2013 PIHRA Foundation Annual Silent Auction
Support our Annual Silent Auction now!

Your PIHRA Foundation board is working hard and planning for the most successful PIHRA Foundation Annual Silent Auction of all time!

Just a few more months until Auction time is here!  The auction will be held in the exhibit hall on August 26-27 at the 2013 California HR Conference at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The PIHRA Foundation is once again fortunate to have a beautiful fine jewelry ring generously donated to benefit the Silent Auction!  The (Prasiolite) Green Amethyst, surrounded by white sapphire with Smokey Quartz (sides). Designed by Roberto Ricci will be raffled-off as the grand prize!

Included in the raffle will be a one week time-share in Puerto Vallarta, in addition to various event tickets, weekend trips, and other fun and valuable items!   It is a great place to come and shop for gifts and support PIHRA and the Foundation’s efforts to advance the profession across Southern California!

Please consider donating to the PIHRA Foundation Silent Auction this year!  You can help make the 2013 Silent Auction surpass the record breaking success of the PIHRA Foundation Silent Auction in 2012!

We count on the generous donations of PIHRA members and HR supporting institutions just like you, to provide valuable auction items. If your organization provides a product or service that would be of interest to PIHRA members to bid on, please consider a contribution to our auction.  Our success depends on the generous donations of PIHRA members and HR supporting institutions to provide valuable auction items.

If you know of someone (spouse, friend, neighbor) who “has connections” we would appreciate your outreach for additional leads.   In order to generate excitement for the event,  Items worth more than $100 are particularly appreciated, but gift cards and other items at any level are gladly accepted!

This is a great opportunity to expand your company brand and to market organization donations as all items provided will be on display as attendees enter the exhibit hall. All donors will have an opportunity to recognize their company, PIHRA district location or as an individual contributor…. as well as view and bid on your item(s) or product(s).    Please don’t delay, donate or send leads today!!

Contact John Silver at john@jhowardandassociates.com or 661.803.1072 with your donation or for further information.  Thank you PIHRA Foundation’s Silent Auction Committee.

2014-2015 PIHRA Executive Committee Elections – Call For Volunteers

We extended the deadline to submit nomination forms to Friday, May 17, 2013.

Are you a leader? Do you want to help promote the human resources community? The PIHRA Nominating Committee is pleased to announce four opportunities for volunteer leadership on the 2014-2015 PIHRA Executive Committee.
The PIHRA Nominating Committee is interested in you if you . . .

• Are a current voting PIHRA member in good standing
• Have served as a PIHRA voting board member in the past
• Are interested in serving the human resources profession through a volunteer leadership role in PIHRA

PIHRA is the premier HR association in California and the largest affiliate of SHRM.

The following terms of office expire December 31, 2013.

• Secretary
• VP of Membership
• VP of Leadership
• VP of Emerging Affairs

Interested?  Email Marilyn Monahan, presidentelect@pihra.org, and specify the position you have interest in.  You will be emailed a nomination form, which needs to be completed and returned by May 17, 2013.

Sincerely,
Marilyn A. Monahan
2013-2014 PIHRA President-Elect

Volunteer Opportunities

Secretary   

The Secretary shall keep a record of minutes of meetings of both the members and the directors, give notices of all meetings, provide ballots and perform such other duties and exercise such powers as the Board or the President may assign.  The Secretary is a voting member of the Executive Committee.

Vice President – Membership

The Vice President of Membership Development shall be responsible for member recruiting and retention and perform such other duties and exercise such powers as the Board or the President may assign.

Vice President – Leadership  

The Vice President of Leadership shall be responsible for maintaining communication between the districts, encouraging visitations, facilitating the exchange of ideas and resources, succession planning, problem resolution and acting as liaison between the District Chairs, the PIHRA administrative staff and the Executive Committee. The Vice President of Leadership will ensure that incoming district officers have access to resources and training for their positions and perform such other duties and exercise such powers as the Board or the President may assign.

Vice President – Emerging Affairs

The Vice President of Emerging Affairs shall be responsible for monitoring and evaluating PIHRA’s diversity awareness and education efforts, including efforts to diversify PIHRA’s membership and leadership, promoting diversity awareness, and assisting with education programs and outreach opportunities to strengthen the organization and provide guidance to various segments of the membership (i.e., students, in-transition, etc.) and shall perform such other duties and exercise such powers as the Board or the President may assign.

Time for a Summer Break?
by Jay Lewis,Club PIHRA

What a perfect day!  Sun is shining, a warm summer breeze blows in through the window, cars pass by with surfboards strapped to the top, a classic Beach Boys tune plays on the radio, and the familiar aroma of Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil . . . . Hey, wait a minute.  Get back to work and quit day dreaming.  You’ve got a pile in the “In” box and a bunch of deadlines to meet.

Is it finally time for a summer break?  Last month we talked about some great ideas for your organization’s summer social activities.  This month we promised that we would talk about the option of hosting a “Summer Break”.  What is a summer break you might ask?  A summer break is a social event that your company or organization might host for employees and company guests.  Many companies hold picnics, parties, visits to amusement parks or other locations.  However, if a company does not have the time, budget or desire to pull off a full-scale summer event, they might choose to put together a “Summer Break”, which is generally a social event on a smaller scale held at the workplace location.  It could be:

• An early morning event held just after the employees arrive at work to kick start the day
• A lunch time event
• A late afternoon event held just before the team leaves the office for the weekend.
• A surprise event announced at a spontaneous time.
• Or it can be an event where people stop in at random times throughout the day when their schedule allows.

The main objectives for holding a “Summer Break” are to:

• Give the team a short break from the work day.
• Allow the employees an opportunity to gather for socializing and to make new acquaintances.
• Show team members that the company recognizes their efforts and cares about their well being by hosting a special event.
• Allows management to socialize and communicate with the employees.

Some companies choose to host these smaller events on a monthly basis.  By giving each “Summer Break” a different theme, the organization is able to keep the special events fresh and exciting, well attended and highly anticipated by the team.

Some of the more popular ideas include:

Donut Tasting

Nobody will admit it anymore, but most people still like donuts.  Start off the day by holding a good old fashioned donut tasting in the lobby.  As everyone wanders in from the freeway commute battle ground, they can experience the wonderful world of donuts, milk, hot chocolate and a cappuccino cart to get a fresh start on the day.  Cut the donuts into bite size pieces so that everyone can try different flavors.  Nothing says good morning quite like this.  Be sure to have a few low fat and sugar-free choices set aside for those with special dietary needs.

Lemonade Bar

A bar at work?? Well, this one’s ok because all we serve is lemonade . . . and  in an exciting array of flavors.  Peach, hibiscus, passion fruit, tiger’s blood, watermelon, blueberry and the list goes on.  To top it off, add a selection of gourmet cookies or fruit trays.

Hawaiian Shave Ice Stand

Welcome to the tropics.  What better way to say hello to summer than with a mouth watering cup of shave ice in a choice of flavors. Put on some island music, have a tropical wardrobe contest, and for the really brave, a chance on the Robo surfer, which will truly test their hang ten skills. (Robo surfer is a simulated surfing inflatable game that determines  how long the guest can remain on a moving surfboard.)

Batter Up! 

A baseball game without hot dogs and peanuts?  No way.  Employees can take an afternoon trip to the stadium counter for a foot long Dodger Dog and a bag of peanuts.  Throw in some baseball theme music, a baseball trivia contest or some game highlights on the video screen.  And last but not least, a fast pitch game will see how well those great athletes in the office can really throw a fast ball.

The Boardwalk

Anyone who has visited Balboa Island or Newport Beach has to know how great a Balboa Bar or Frozen Banana tastes. Bring the beach to the office with a Balboa Bar shop.  Frozen bananas and ice cream bars dipped in chocolate and rolled in a tray of rainbow sprinkles, nuts, butter brickle, coconut . . . and more.  A few boardwalk games, some Beach Boys tunes and the fun begins.  Oh, and of course an award for the best pair of Bermuda shorts.

The Good Old Days

Pull up a stool for a genuine handmade malt on a 1950’s spindle malt machine.  The thickest shakes this side of Staten Island.  Is root beer your flavor?  Then have the soda jerk throw in a scoop of ice cream for an ice cold float.  Have a hula hoop and bubble blowing contest.  Don’t forget to spin the hop sock vinyl and have awards for the best poodle skirt, duck tail, etc.

Build your Own

An ice cream sundae bar will bring out the crowds, guaranteed!  You’ll see people that you didn’t know were even part of the organization.  Maybe they aren’t.   Just put out about 16 toppings on the counter to smother a generous bowl of ice cream.

Think Fit

For a health twist, serve over-the counter smoothies.  A few flavors and a real healthy alternative or two can round out the menu.

Silver Screen

Play clips from famous films and give everyone a chance to stop by the theater snack bar.  Pop corn, Cracker Jack, Red Vines, Mild Duds, Junior Mints, Malted Milk Balls, and all those other favorites to choose from.  Have a movie trivia contest and give awards to those who come dressed as their favorite stars.

But don’t stop there.  Come up with your own ideas. Be creative . . . the sky is the limit . . . think outside of the box.  The more creative each “Summer Break” theme, the more they will be remembered and appreciated.  Management can dress in the theme and serve or greet the employees as they attend the gathering.  Give prizes for the best theme costumes or theme decorated office in that theme for the month.

“Summer Breaks”, do not and should not take a lot of effort.  They can be done without spending a fortune or taking too much time away from the workday.  And most of all they should be fun!

Do these ideas sound like a lot to take on?  A reputable event planner can be a big help.  Club PIHRA can help you get started and steer you in the right direction.  Give us a call or send us an email and we’ll be happy to give you some great ideas.

These “E-Ideas” are brought to you by Club PIHRA, a special interest group within the PIHRA organization. Club PIHRA meets regularly at a spectacular location and brings together HR professionals with organizations that represent an endless variety of recreation opportunities including amusement parks, special event providers, theaters, sports events, party planners, museums and other companies that offer valuable employee benefits. See the http://www.pihra.org/clubpihra for more info and upcoming events.  Author Jay Lewis is a Board Member of Club PIHRA and can be reached at: jay@lewisevents.com or lewisevents.com or 626-794-7371.

May President’s Message

I took a recent trip representing PIHRA at the CalSHRM Legislative Conference and attended the two day conference that was full of great information on how we, as Human Resource Professionals, can affect advocacy at the State Capitol. We had a large contingent that actually visited the Capitol and represented us well. Our CalSHRM State Director, Deb Horne, SPHR testified in front of a Senate Committee concerning a bill that CalSHRM supported (California Workplace Flexibility Act (SB 607).  Even though we did not get the result we wanted, at least they know we are active in the advocacy effort. I would recommend everyone to take advantage of those opportunities to represent the Human Resource profession.

This month I would like to talk about California HR Conference® by the Professional In Human Resources Association. The event will be held on Monday, August 26 through Wednesday, August 28. We have a fantastic lineup of keynote speakers and concurrent sessions available. For those of you seeking recertification credits, there will be ample opportunity to get those certification credits. One important item I want to mention is that we will have a robust International Track for those HR Professionals who work for Global companies. A big thank you goes out to Dennis Buster, SPHR-CA, our Vice President of Education and those who have assisted. I am really excited for this Track and the great wealth of information that will be provided. We will also be doing Bosses day again, where you can bring your Boss to see why PIHRA and the HR profession can play a vital role in their organizations. This will be my 24th consecutive year attend this great conference and I can honestly say that I am a better HR Professional than I was before I attended. I learned if I planned well, went into the conference prepared and wanting to learn, I met my goals and objectives. The conference website is cahrconference.org. The early bird registrations ends on May 31, 2013, so do not delay and I hope to see everyone at the conference. Thank you.

Wayne L. Munyer, PHR
2013-14 PIHRA Volunteer President

great work, hiring creatives, and a joystick: an interview with atari founder nolan bushnell
by Todd R. Nordstrom on behalf of the PIHRA Foundation

“Just because you’ve hired creatives doesn’t mean you’ll keep them,” warns Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and author of Finding the Next Steve Jobs. “Once you have them, isolate them. Celebrate their failures. Encourage ADHD. Ply them with toys. Encourage them to make decisions by throwing dice. Invent haphazard holidays. Let them sleep.”

That may sound like rogue advice. But it doesn’t come without some deep history. Bushnell is an icon in the Silicon Valley and quite possibly one of the most influential visionaries of our time. Yes, his credentials include: Founder of Atari, and Founder of Chuck E Cheese’s. But, most recently, Bushnell’s attention has focused in a new direction—sharing advice with organizations on how to find, attract, motivate, and retain creative people.

“I see companies trying to be creative,” says Bushnell. “They’re hunting for the next great thinkers to develop something new and exciting. And that’s what companies should be doing. But they’re going about the process all wrong. True creativity is seemingly one of the most difficult things for most companies to understand, to obtain, and to retain. The coolest companies in the world don’t have one Steve Jobs—they have many, and they know how to find them.”

Personally, Bushnell is surprisingly cordial. Unlike many “typical” leaders (especially those who are promoting a new book) he seems more interested in having real conversations—an exchange of thought, rather than a stage where he can talk about himself. And, during this interview, I often found the two of us wandering off topic—talking about everything from Paleo Man, to fitness, to comic book illustrations, to video games and of course, to creativity.

“You could have written about creative processes,” I interrupted, realizing I was witnessing his creative mind at work. “Why did you choose to write about hiring creative types?”

“Because it’s necessary today,” he replied. “The next big wave of competition will be companies who are creative—those that break the mold and give us new ways to learn and interact, and think. Of course, the hard part will be shifting our thinking around how we find creative-types, how we inspire and motivate creative-types, and how to keep creative-types. Because, whether an organization believes it now or not—you’ll need those creatives to survive.”

Finding the Next Steve Jobs is a book jammed with insights, stories and tips on finding creatives. In fact, the way the book is formatted (in short, easy to consume segments) it’s easy to get swept into a reading pattern that doesn’t allow you stop—because you’re curious about what you’ll read next—a story about early Atari days, an insight about starting a concept centered around a mechanical singing mouse, or a tip learned along the way about how to spot, engage, and hire a truly creative thinker, while you’re watching a swim meet.

“Any advice for the reader on who or what to look for?” I asked.

“Look, listen, and interact with the person,” he said. “We all get so focused on reading about someone’s credentials on a resume that we really don’t engage with them. Look for passion—a person who is chasing something. Listen for intensity—a person who doesn’t see boundaries. Interact with people—many of my best hires were those people I bumped into outside of the office. I never saw a resume. Instead I saw how they thought. I saw how they created. I saw how they overcame mental hurdles.”

“I have one final question,” I said. “Does creativity equal great work?”

“Creativity must be part of great work,” said Bushnell. “Many times employees will think that their job is to create a zero-defect product, policy, practice, or environment. It’s great to have perfection. But it’s not perfect unless you’re moving forward—innovating new ways, new designs, new procedures, and creating something better than you had yesterday.”

About the PIHRA Foundation
For more information about the Foundation, visit our website at http://www.pihrafoundation.org

Please join the PIHRA Foundation Board of Directors by volunteering to help advance workforce readiness through community service in the Greater LA Area.
Watch for items featured at the PIHRA Foundation Auction at the 2013 California HR Conference in August…Yes there will be another Diamond Ring this year!

About Todd R. Nordstrom
Todd R. Nordstrom is a renowned blogger, book author, researcher, social marketer, and speaker. Todd has worked side-by-side with many of the world’s biggest names in business books, self-improvement, and health. “So, who am I? Quite simply, I’m a guy who gets out of bed each morning, knowing that it’s my turn to contribute—believing I can make this world a better place.”

The first quarter of the year has just flown buy. I hope you have accomplished the things you wanted to do or on your way to accomplishing your goals professionally and personally. Before I get into the main part of my message, I want to mention my support to an event that we as PIHRA have been involved in for many years. That is the Revlon Walk. It always takes place the day before Mother’s Day at the Los Angeles Coliseum (May 11 this year). I went for the first time last year with my wife and we had a wonderful time and we are planning to do it again this year, but inviting my children to come with us. It is a great way to meet other PIHRA members, who you may not have the opportunity to meet and in a different setting. It is for a great cause concerning Cancer research. Please read the details in this month’s PIHRAeScope in an article written by Lynn Gleim and come join in this fun filled day.

This month, I would like to talk about PIHRA involvement. I briefly mentioned it my message in January, but I feel it is important enough to focus on it more closely. I have found that being involved in PIHRA has been a great benefit for me personally and professionally. When I first joined PIHRA in the late 1980’s (PIRA back then), I just wanted to go to meetings to receive information to help me be better in my new profession. I had no idea on how to do my job. I was an accountant for 5 years and I needed a lot of help. So, I started attending my local meetings in Long Beach just wanting to learn. Well I was approached the District Chair, if I recall at my very first meeting to assist on the local board. To be honest, I was very reluctant to do so, but I said why not. This beginning is why I am obviously involved so much now and will continue to be as long as I am Human Resources professional. Every time I have changed jobs, I can attribute my involvement to PIHRA for one of the main reasons I received my new position. As was stated so well by our Immediate Past President, Richard Propster, SPHR-CA, PIHRA is all about “Networking, Learning and Advocacy” and the networking has been that valuable tool for me to be successful in my career.

I would really encourage giving some serious thought in becoming more involved in PIHRA. Please contact your local boards (all of their information with pictures are on the website) to see the process on becoming a part of their team. I look forward to your involvement and if I can be of assistance in any way my email is president@pihra.org.  Have a great month.

Wayne L. Munyer, PHR
2013-14 PIHRA Volunteer President

March is “Bring a Future Member” campaign month. Help us build your community. I encourage you to bring a non-member HR colleague to a March meeting. The price for the member prospect is “Free”. For further details, visit pihra.org/bringafuturemember.

This month, I want to introduce or reintroduce your PIHRA staff. I had a great opportunity to sit down with each member to get to know them a little better and I feel it is important to all members to know who supports the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. In no certain order, here is our staff:

Valerie Hamilton, Membership Coordinator has been on staff the longest. She has been with PIHRA full-time since June of 2007. She is a California native (Los Angeles area). Valerie is a mother of two children and a grandma of a 7 year old grandson. Her main responsibilities are the majority aspects of memberships, administrative duties, PIHRA home office program registrations, Listserv administration, program volunteer management, phones and other duties as assigned.

Paulette Fontanez, CMP, Program Manager has been with PIHRA since December of 2010. She is also a California native Angelino. Her college years were at University of Pennsylvania and UCLA. Her main responsibilities are: managing meeting logistics for the various annual events, liaising with key opinion leaders to develop educational content, and coordinating recertification credits for all PIHRA district programs. She also ensures bacon is part of breakfast for any event she oversees, because bacon is good.

Christy Coe, Membership Manager has been with PIHRA since December of 2012. She is also from California (Simi Valley) and has lived in different parts of the country, including Kentucky and Arizona.  She and her husband Jim have 6 children together (all grown).  Her main responsibilities are to manage and oversee all aspects of the membership department, to grow and retain PIHRA membership, as well as look for ways to enhance member benefit products.

Chapmun Yiu, Accounting Manager has been with PIHRA since September of 2007. Chapmun is from originally from Hong Kong. He is married and father of two grown children. He is responsible for a variety of accounting operational duties, including preparing financial statements, reports, and corporate filings.

Brian Allain, Business Development Manager has been with PIHRA since February 2011. He is another California native (Diamond Bar area). His interests are golf and music. Brian attended California State University, Chico and is currently enrolled in the Center for Nonprofit Management class of 2013 Non-profit Leadership Development Program. His main responsibilities are working with human resource service providers to help grow the marketing revenue for the organization. In addition his business development role with PIHRA, he assists in project management for the organization and conference websites, graphic design, marketing and academic partnerships.

Rafael Rivera, CMP, MBA, CAE, Executive Director has been with PIHRA since February of 2010. A transfer to the South Bay from Dallas, he and his wife, Shannon, have one son named Luca. Rafael earned an MBA from the Pepperdine University Graziadio School to resume his calling as a nonprofit executive serving member driven associations focused on continuing education. Among his many responsibilities, he oversees the day-to-day operations of the home office, develops partnerships, and crafts the brands’ marketing strategies.

We are truly grateful for this dedication and hard work they do in behalf of PIHRA. To see their pictures and contact information, visit pihra.org/contactus.  Have a great month.

Wayne L. Munyer, PHR
2013-14 Volunteer PIHRA President

California HR Conference® Call for Abstracts

The PIHRA® Annual Conference has a new name, the California HR Conference® by Professionals In Human Resources Association. This year’s conference will be in Anaheim, CA on August 26-28.

You are invited to submit a proposal to share your expertise with over 2,000 HR practitioners, presenters, and providers. Others will benefit from your accomplishments while you make a valuable contribution to the enhancement of the profession’s field of knowledge.

Deadline for submissions is February 18, 2013.

Session tracks include:

• Employment Law & Legislation (priority will be given to California-specific presentations)
• Business Management & Strategy (see specific guidelines for qualifying for this track)
• Talent Management
• International HR
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Benefits & Compensation
• Personal & Leadership Development
• General HR

To see additional guidelines for submissions or to submit a proposal now, please click here.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The PIHRA® Annual Conference & Exposition has a new name, the California HR Conference® by Professionals In Human Resources Association.

Since 1958, PIHRA has presented the largest HR conference in California and the West Coast. As the conference has now grown to over 2,000 HR practitioners, presenters and providers, we too look to grow to serve a broader audience of California HR professionals. With more than 60 concurrent sessions, you will have the opportunity to share your content beyond Southern California.

We want to thank everyone for their attendance at the PIHRA® Legal Updates that were held this past month. We have heard positive feedback from many of you and are anxious to receive more. Your feedback is what makes the Legal Update a success. I would like to thank all of the volunteers and the PIHRA staff for all of their hard work to make this program so successful.

This month I want to discuss the importance of HR Certification. One thing I try to do as a Human Resource professional is to try to increase my knowledge in this exciting profession. I constantly look at the different positions available in the Human Resource profession. During my search, I am noticing more that employers now prefer to hire Human Resource professionals with certifications. Those that are certified understand the importance of keeping their knowledge current. That is why we, as an association, are making a concentrated effort to provide recertification credits for our monthly meetings and PIHRA wide programs. Let me tell you my journey to certification. As I have mentioned before I have been in HR since 1987. I decided in 2001 that I would take the SPHR. I did not pass. After that I took the SPHR 4 more times in the next 6 years. Same result as the first time. I really felt it was important to have that certification, but as most of you know the certification test is not cheap. I took a 3 year break and tried again in 2010 and due to some recommendations from my colleagues I took the PHR. I felt I had prepared better than I ever had before. My score was a 494 (500 needed to pass). I took it again in 2011 and I received a 497. As you probably can sense I was at my wit’s end. To bring this story to a close, I knew the importance of having the certification, but was not sure if I wanted to put my family through this again. With encouragement from my wife and her knowing the importance of it to me, I gave it another shot. On January 5, 2013 in Anaheim, I took the test again. Those that have taken the test and see the white screen that comes up before a pass or fail comes on the screen know how anxious I was. When it notified me that I passed, emotions were at a high level. Not because I had passed test, but because I reached a goal that alluded me for over 10 years. Why do I tell you this story? It is because I feel that every Human Resource professional needs to attain that certification. Whatever it takes, I encourage you to make that effort.

Wayne L. Munyer, PHR
2013-14 Volunteer PIHRA President

How to Make Your People Cry
By Martha Finney
(on behalf of the PIHRA Foundation)

If I could do only one thing for the rest of my career it would be this: Interview ordinary people who love their work and discover their secrets to worklife passion. That is my calling, mission and passion of my tenure here on earth. More than just a nifty thing to do, understanding what brings passion to the hearts of everyday working people is the key to understanding what makes any company outstanding – in its community, in its industry, in the hearts of its customers and among its competitors. The voice of everyday employees who love their work is truly the anthem to a personal greatness that is within our grasp, no matter who we are.

There’s a reason why I’m writing about this topic this week. I always think of Rackspace Hosting (#74 on this year’s Fortune list of Top 100 Companies to Work For) this time of year. A couple of years ago, Rackspace, a fast-growing web hosting company in San Antonio, asked me to spend two weeks interviewing its employees who deeply love their work. It was during the Valentine’s Day season but I was away from home and those I loved, perched high in a hotel room all alone, transcribing interviews from “Rackers” throughout the ranks, from the CEO on down.

I asked the CEO to tell me about a time when he felt especially proud of his people. It was during an emergency years ago when, he said, everything they worked for over the previous nine years as “on the razor’s edge.” A truck had crashed into their data center, causing a disaster to the physical plant that’s too complicated to explain here (plus I don’t quite understand the whole thing myself). Let’s just say it was a really bad thing.

As these things typically happen, it was at night. But it was “all hands on deck” for everyone, and the parking lot was as full at 2 am as it would be at 2 pm. Inside the building, everyone was there, with their sleepy children in PJs in tow. “I didn’t ask them to come,” he said, with his eyes moistening, his throat tightening with emotion. “Word got out and everyone was there, on the phones, taking very difficult calls from upset customers, doing what they had to do to keep us up and running.”

Because they cared.

During my two weeks there, another long-time employee talked about how that caring is extended to the customers. During one of the recent hurricane seasons, a Florida-based customer with an extensive web presence had to be evacuated; putting its own on-site servers at risk. My client company duplicated those servers, adding them to servers already operational in San Antonio. And then told their customer to forward all their phone calls to San Antonio, so that their customers would never know the difference. Then my client company cleared out a few cubicles in San Antonio so that their Florida customer could relocate some people and keep their business up and running while the wind blew. And the wind did blow, destroying the Florida building. But the business prevailed. Because of caring.

Another hurricane, by the name of Katrina, brought thousands of survivors into San Antonio. Graham Weston, the chairman, donated a vacant department store property he owned to be used as a shelter for the incoming. In a matter of just a few hours, Rackers (Rackspace call themselves Rackers) cleaned out the building, which had been vacant and neglected for many years, set up 2,500 cots, a cafeteria, mens and womens showers, even a beauty parlor. But that’s not all…they also set up computer stations and cable televisions (it pays to have at least one techie in the family, doesn’t it?) so that the survivors could keep up with the news and reach out to scattered friends and family.

But that’s not all…Rackers also devised a badging system based on their own employee badging system. When busloads of survivors came in, they could be registered and matched with their families as more and more people arrived. That badging system was so air-tight that even the local banks honored the Rackspace badge as proof that individuals were eligible for money and services set up for them. (One Racker said, “Remember, these people came with nothing but the clothes on their backs — no documentation, no drivers licenses, certainly no Social Security card.”) One Racker said that after he spent hours helping set up the shelter, he was ready to go home and get cleaned up for work the next day. But the minute the first bus pulled up, the first person to get off was a lady who just broke down into tears. And the human aspect of what he was doing went straight to his heart, and he put his own belongings down, and three days later finally went home for a little shut-eye. Because of caring.

Heroic caring can also be expressed in terms of everyday consistency. While talking with an executive admin, I asked her what is special about working for her boss. It wasn’t the money. It wasn’t the cool factor of working for the head cheese of company that’s on Fortune’s Best Companies To Work For lists. It wasn’t the array of Beemers, Mercedes, and Land Rovers in the parking lot – and the prosperity possibilities that those cars represent. It was her children.

“He always remembers my children,” she said through a tightening voice of emotion.

“He never forgets their birthdays and Christmases. Never.”

Evidently he doesn’t forget Valentine’s Day either. At 9:30 the night before Valentine’s Day, my cell phone rang in my 18th floor hotel room overlooking I-10. It was the chairman of the company.

“I just wanted to wish you a happy Valentine’s Day,” he said. “I know that you’re away from your friends and family today and so I wanted you to know we really appreciate what you’re doing.”

Well. That did it for me. It’s quite possible that I’m the only consultant on this planet who received a Happy Valentine’s Day call from the company chairman.

What makes this community of dedicated people proud to belong to Rackspace? It’s different for everyone but it all spells pretty much the same thing: Caring about something larger than themselves. And knowing that that caring is returned – in kind. And that everyone’s efforts truly make a difference, to each other, to the community and to their customers.

It’s enough to move people to more than just action. It’s enough to move them to tears.

Bio box:  This article is adapted from the book The Truth About Getting the Best From People (FT Press, 2^nd edition, 2013). Reprinted with permission.  Contact Martha Finney at Martha@marthafinney.com