I have been in a management role for most of my adult life and have experienced many challenges and opportunities. No business is perfect. What I know, without a shadow of a doubt, is that the culture of an organization is extremely important. Companies that don't value and trust their employees certainly have more problems than those that do. People are one of the greatest assets of an organization. If a company's culture involves paying employees as little as possible, hiding information, and creating the feeling that no one can be trusted; the company must expect poor attitudes and performance in return. It was three months ago when I was hired as the manager of a large salon and spa chain. I had never heard of the company before, so I took the time to familiarize myself with the organization via the Internet. My interviews were very informative about the company's processes, procedures and philosophies. I couldn't wait to get started. It was on my second and third days on the job that I attended a management seminar for each site and assistant district manager in Denver. It was at this meeting that I heard company spokespeople say that what had been done in the past was not working and that new ideas were needed to revive the company. These same people also sent clear messages that the company knew what it was doing and that everyone needed to adhere to the protocols in place. At the end of the seminar, I was asked to share my thoughts and opinions on what I had learned. Obviously, I was confused about the direction of the company. I told the VP of Operations and Director of Human Resources that it seemed like the company had some sort of i...... middle of paper ......iteid=cbpr&sc_cmp1=cb_pr495_Deloitte ( 2010). Trust the workplace. 2010 Ethics and Workplace Survey. Retrieved from: http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-UnitedStates/Local%20Assets/Documents/us_2010_Ethics_and_Workplace_Survey _report_071910.pdf Galinsky, E., Bond, JT, Kim, SS, Backon, L., Brownfield, E. and Sakai, K. (2005). Overwork in America: When the way we work becomes too heavy. Families and Work Institute. Retrieved from: http://familiesandwork.org/site/research/summary/overwork2005summ.pdfKaye, B. and Jordan-Evans, S. (2008). Love 'em or lose 'em: Making good people stay (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Saratoga. (2006). The bottom line: improve retention. White paper. Retrieved from: http://www.pwc.com/Extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/011101638AD69DC385 25723400549522/$file/saratoga-improving-retention.pdf