Happy Workplace
What makes a Happy Workplace?
Yet again we hit upon a topic that is searched an infinite number of times world-wide! In fact Google Search throws up about 248,000,000 results! So if it's such a hot topic, why is it so hard to achieve?
I remember choosing this topic as the subject of my dissertation in 2012, when I undertook my MBA (Masters in Business Admin) at DeMontfort University, UK. I was keen to research Employee Engagement.
I'm in Spain on holiday as I write this, so don't have my dissertation to hand, believe it or not (haha), but for all the research and interrogation of results, the one thing that stood out, above all else, was that employees wanted to feel empowered. They also wanted to be appreciated. The two went hand-in-hand.
After all, the employee had secured their role, primarily because their essential and desirable skills were a close match to the Job Description. They could therefore be trusted to make that role their own, demonstrate their aptitude and flourish within the workplace.
There was a need for guidance and accountability but they didn't need to be micro-managed.
So how do we broach the subject at work, perhaps during team-building sessions, residential or employee conference occasions, without getting the cliché response of 'less work - increased pay'?
One great way to get the discussion started is to deflect the discussion slightly, using an 'Ask the Audience' approach and to come at it from a different angle.
There are many resources available to help with this, one of my favourite is from the Time to Change Site.
You'll get plenty of discussion around the theme of 'How do we Chill?'
This encourages employees to share how they unwind after a 'full-on' day. The subject very quickly focusses on what their day was like and how it could be improved for greater productivity.
Give it a go.
You'll be surprised by the results.
