Topic for Discussion: What did Bob say he is most proud of?

Answer: There are people working for Sakata Farms today who are the grandchildren of some of his first employees. Low turnover means Bob doesn't have to spend as much time training people as do other farmers. Loyalty manifests itself in dozens of difficult-to-measure ways. Bob has built-in institutional memory. A number of employees can tell stories of doing things by hand that are now made easier by machines.

These improvements are part of the corporate culture. New ideas are welcomed. New ideas will be implemented because many can remember when things were completely different. Plus, working in a place that changes is much more motivating than working in a place that never changes. Even though people say they hate change, that is really only a deep fear of failure revealing itself. People love change when they see what's in it for them and when they are taught carefully so they don't fail in the change process.

Topic for Discussion: What is one of Bob's ongoing goals?

Answer: To make work a pleasant place for everyone. This is a big and nearly impossible goal but it doesn't slow Bob down. He just keeps at it.

You think about it: What can you do to make your business a great place to work? Could employees offer up ideas?