How do I create a productive, purpose-driven workplace?
How do I help create a great place to work?
The answer? Deliberate creation of an optimistic workplace.
Perhaps your workplace has grown stagnant. Maybe employees show up primarily to collect a paycheck. Worst yet, managers focus on compliance and conformity instead of coaching and collaboration. People worship problems. Low trust levels cripple progress. Generational differences divide teams. If these issues persist, your best performers eventually leave the company or stay and underperform.
On the other hand, in organizations with intentionally optimistic workplaces:
- Managers know how to create a positive experience of work and not wait for someone to tell them why it’s important
- Employees find meaning in the work; they begin to see that good will come from their efforts
- Employees focus on solutions rather than idolizing problems; soon, a bias for what’s possible instead of “that’s not how we do things here” is created
- The employees’ personal values and purpose become more aligned with the organization’s mission
- Leaders begin to understand their impact on people, their performance, and outcomes
According to the Korn Ferry Hay Group:
The ultimate impact of a positive climate is an increase in motivation, productivity, and innovation — potentially up to 30 percent on the bottom line.”
And once a status quo workplace (or worse yet, a dysfunctional or hostile workplace) is filled with optimism, a middle-out and bottom-up transformation can begin to occur. Employees, led by positive leadership, now want to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Team members become change champions and brand ambassadors.
Collaboration becomes organic. Productivity soars. And attracting, hiring, and retaining top talent becomes easier.
