At the beginning of each month, we will profile the ten articles from the previous month that generated the most traffic to Human-Centered Change & Innovation. Did your favorite make the cut?
But enough delay, here are July’s ten most popular innovation posts:
If you’re not familiar with Human-Centered Change & Innovation, we publish 4-7 new articles every week built around innovation and transformation insights from our roster of contributing authors and ad hoc submissions from community members. Get the articles right in your Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin feeds too!
Have something to contribute?
Human-Centered Change & Innovation is open to contributions from any and all innovation and transformation professionals out there (practitioners, professors, researchers, consultants, authors, etc.) who have valuable human-centered change and innovation insights to share with everyone for the greater good. If you’d like to contribute, please contact me.
P.S. Here are our Top 40 Innovation Bloggers lists from the last three years:
At the beginning of each month, we will profile the ten articles from the previous month that generated the most traffic to Human-Centered Change & Innovation. Did your favorite make the cut?
But enough delay, here are June’s ten most popular innovation posts:
If you’re not familiar with Human-Centered Change & Innovation, we publish 4-7 new articles every week built around innovation and transformation insights from our roster of contributing authors and ad hoc submissions from community members. Get the articles right in your Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin feeds too!
Have something to contribute?
Human-Centered Change & Innovation is open to contributions from any and all innovation and transformation professionals out there (practitioners, professors, researchers, consultants, authors, etc.) who have valuable human-centered change and innovation insights to share with everyone for the greater good. If you’d like to contribute, please contact me.
P.S. Here are our Top 40 Innovation Bloggers lists from the last three years:
As long as people remain the center of organizations, attracting, retaining, and motivating those people—keeping them happy at work—will be one of the most important elements of a leader’s job. Work is central to our lives. For most adults, work occupies the majority of waking hours. And being happy at work can make a big difference in whether those hours are a drain or not. And, by extension, whether those hours are productive or not.
But that job as become more and more difficult over time.
In recent years some of the circumstances around job satisfaction and happiness at work have been outside of leaders’ control—global pandemics and being always on the verge of a recession come to mind. But there are a few adjustments inside of leaders’ control that can dramatically effect happiness. In particular, research from Mark Mortensen and Amy Edmondson suggests four specific components effect the “employee value proposition” and hence their happiness at work.
In this article, we’ll review those four elements of employee happiness and offer suggestions on how to leverage each to make employees happy at work.
Material Offerings
The first element that makes employees happy at work is material offerings. Material offerings include compensation, bonuses, and perks, the office and individual workspace, location, and even schedule and flexibility. This is what most leaders think about when they think about satisfaction and happiness at work. But unless you’re a senior leader or business owner, there’s not a lot you can change—and even if you are, some of those changes will take a lot of time. If you’re a front-line leader or middle manager, then your options are even more limited.
However, there’s always some room inside the organizational/industry constraints you might be able to find. You may not be able to move offices, but you could give the team more autonomy over the design of their workspace. You might not be able to set the working hours, but you can work with the team to find a little more flexibility inside of those hours. And it’s worth considering any area you do have control over. Even if you can’t make big changes, your team will appreciate that you’re making the effort.
Opportunity to Grow
The second element that makes employees happy at work is opportunity to grow. This refers to an organization’s opportunities to develop and grow employees, which include assigning new roles, implementing job rotations, and offering training aimed at helping them acquire new skills. Humans are intrinsically motivated by progress—they want to know they’re growing in their knowledge, skills, and abilities. In addition, they want to know they work in an organization that has room for them to grow into new roles and take on new challenges.
And leaders at all levels can help create (or increase awareness) of opportunities to grow. So long as the organization isn’t shrinking, there will be opportunities for individuals to get promoted or take on new challenges. But often those opportunities don’t present themselves fast enough to be salient. So as a leader, it’s vital to get to know the people on your team—their career goals and their development needs—and create opportunities to learn for them. You may not be able to promote them immediately. But you can help them feel growth by assigning them new tasks or projects that will help them prepare for that desired promotion.
Connection and Community
The third element that makes employees happy at work is connection and community. This refers to an employee’s sense of being appreciated and valued for their identity, experiencing mutual accountability, building social relationships, and being supported by an energizing culture that encourages candid expression and fosters a sense of belonging. Humans are social creatures. And as social creatures, the people we work with have a significant effect on our satisfaction and happiness. People want to feel they belong and that they’re appreciated.
And connection and community is where middle managers and front-line leaders make the most difference in employees being happy at work. Because most people’s experience of work—and connection and community—is actually a reflection of the team they work with or the location the work at. If you take time to connect with each of your people and hold space for group conversations and experiences unrelated to work, that will help amplify your team’s feelings of connection. If you take the time to celebrate small wins, and encourage others to do the same, you’ll help increase everyone’s feeling of appreciation and belonging.
Meaning and Purpose
The fourth element that makes employees happy at work is meaning and purpose. This refers to the organization’s aspirational reasons for existing and employees desire to see their contribution to work that makes the world better. Many organizations attempt create a sense of meaning and purpose through mission statements or vision statements. But just like connection and community, meaning and purpose is felt more strongly on the individual and team level. Which means leaders at all levels need to create a direct connection between the larger mission and the individual purpose of their specific team.
People want to do work that matters, and to work for leaders who tell them they matter. And as a leader, one of the most powerful ways you can do that is by helping people answer the question “who is served by the work that we do?” And then reminding them of that answer on a regular basis. This not only creates a more motivated team, but it also creates a team that feels more meaning and purpose as well.
It’s important to look at these elements both individually and collaboratively. Individually, you may have noticed a specific element which your team lacks. But these elements work together to create an overall experience. Material offerings are great, but there is a diminishing return on their increase in happiness. It takes all four to create an environment where employees feel happy at work and hence feel like they can do their best work ever.
Image credit: Pixabay
Originally published at https://davidburkus.com on May 15, 2022.
Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.
In today’s fast-paced and competitive world, organizations strive to stay ahead by fostering innovation. However, fostering a culture of innovation goes beyond providing cutting-edge technology or fostering creativity. By prioritizing employee well-being and happiness, companies can unlock the true potential of their workforce. This article explores the link between employee well-being, innovation, and organizational success through an analysis of two compelling case studies.
Case Study 1: Google
Google is renowned for its commitment to employee well-being, creating an environment that fosters innovation and promotes personal happiness. One notable initiative is their implementation of a flexible work schedule. Employees at Google are encouraged to manage their own time and choose when they work best, leading to increased job satisfaction and work-life balance.
Additionally, Google offers a wide range of employee benefits. Wellness programs, such as gym memberships and on-site healthcare facilities, contribute to the physical well-being of Googlers. Investment in mindfulness programs and meditation rooms helps nourish their mental health. Such initiatives not only boost individual well-being but also lead to a more focused and inspired workforce, driving innovation across the organization.
Google’s commitment to employee happiness goes beyond tangible benefits. The company fosters a supportive work environment through open communication, employee empowerment, and transparency. By actively involving employees in decision-making processes and encouraging idea sharing through platforms like “20% Time” (where employees dedicate 20% of their workweek to innovative projects), Google ensures that employees feel valued and motivated. This approach has resulted in various groundbreaking innovations, such as Gmail and Google Maps.
Case Study 2: Patagonia
The outdoor clothing company, Patagonia, is an excellent example of how prioritizing employee well-being drives innovative solutions. Patagonia’s mission statement – “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis” – aligns with employees’ passion for environmental sustainability.
One of Patagonia’s notable well-being initiatives is its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. Employees are encouraged to spend up to two months working on environmental projects of their choice, which not only benefits the planet but also enhances their sense of purpose and well-being. This approach promotes innovation by nurturing employees’ interests and allowing them to apply their skills beyond their regular job roles.
Moreover, Patagonia values work-life balance and encourages employees to take time off to enjoy outdoor activities. By prioritizing individual well-being, they recognize that employees return rejuvenated and inspired, leading to increased creativity and innovative thinking in their roles.
Connections and Key Takeaways:
Both Google and Patagonia demonstrate that by prioritizing employee well-being, organizations can drive innovation and achieve success. Key themes emerging from these case studies include:
1. Flexibility and autonomy: Offering flexible work schedules and empowering employees to manage their time leads to increased job satisfaction and productivity.
2. Comprehensive well-being programs: Investing in physical and mental well-being programs contributes to holistic employee welfare, ultimately enhancing productivity and innovation.
3. Purpose-driven work: Aligning organizational goals with employees’ personal values fosters motivation, engagement, and innovative thinking.
4. Work-life balance: Encouraging employees to prioritize self-care and providing opportunities to pursue passions outside of work improves overall well-being, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
Organizations that prioritize employee well-being and happiness foster an environment that nurtures innovation, engagement, and success. By adopting such practices and learning from the experiences of companies like Google and Patagonia, organizations can unlock the incredible potential of their employees, leading to sustained growth and competitive advantage.
Bottom line: Futurology is not fortune telling. Futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.
Image credit: Pixabay
Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.
Drum roll please…
Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.
