Moving forward, I am dedicating this blog to discussing the characteristics of Champion Organizations, thus the new official URL of the same title.

I am in search of anecdotal real life stories of outstanding company and organizational cultures so that subscribers of this blog can believe that enjoyable working environments do exist.

Each year Fortune Magazine identifies the best companies to work for. Much of the criteria for making the Fortune list is centered around employee satisfaction and employee engagement.

Check out the 2009 Top 100 List which comes out every January.

One company you won’t see on that list, as it is strictly for U.S. companies, is U.K. based restaurant chain Pret a Manger. Pret prides itself on offering its customers a unique dining experience serving only fresh food, with absolutely no preservatives. It is privately owned and has a conservative growth strategy.

I was recently exposed to Pret’s corporate philosophy by my former business coach who is based in the U.K., Chris Barrow.

After reviewing Pret’s website and reading their employee guide, I was impressed with the standard they set for their work culture.  I encourage all business leaders to take a look at what Pret expects from the people who create their employee and customer experience. It’s impressive and could be a model for other companies that want to improve their company culture.

You can read more at www.Pret.com/jobs .

The Values & Behaviors list outlined at the above link I have encouraged one of my clients to model in a present project. We’re unveiling the results of the work done by the entire 25 person workforce next week. Can’t wait!

If you know of a company with an outstanding work environment and commitment to providing a unique customer experience, please leave a comment or e-mail me at Info@SkipWeisman.com