Trust Factor

Chapter 2

Ovation

Ovation recognizes colleagues who contribute to the organization’s success. Ovation explains 67 percent of organizational trust.

The Container Store does Ovation in brass. And straw. And chocolate. Ovation has always been part of its culture, but it was difficult to sustain in the Great Recession. Canceling the annual staff meeting at its Dallas headquarters was one of the cuts it had to make. A typical staff meeting brought 300 to 350 senior associates from retail stores nationwide to discuss the next year’s strategies, products, and programs.

When rosier financials permitted the reboot of the staff meeting in 2011, the theme ...