Does your workplace bring out the best?

Here’s the workplace fix

According to US and global Gallup polls about 89% of workers don’t feel that they can be their best at work and 70 % are not engaged at work.  What this means is that an overwhelming majority of the workforce is not involved in or committed to their work while about 17% are actively disengaged. 

What if the problem isn’t the employee attitude?  Or the millennials and their values.  Or that no one wants to work anymore.  What if the problem is that we’ve taken our work environment and created so many rules, and regulations and standards that it has become mind numbing, boring and lacking in meaning?  When I talk with teachers, they complain about losing the joy of teaching.  When I talk with workers in corporate, they complain about the work being all about process and quotas but no heart and soul. 

Humans naturally have a desire, a drive to be curious, to explore, to learn and grow.  All mammals do. Animals in the wild display this all the time. They explore their environment.  They are focused, intent and engaged.  And they aren’t even getting paid to do it.  Many of our work environments have taken this factor out of the mix.  The result?  Unhappy, unmotivated and disengaged workers who simply are on a long commute to the weekend when they can really live.  How can you and your business overcome this problem?

• Begin with vision:  Vision is a mission that is larger than the individual, yet at the same time is also personally compelling and inspiring.  Vision transcends the mundane and ordinary details of the day.  It provides inspiration in the midst of hard times, frustrating clients and routine work. According to Andy Stanley in his book, Visioneering, it takes 21 (!) repetitions for employees buy into a vision.  Consequently, vision isn’t something you present once a year at a staff meeting and then assume everyone is on-board.  Vision is something that permeates everything you do.  So first of all make sure you have a vision, then keep it front and center of everything you do.

• Intentionally build relationships:  In order for a team to bond, they have to feel connected. DISC training sets the stage for this as it encourages teams to recognize each other’s strengths and to value contrasting styles.  Building relationships means structuring time while encouraging openness and support. Leaders can model this by making sure that they are a part of the equation. Recognize and nurture the peacemakers, the leaders, the creatives, the caring and compassionate individuals. Everyone has a role to play in building the team.  
• Identify the common enemy:  This isn’t the same as competing for the highest test scores, pitting one department against another or achieving a higher sales quota than that of a competitor. This is much deeper and bigger than that.  The common enemy may be a lack of understanding or information. It may be a societal norm or personal label that interferes with the ability to grow and learn. It may be feelings of helplessness or hopelessness on the part of clients.  Teams that are disconnected can be energized around overcoming a common problem.  

I was at a turning point in my business in deciding which direction to go.  I needed some focus and inspiration.  Fortunately I was connected with Lynne Watts and Dream Achiever Coaching.  Through a few individual coaching sessions and her informative videos I learned how to change my mindset about “selling” and promoting my business.  I also gained clarity on direction and uncovered a business model that would work best with my current phase of life.  I now have greater clarity to move forward in 2017 and have already landed my first client of the year!  Lynne is positive, encouraging, and is great at helping you find the clarity and inspiration you need to move to the next level!  I highly recommend Lynne’s coaching packages!

~Sandra Abdalian www.leanyourworld.com