Making Leadership Visible.

Culture Study: Salesforce.com

by tom on February 23rd, 2012

The February 6^th issue of Fortune magazine issue listed the 100 Best Companies to Work For and, in that issue, they profiled Salesforce.com and their CEO, Marc Benioff. There was a key sub-story that piqued my interest. When Salesforce acquired Rypple, a human resources software applications startup for millions less than the other suitors, one of two co-founders of Rypple, Daniel DeBow, explained that Marc Benioff, Salesforce’s CEO, “was the kind of person we could deliver our company and employees to… that we entrepreneurs could be up part of their family“. Family?

To me it looks like Salesforce.com leadership has mastered the elements that distinguish a family culture. From my perspective a few highlights:

• products are “cutting edge”… result: employee pride of winning and contribution.
• philanthropy … result: people work for a cause beyond their paycheck. The Salesforce Foundation has provided $30 million in grants, to date, to youth, education, poverty and employee volunteer projects.
• their own internal Facebook called “Chatter”… Outcome: reduces one-way info flow – all employees have a voice, customers are included.
• Benioff’s “a beginner’s mind” … result: no stone unturned, innovation flourishes.
• Company’s Chief Love Officer, Benioff’s 12-year-old golden retriever … result: have fun at work.

How would you like to work there? It’s a family: everybody pitches in to take care of business, community and each other. And who embodies these attributes? Answer: Benioff, who upon learning of an employee’s need for a bone marrow match from their “Chatter” media, sent out his own Tweet for donors. Result? 350 responses to the matching registry. The employee is back at work today.

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