Incentive - July 2008 - (Page 19)

from it, in some ways more than it would announced together by the vice president of mission, not only because the leadership believes it’s the right thing to do, but it haptheir department, receiving a Swiss Army from a grant check. It also gives the pens to thrill its customers to boot. watch and a framed certificate. The winners employees the opportunity to dive deeper Additionally, Patagonia strives to create the (138 in 2007) are then truly made a part of into an issue, partnering with a group same sort of excitement in its employees. For the company, as each one of their names is that they are interested in.” carved on its own brick on the Select employees are invited to walkway outside of REI’s headattend the Tools for Grassroots quarters in Kent. Activists conference the company The winners are flown in for a sponsors every 18 months, bringing three-day event where they meet together about 100 activists from REI’s leadership and corporate around the world to discuss their work and advance their causes. staff, learn about the running of And “Patagonia” is much more the company and have a good than a catchy name to the company. time. The program varies from A few years ago, Kristine McDivett year to year, incorporating teamTompkins, the former CEO, moved building events, educational semto South America and founded Coninars and outdoor activities. servacion Patagonica, an organization “One of our vice presidents or headquartered on a 173,000-acre a director will take people hiking ranch in the Patagonia region of to Mt. Rainier. We’ve got people Chile and Argentina, dedicated to going sailing, we’ve got people going kayaking,” says Sampson. “We Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard’s memoir is Let My People Go Surfing. His employees listened preserving the ecosystem and biodiversity of the area. Patagonia (the don’t have to work too hard to get employees excited about the outdoors.” company) has partnered with Tompkins’ one thing, the company leadership emphagroup to send six employees to the ranch a sizes the high level of trust and freedom few times each year, flying them in to spend employees are given. Considering the compaPatagonia: Reconnecting three weeks on service projects, pulling fences, ny’s founder and owner, Yvon Chouinard, with its Roots wrote a book titled Let My People Go Surfing, it’s Social and environmental responsibility is in removing exotic vegetation and learning the DNA of Patagonia, permeating every not surprising that Patagonia’s leadership lets about the area. facet of its brand image and operations. Low- workers make a schedule that works for them “As one of my colleagues said, ‘You feel impact dyes and organic cotton are chosen and their interests, so if that means taking a like [naturalist] John Muir out there with over cheaper, or more environmentally harmhalf day when the surf ’s up, or coming in nobody else around,’ ” says Tim Rhone, ful, raw materials for Patagonia’s products. Its later to allow for a morning hike, it’s all part of who took part in the project last year 171,000-square-foot Reno Service Center ensuring the happy workforce feels as connect- when he was the store manager at Patagoexpansion has been engineered to reduce its ed to the outdoors as to the products they sell. nia’s Upper West Side store in New York. environmental footprint as much as possible. A more formal way Patagonia encourages “When you think of the ‘brand’ for a Through Patagonia’s involvement with the employees to live the values of the company is company like Nike or even Patagonia it’s “1% for the Planet” initiative, the company its Environmental Internship Program. usually just a vague sense or idea…but has donated 1 percent of all sales to organiEmployees are invited to work for any environ- this let us experience the brand in this zations dedicated to the preservation and mental nonprofit company of their choice for physically tangible way.” restoration of the natural environment (total- up to two months, while still receiving their full Rhone was joined by a VP of marketing ing over $25 million since the company start- pay and benefits. This can take the form of an and communications, a director of envied in 1985). When the customer is through environmental sabbatical in which workers ronmental analysis, a member of the merwith a fleece or T-shirt, he can return it to immerse themselves in the nonprofit work for chandising team, an employee from the Patagonia to be recycled. the entire two months, or just for a couple of distribution center, and a “climbing This unwavering commitment to the envidays a week as a supplement to their work at ambassador” (a professional athlete affilironment has certainly struck a chord with the company. ated with Patagonia). Bringing together a consumers. Making $270 million in revenue “We still consider that they are working for diverse group of employees helped expand for 2006, Patagonia makes high-quality Patagonia,” says Lu Setnicka, director of the participants’ understanding of the training for Patagonia. “But they are having clothing that is sometimes referred to as the company and make the world of Patagothe opportunity to bring a particular skill set ‘Gucci of the outdoors.’ The company’s nia seem quite a bit smaller. s to an organization that could really benefit environmental work is fundamental to its —Alex Palmer incentivemag.com | July 2008 | Incentive | 19 COVER STORY http://incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - July 2008

Incentive - July 2008 Contents Editor’s Note: Accentuate the Positive In The News Cover Story: Three Profiles in Good Corporate Citizenship Case Study Incentive Interview Senior Secrets To Thine Own Self be True Incentive Primer Motivation@Work Travel News: Where To Go and What To Do Take the Spa Home Not the Only Game in Town Here and Now Writing and Desktop Gifts Watches and Clocks Gift Cards: Health and Wellness Incentives Good Health Is Not Its Own Incentive Advertiser Index Last Word

Incentive - July 2008

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