Organizations that are considered world-class and that everyone wants to work for have a few things in common. Here is my take on some of those invaluable elements:

- a workplace where people are respected for their ideas and talents

- a workplace where people like their bosses

- a workplace that empowers employees to make decisions

- a workplace where employees see themselves in the strategic direction of the company

- a workplace where good performance is rewarded and poor performance is not

- a workplace where innovation and performance improvement are a part of the culture

There is a reason why people like working for Apple or McDonald's or Lululemon. But don't be fooled, just because a company is successful doesn't mean that it is a great place to work.