The best, most successful companies feature highly participatory cultures in which employees routinely identify problems and share and implement ideas. High engagement cultures take a lot of work—the right information, the right team structure, management commitment, training time, and more. But a key factor that is often overlooked is the need to create a safe environment in which people feel comfortable dealing with conflict, taking risks, and trying new ideas. This blog talks about why this matters and how to get there. 

  What puts the-best-of-the-best in open-book management above the rest when it comes to an engaging workplace culture? We've asked this year's All-Stars how they have transformed their businesses to create a top-notch culture that promotes engagement and accountability throughout the entire organization. Check out what they said below!

  If you are just getting started with The Great Game of Business, let me begin by saying that last year I was you:  sitting in the audience at The Gathering of Games, at the beginning of our Great Game journey.   Fast forward a year, and we are a 2018 All-Star Rookie of the Year finalist.

Everybody loves a great story. So what’s yours? The benefits of good storytelling ripple out from gaining exposure to new customers, partners, and even employees—all of whom may be inspired to join your cause. Your story should be part of your brand and, at a minimum, be part of your website. But you don’t have to stop there. You can also use your story to connect with the media, or as an internal tool to help on-board new employees to help them understand what your company culture is all about.

Bogged down with resistance to change? Having a hard time promoting your business as a promising place to work (aka hiring challenges)? Moving your business to the next level starts with a positive culture. You can give your employees a voice and make noticeable improvements in your company’s culture (and bottom line!) by focusing on four objectives and the concept of “Culture Teams.”

Do you wish you had more money, fewer employee issues, and the freedom to be able to go home at the end of the day without thinking about problems?  Wow! Just the idea of that sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, many business owners are in tremendous debt and feel like their businesses are squeezing the life out of them. That’s how I used to feel, but I discovered that the business will provide excess cash, a peaceful work environment and personal freedom when a business is healthy and functioning as it should.

We are humbled and honored to be inducted into the Great Game of Business All-Star Hall of Fame. GGOB has changed the way we do business, but that is secondary to the sense of pride, ownership and resilience that has come from playing the Game. Our team member’s reflections on how our culture has changed say it best.  

  A strong corporate recognition culture not only inspires and motivates employees, it also attracts and retains top talent—a win for the company and a win for the employee. There’s nothing we like better at The Great Game of Business®!

What if each of us in a leadership role simply made a point of working to make hope happen for the people we work with every single day? Within a few weeks, hope levels would have certainly gone up. By the end of a year, we’d have hope deeply embedded in the culture; the climate of the organization couldn’t help but be significantly sunnier than it would have been before you started.

    This is NOT a regurgitation of the obvious reasons great employees stay. Because great employees show up, deliver results and consistently go above and beyond to support the company, they could easily jump ship for a better job offer, or, if bold enough, strike out on their own. But they don't.

In the April 2017 issue of Forbes magazine, SRC Holdings, Inc. and The Great Game of Business were honored with an impressive six-page spread titled “Gaming the System: How One Manufacturing Company Saved Itself With Radical Transparency And Created A Slew Of Blue-Collar Millionaires.” 

No doubt your company’s top executive has “CEO” written on his or her business card. But should it? If our title really reflects the role we play in the company, then the CEO’s title should instead read Chief Culture Officer.