be effective?

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Another TED Talk. This is speaks on the positive impact of Servant Leadership.

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Positive Power of Servant Leadership | Tom Thibodeau | TEDxGustavusAdolphusCollege

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Authentic Leadership: is a leader entails leaders who are deeply aware of their own and OTHERS" morale perspectives. Morale is KEY!

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One of the most important aspects of being a leader is knowing your employees or team members. In order to be a leader, you need people to follow you. Knowing your team members and showing a real appreciation for them and their personalities, wants, needs, and work styles will build a sense of trust and community within your organization.

You may have a desire to build an organization built on trust and mutual respect, and you want your employees to be able to come to you with their problems and concerns and feel comfortable sharing them with you. However, if there seems to be a block between you and other leaders and the team members, you may want to ask yourself how well you know your employees. When it comes down to it, do you know much more than their names and job titles?

Take a minute to consider the following questions to see you actually know your team members:

- Does anyone who works for you have a birthday this month?

- Is anyone dealing with a family crisis or personal issue that might be effective their work?

- Are any of your employees married, have kids, or have grandkids?

- Who possesses creatives skills on your team? Do you have employees that are more analytical? Are they using these skills to benefit your team?

- Can you name any hobbies or activities that your employees are involved in?

- Do you know how your employees feel about their jobs? Are they just there to earn a paycheck, or are they looking to learn and grow, to make a contribution, and to make a change within the organization?

So, how did you do? Is it time to get to know your team members better?

While it may seem simple, getting to know your team members on a more personal level can make a big difference in workplace morale, employee performance, and job satisfaction. Let's take a look at how you can get to know your employees better.

1. Be approachable: Implement an open door policy and encourage your team members to come to you for both personal and professional matters. Having a friendly disposition goes a long way in making you an approachable leader.

2. Host team social events, coffee outings, and other less professional gatherings to get to know your employees in an environment outside of work. You might see a new side to your team members and discover new talents and traits that you can access back in the office. Seeing your team members in different environments might help you understand them and the way they make decisions and behave a little better, which will help both when it comes to disciplining and praising behavior.

3. Let your team members know that they have your support. You don't want to give them the impression that you'll back them up if they've done something unethical, but that you'll help them along as long as they are working in the best interest of your organization.

4. Pay attention to your employees' working conditions. Make improvements that will ensure their time spent in the office is a little more enjoyable. This will show your employees that you value them.

5. If you implement a reward system, make sure it is acting as a motivator and not a demoralizer. Make sure that your reward system is competitive yet fair and allows each team member a chance to receive an award.

6. A team is only as strong as its weakest link, so it is important to encourage individual development as well as team development. If each team member is striving to become better individually, the team will grow stronger in the process.

7. Be compassionate and share in your team members' hardships and struggles. Don't allow them to use the struggles as an excuse to put out subpar work, but you should make allowances for people dealing with grief and hardships and show an understanding of their issues.

Once you get to know your employees, you might find that your team is lacking in certain areas. Maybe you realize you don't have anyone with a strong voice to promote your brand, or your marketing team doesn't have a strong grasp on current tactics. If that's the case, Business Marketing Engine to book a free consultation to learn how we can fill those gaps in your team.

As you get to know your employees, you'll get to benefit from the following things:

- You'll become aware of each individual's learning style. Use this information to better train, describe job duties, and convey information that helps your employee be the most effective.

- Getting to know individual communication styles helps you better understand behavior, leadership potential, and how to manage better.

- You will understand what they like and don't like to do, as well as what they are best inclined to do. Delegating job duties and tasks is easier when you know who is suited for what task. You can also use this knowledge to push your employees to complete tasks that challenge them and help them grow as a professional.

- Having an idea of what motivates your employees will allow you to get the most efficiency out of them. Some may prefer bonuses, others may just want some praise. By tailoring motivation, you know you can get the best work out of your team members.

- Employees respond to feedback in different ways. It helps to know which employees need things slightly sugarcoated, and some prefer straightforward feedback.

- Discover that your employees are more effective and productive when they are in an environment where they feel respected and honored as individuals.

With only so many hours in the day, how much time should you spend getting to know your team members? The folks at suggest employing the 80/20 rule to building relationships. Spending 20% of your time getting to know your employees can build relationships that pay off in the long run and have a ripple effect for you, your employees, and your team as a whole.

When time is precious, you'll start to see every encounter as an opportunity. Getting to know your employees helps you manage them in a much more effective way. You can learn their strengths and their passions, and when those two factors combine, your team will feel a real purpose and become much more efficient.

Additionally, when you start to see a more personal side to your employees and the lines of communication are opened, there will be more mindfulness in the way team members interact with each other. As familiarity grows, so does mutual respect. Communication and listening skills will improve, as well. You'll be able to pick up on subtle cues and have a better understanding of your team.

You'll benefit from getting to know your employees as well, since it will help you become a more effective leader. You will have built trusting relationships with your employees, and by showing you care for and value your employees encourages them to be more satisfied in their workplace and utilize their skills to the best of their abilities.

If 20% seems like a lot of time to spend with your employees, think of it more as a guideline than a hard and fast rule. Even taking the time to sit down for lunch for 15 minutes or grab a quick cup of coffee with an employee helps to remove the boss/employee wall and build a foundation of communication, trust, and respect. Your team will feel more accountable for each other, and everyone will feel like they are working towards a common goal.

The most important thing to take away from getting to know your employees comes down to one word - trust. Taking the time to know what is important to your team member shows them that you value them as more than just a worker but also as an individual. By getting to know your employees on a personal level, they will feel like they are valued not just for what they do, but who they are. Once you have built a foundation of trust with your team members, you'll start a line of open and honest communication and create a work environment where everyone feels supported and that they have something important to offer

As you get to know your team and their strengths and weaknesses, you may find that they could use support in certain areas of business. That is where Business Marketing Engine comes in. We can help fill in the gaps in your team to give your business the best chance for success. today for your free consultation to find out how BME can give your business and your team the help it needs to achieve success on a new level.

Comments

comments

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More Than Small Talk: The Importance of Getting to Know Your Employees - Business Marketing Engine

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One of the most important aspects of being a leader is knowing your employees or team members. In order to be a leader, you need people to follow you. Knowing your team members and showing a real appreciation for them and their personalities, wants, needs, and work styles will build a sense of trust and ...

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It is vital for management and leadership to motivate their employees to do their best and reach excellence .

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Anyone can be a manager, but not all people can be a LEADER!

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Top 10 Differences Between Managers and Leaders