HOW SAS BECAME THE WORLD'S BEST PLACE TO WORK BY: MARK C. CROWLEY
Essay by Margarita Prodanova
HOW SAS BECAME THE WORLD'S BEST PLACE TO WORK
BY: MARK C. CROWLEY
Do I agree with the SAS’s philosophy?
Mark Crowley’s article on the management philosophy of analytic firm SAS, is an illuminating read that shows even in today’s competitive and sometimes cut-throat world of international business, it is still possible to be nice and yet successful. The philosophy, CEO Jim Goodnight has instilled into SAS is not simply a case of altruism or selflessness, for the sake of it built on saintly generosity and welfare for others, but an understanding, that what you put into your organization you get out.
I completely agree with the sentiment that, “feelings and emotions are the true drivers of employee loyalty, innovation, and productivity…and therefore produce the most optimal workplace performance”. It’s the old adage, which so often is dismissed by those more cynical, that how you treat others, is how they treat you, and Jim Goodnight has tapped right into this level of human consciousness. The stats are compelling, SAS “experiences annual [employee] turnover in the range of 2-3% compared to an industry average of 22%”, and for 37 consecutive years has had record earnings, $2.8 billion in 2012.
Jim Goodnight recognises if he is investing millions into the latest state of the art technology, best materials, then why not give the same attention and investment to the labor tasked with delivering the operations and forming the glue of the organization. SAS in its value for its employees has not only excelled against the competition, but has been able to withstand challenging economic times, when others have resorted to short term efficiencies savings through redundancies. Jim Goodnight is committed to a vision of where it sees itself, valuing its people above all else; recognition that what you put in, you get out in terms of loyalty and performance, and therefore customer loyalty; and trust built on effective
HOW SAS BECAME THE WORLD'S BEST PLACE TO WORK
BY: MARK C. CROWLEY
Do I agree with the SAS’s philosophy?
Mark Crowley’s article on the management philosophy of analytic firm SAS, is an illuminating read that shows even in today’s competitive and sometimes cut-throat world of international business, it is still possible to be nice and yet successful. The philosophy, CEO Jim Goodnight has instilled into SAS is not simply a case of altruism or selflessness, for the sake of it built on saintly generosity and welfare for others, but an understanding, that what you put into your organization you get out.
I completely agree with the sentiment that, “feelings and emotions are the true drivers of employee loyalty, innovation, and productivity…and therefore produce the most optimal workplace performance”. It’s the old adage, which so often is dismissed by those more cynical, that how you treat others, is how they treat you, and Jim Goodnight has tapped right into this level of human consciousness. The stats are compelling, SAS “experiences annual [employee] turnover in the range of 2-3% compared to an industry average of 22%”, and for 37 consecutive years has had record earnings, $2.8 billion in 2012.
Jim Goodnight recognises if he is investing millions into the latest state of the art technology, best materials, then why not give the same attention and investment to the labor tasked with delivering the operations and forming the glue of the organization. SAS in its value for its employees has not only excelled against the competition, but has been able to withstand challenging economic times, when others have resorted to short term efficiencies savings through redundancies. Jim Goodnight is committed to a vision of where it sees itself, valuing its people above all else; recognition that what you put in, you get out in terms of loyalty and performance, and therefore customer loyalty; and trust built on effective