What makes a company great?

2016

It’s a pretty simple question but one that’s harder to answer than you might think. What makes a company great?

When you reflect on all your work experiences, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes a job more than a job. What was it about the people, the products, or the daily grind that made you perform beyond what you thought possible?

We asked three leaders to help us answer that simple question, and what we found was that not merely one thing makes companies click: It’s the synergy of several factors.

                   

         

Jonathan Gebauer

Chief Growth Officer
The Social Ms

For me, a great company is a company that doesn't stop moving, or in other words, a company that isn't content with establishing itself in a market segment. A company is "good" if it achieves a firm and satisfying standing in key areas like profits, being a great place to work, market, quality of products or services, and so on. A company achieves greatness if it does a good job in all those things and is not satisfied with the results but continues to strive for even better results.

This requires that the leadership in the company does continue to hunger for more. This mentality needs to be apparent in anything they do. They always need to be open to new ideas; the team needs to be built with greatness in mind. If the leadership of the company is striving for greatness, this needs to translate to every layer of employees, from the top down.

This is also what makes a company a pleasant place to work, when even the lowest-ranking employees never have the feeling of being "low," of not being valued; that is a company where I would like to work.

                   

         

Tara Kelly

President & CEO
SPLICE Software

Great companies have to be purpose driven, and that purpose usually is to change the world. At SPLICE, we are working to create a world where people are interacting with the ultimate voice experience. We have been able to reach millions of homes each year, and our employees ensure they are constantly creating better relationships between our clients and their end customers. We take something that seems distant and non-authentic, like corporate communications, and turn it into something personal, human, and engaging—raising the bar for client-customer communications worldwide—because “we believe it can be better.”

One of the greatest differentiators of SPLICE—and a fundamental aspect of our culture—is that SPLICE generates its organic voice from our employees. Each employee is a unique piece in our SPLICE puzzle; their continuous commitment to the SPLICE core values is a huge part of our company’s success. We are a family, and we strive to improve the relationships around us. We are not afraid to take chances and start debates because it is how we learn, grow, and innovate who we are and what we do. Essentially, SPLICE’s greatness stems from two things: our people, who care about a balanced and fulfilled life, and passion for making positive changes in the world. We strive to be extraordinary, and we truly believe that it can be better.

                   

         

Keith Kratzberg

Senior Vice President
Epson America

At the core of any great company is the ongoing pursuit of innovation. Epson employees always strive to exceed our own vision and to produce results that delight our customers.

Epson's mission is to be a global market leader through innovation and partnership. The Epson brand is trusted throughout the world because of our commitment to customer satisfaction, environmental conservation, individuality, and teamwork.

Great companies take time to mature, and regardless of what their corporate mission statements say, it is clear that greatness is an evolution. But as you strive to deliver on that mission or promise, remember these three things: never stop innovating, always speak with the voice of your customer, and most importantly, never be satisfied with your current place in the world.