What separates a Great Company from a merely good one?

More than offering great pay and quirky perks, a great workplace is one where employees trust the people they work for, take pride in what they do, and are motivated to achieve superior performance. In short, you—as manager and colleague—are the critical difference between a very good company and a great company.

Based on a many years of research and training conducted at the Great Place to Work® Institute—producers of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® Annual List—The Great Workplace: Building Trust and Inspiring Performance Workshop brings together the lessons and examples for creating a high-trust work environment that the authors have learned from the best companies. These stories and exercises will illuminate and inspire you to:

• Communicate openly and transparently.

• Be reliable and honor commitments.

• Take a sincere interest in the people you manage and your fellow employees.

• Appreciate people's good work and extra effort.

• Involve people in appropriate decisions.

• Contribute to becoming a Great Workplace.

Creating a great workplace is not an endeavor that can be done by the next quarter. It is not something that can be delegated, nor is it something that some other department does. It is not this year's initiative. It is a long-term commitment, for you are the steward of your organization's journey to become a Great Place to Work®!