2009 Conference Agenda

Only for registered attendees.

This introductory seminar provides an overview of two essential frameworks for understanding the best companies to work for. This workshop is a perfect introduction to the Great Place to Work^® Model and methodology including our Trust Index^® and Culture Audit^© and is ideal for participants wanting to start by developing this core knowledge base. Also, this seminar will examine the motivation and business rationale for investing in creating a great place to work. The workshop includes both individual and group learning experiences designed to help you explore how you can create a great place to work and spotlights the ways other companies have built great workplaces.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the five dimensions of a Great Place to Work^® based on the employee experience
  
• Deepen your understanding of the nine management practice areas for creating a great workplace
  
• Learn several best practices of the Best Companies and those of your peers, and discuss how to apply them to your organization's unique culture
  
• Identify opportunities for change in your organization
  
  Focus Level: Presentation/Interactive - 50%/50%
  

This Workshop will introduce you to Best Practices at FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work for^® and the 50 "Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America" and teach you not only about the incredible practices and programs they offer to keep employee satisfaction at an all-time high (and turnover at an all-time low!), but how and why these practices work. Our consultants and guest speakers will walk you through exercises and group discussions that will help you uncover which practices can help you create a great place to work at your organization.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the frameworks for understanding the best companies to work for
  
• Learn about a variety of practices and programs at distinguished workplaces
  
• Understand how and why those practices work
  
• Deepen your understanding of your company's unique culture
  
• Improve your existing practices to make them more relevant and rewarding for your employees
  
  Focus Level: Presentation/Interactive - 25%/75%
  

Focus Level: Presentation/Interactive - 20%/80%

The first step to improving your organizations' culture, is understanding how your employees are experiencing the workplace.  The next step is translating this knowledge into an action plan that will move your culture forward.  In this session, you will learn more about the Great Place to Work^® Model^© and Trust Index^© survey and how these tools help organizations measure the employee experience and the levels of trust.  You will also learn how to make sense of this data and take action to create a better workplace for all employees.

Getting communication "right" is difficult enough when it involves good news. Communicating bad news presents a complex set of challenges that many leaders find hard to face. In this session, you'll hear lessons learned in maintaining trust when sharing messages people don't want to hear.

The leadership behind Nordstrom's legendary customer service service highlights a long-time commitment to servant leadership - modeled as an inverted pyramid with the top section containing customers, and, working downward, associates, managers, and executives. Through coaching, mentoring, communication and rewards, the company maintains this inverted pyramid culture that considers every level in the organization to be integral to creating legendary customer service. Join Nordstrom - one of this year's five award-winners and a best company for 25 years - to learn more about how this concept exists as an integral part of the business and culture.

One of the ways that Ernst & Young makes a difference is by giving its people opportunities to make a difference in their local communities. For example, major Ernst & Young meetings often include time for community engagement activities that support one of three strategic focuses: education, entrepreneurship or environmental sustainability. In the area of education, Ernst & Young helps broaden access to education to make sure the next generation has the skills it needs to make a positive contribution to society.  Ernst & Young is bringing this aspect of its workplace culture to the Great Place to Work® Conference. In a hands-on session, participants will be asked to help assemble "care packages" that will be distributed to teachers working in disadvantaged Miami high schools.

Scripps Health was listed as one of the "100 Best" for the first time in 2008, and in 2009 ranks #59.  Scripps Health has not always been a great workplace, but has made significant improvements over the years, resulting in recognition as one of the "100 Best" two years in a row.  This milestone was the result of years of focus on metrics, culture and holding managers accountable to cultural benchmarks. Join leaders from Scripps to learn how they created a culture built on trust by linking patient satisfaction, profitability and employee retention.

Ernst & Young has been called a "leadership factory" by USA Today for the number of C-level executives that grew up at the Big Four accounting and professional services firm. As a knowledge based organization, EY is continuously examining opportunities to accelerate and broaden the skills of its people. The firm conducted a study to assess the development differences and preferences that exist across the generational groups (i.e. baby boomers, "Xs", and "Ys") that currently comprise the employee population.  Many of the results of Ernst & Young's generational study run contrary to the "stereotypical" generational values and expectations.  Using data from this survey and from development pilots around the globe, EY has embarked on a journey aimed at accelerating and broadening the development of the 135,000 people in 140 countries around the world. Hear from Ernst & Young's Chief Learning & Development Officer about the results of EY's generational study, the firm's focus on coaching, as well as some leading-edge virtual and experiential learning programs currently being piloted.

At Gore, as the thinking goes, if you trust individuals and believe in them, they will be motivated to do what's right for the organization and that will lead to a higher level of commitment, fulfillment and engagement. Join WL Gore - one of this year's five award-winners and a best company for 25 years - for a workshop-style session highlighting the way in which people at Gore are empowered to drive decisions based on adherence to the company's four basic guiding principles, and how and why this type of decision-making works in the company's "lattice" structure.

Join co-authors of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For^® list, Robert Levering and Milt Moskowitz, as they reflect on the enduring characteristics of great workplaces and anticipate future trends, 25 years after the release of their first publication about Best Companies, The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America (1984).

Transparency and open, two-way communication are at the heart of workplaces that are built on trust. In many cases, simply improving communication can have a dramatic effect on the level to which employees trust that management is competent, ethical, fair and respectful. Yet HR and Communications professionals don't always work together in a seamless manner, often resulting in mixed or incomplete messages. In this session, Dennis Berger and Gary Ross will share the ways in which they work together to ensure timely, open communication with employees. 

Baptist Health Care South Florida is an organization built on caring. Its strong culture is bolstered by a set of unique benefits, including the Sunshine Fund - an emergency fund available to employees when they are most in need. In this session you'll hear how the program works, and a firsthand account from one employee whose life was deeply touched by the fund. You'll also hear straight from the CEO why a program like the Sunshine Fund is integral to the organization's culture and success.

Across industries, economic trouble means organizations face increased challenges in providing inspiring leadership that people can trust and rally behind. Join McWhinney, a real estate firm featured as one of the best small companies to work for, and Quicken Loans and Rackspace, two of the 100 Best, to gain insight on how both organizations are navigating the challenges of leadership in an uncertain economy.

Goldman Sachs has a communications strategy that is solidly rooted in its culture. Whether the news is positive, negative or neutral, Goldman Sachs makes a clear commitment to keeping employees abreast of situations that involve the firm, viewpoints on the global markets, and diverse businesses and management announcements. Join Goldman Sachs - one of this year's five award-winners and a best company for 25 years - to learn about the company's Strategic Communications Initiative, and how it strengthens the feedback loop at the firm, enhances reciprocal communication across divisions and levels, and more closely links communications to key issues involving their business, people and culture.

Hallway golf supporting the United Way is a fund raising event which is a huge success at PCL.  Three themed holes will be set up for participants to play and try to take a shot at getting a hole in one.  Each hole will have various obstacles relating to PCL cultural themes of Safety, Wellness and Sustainability.  Every participant that makes a hole in one will be entered to win $100 donation to their city's United Way organization.  PCL will donate to three cities United Way plus United Way of Miami.

"[Today's economic situation] is the most challenging time that I've seen during my career," said Jay Zimmerman, who is in 15th year leading Bingham. "But it's also the most exciting time."  He has led the firm during a period of significant growth that has placed it in the top echelon of U.S. law firms.  Chairman Jay Zimmerman will discuss the importance of seeing beyond the negative to overcome challenges ahead.  Bingham McCutchen LLP, a global law firm, has been named for the fifth straight year to the "100 Best" list, one of only five law firms nationally to make the list.

Successful innovation in all industries is the result of a complex process that allows for experimentation, collaboration and learning from both failure and success. At the Best Companies to Work For, innovation results from a collaborative cultural foundation and practices that deliberately prepare the organization for innovation. Learn how your organization can successfully prepare for innovation in this session based on research conducted with the 100 Best Companies to Work For.

Zappos.com, at #23 on the "100 Best" list, is the highest-ranking newcomer to the list in 2009. Join two Zappos leaders at this session to learn about how this company thrives by living its ten core values. In the words of Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh:

"We believe that a company's culture and a company's brand are really just two sides of the same coin. If you get the culture right, then most of the other stuff will happen naturally on its own, including delivering great customer service and building an enduring brand."

Publix, a supermarket chain with over 141,000 employees, is a long-standing company on the "100 Best" list, having appeared in every list produced by the Institute in the past 25 years. Employees have stock ownership in the company along with a sense of "ownership," which contributes to retention of talented employees as many employees cite their ownership of the company as part of the reason for its success. Learn how the company's employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), in addition to internal best practices, support a sense of ownership and contribute to the success of this organization and its culture.

At Recreational Equipment Company (REI), recognition happens frequently, both through tools that allow both managers and employees to recognize great performance, and through financial rewards. Join REI - one of this year's five award-winners and a best company for 25 years - to learn why the company places a high value on recognizing individual and team accomplishments across the board, and the tools they use to support frequent and heartfelt recognition.