Case Study · Mining & Building Materials

How Pete Lien & Sons Improved Morale and Retention

Ninety leaders, one inventory and eighteen months turned appreciation from a response to low morale into part of how the company works.

Organization: Pete Lien & Sons
Industry: Mining & Building Materials
Challenge: High turnover & low morale
Approach: Appreciation at Work Training + MBA Inventory

The Challenge

Turnover Was High, and a Raise Alone Would Not Fix It

Pete Lien & Sons was struggling to retain machine operators, truck drivers, and plant employees.

Turnover was high, morale was declining, and the company could not simply solve the problem by increasing pay and benefits.

Leadership needed another way to help employees feel valued.

The Approach

How the Program Rolled Out

Leaders first

Dr. Paul White introduced Appreciation at Work to about 90 supervisors, managers, and executives. Each completed the MBA Inventory.

Facilitators in-house

The company trained internal Certified Facilitators to bring the program to employees across the organization.

Every employee, over 18 months

Employees completed the MBA Inventory and took part in team-based Appreciation at Work training.

Built into onboarding

The program became part of the company’s new employee onboarding process.

Employees even requested appreciation-language stickers for their safety helmets — a small sign that the ideas were becoming part of everyday workplace culture.

The Results

What Company Leadership Reported

The company’s experience later attracted the attention of The New York Times, which featured Pete Lien & Sons in its Sunday Business section. Eight years later, the company still uses Appreciation at Work training and the MBA Inventory.