Centennial cleans up on Gallup workplace awards
City honored for ‘engaged’ management and employees
BY PETER JONES
NEWS EDITOR
Centennial continues to rack up honors as a decidedly 21st century city.
Last week, the youngest municipality in the immediate metro area became the first governmental organization to win Gallup’s Great Workplace Award.
“I love baseball and I feel like we just won the World Series,” said Paula Gibson, Centennial’s human-resources director.
The city was one of 37 organizations, mostly businesses, to receive Gallup’s recognition this year for what the pollster calls an “engaged workplace culture.”
Scott Brown, director of business development for the iconic research and consulting firm, presented the Great Workplace statue—as well as two others—to city staff at an Aug. 2 ceremony in the award-winning Centennial Center Park.
“What we find is regardless of organization size, location, culture, industry, the best organizations share one common trait,” Brown told the group. “They have an intense and intentional focus on engaging their employees.”
Brown said accountability and performance, well-defined development programs and the treatment of employees as “stakeholders” all played a role in the city’s recognition.
“As a result, their employees create more and better work and stay at the organization longer and win the best customers,” he said.
Or more satisfied taxpayers and city residents, in Centennial’s case.
Brown, who spent considerable time researching Centennial’s organizational culture, went so far as to say the city had an average of 14 engaged employees for every one employee who was “actively disengaged,” placing Centennial mathematically in the 99th percentile.
“It’s evident your organization is incredibly purpose-driven,” Brown said. “… Thank you for leading this beautiful city, one of the best cities in the country to live, work, play and grow.”
In addition to the Workplace Award, Centennial was 2017’s only recipient of Gallup’s Trailblazer Award in recognition of the city’s Wellness Committee, which has organized everything from a financial-wellness class to yoga in the park and a smoothie bar for employees.
Additionally, Deputy City Manager Elisha Thomas was named one of 12 national finalists for Gallup’s Manager of the Year.
“She knows what you’re thinking and feeling before you do many times,” said Travis Greiman, Centennial’s public-works director. “… Over time, I came to appreciate that as a real strength and talent because she uses it for good.”
