A Healthy Approach to Workplace Improvement
by Tom Terez
What do dieting and workplace improvement have in common? More than you think!
Studies show that dieting by itself rarely produces permanent weight loss. Nine out
of ten dieters end up right back where they started. That's exactly what happens
with most program-type initiatives aimed at improving the workplace and boosting
employee morale.
Perhaps you've seen it yourself: There's an opening push of informational meetings,
enthusiastic memos, and vocal support from senior management. There might be special
training sessions and reward programs. People make a serious effort to adopt the
new approach. Then the days turn into weeks, the weeks turn into months...and everything
turns back to business as usual.
So we know there's no such thing as a single quick-fix program (the equivalent of
a sure-fire diet) that can produce permanent workplace change. But does that mean
you should surrender to the workplace status quo? Absolutely not. Just make sure
your workplace improvement efforts are guided by the same principles that underlie
wise weight management and better health. Here are some of the most important:
When dieting, it's tempting to set overly demanding goals, thinking that this will
somehow provoke greater commitment and discipline. When results falls short, the
disappointment can be so great that we give up entirely.
So it goes in the workplace. A stunningly ambitious improvement goal can look great
on paper and generate electricity during an all-staff meeting, but if it's beyond
the reach of the best and brightest, it can do more harm than good. The trick is
to develop goals that are big enough to stir excitement and have a meaningful impact,
yet small enough to be doable.
It's easy to start dieting for the wrong reasons. If the doctor demands it but our
heart isn't in it, we might be compliant for a few months, but lasting change is
unlikely. If we're trimming down for a beach vacation, again, the lost weight might
stay off until we return home. On the other hand, if we've just experienced the arrival
of our first grandchild and want to stay healthy to watch her grow up, our motivation
deepens.
It's just like in the workplace. If people are pursuing workplace change merely to
follow a top-down directive or to implement someone else's ideas, the new way will
be temporary at best. But if employees are close to their internal and external customers
and know what's important to them, and they are able to decide for themselves how
to improve the workplace, then the motivation for change comes from the inside out.
Nothing is more powerful.
With dieting, people often get caught up in the mechanical regimen of counting calories,
carbs, proteins, and whatever else the diet dictates. The diet becomes an end in
itself rather than a means to an end. Ideally, people should be striving to feel
better, to be healthier, and to enjoy a longer, more fruitful life. And they should
be embracing the many other means for achieving this kind of holistic "end in
mind."
The same thing often happens with workplace improvement. Say there's a new initiative
to monitor key performance measures -- now all eyes are on the numbers and nothing
else. Or there's a renewed effort to build teams -- now everything has to be done
with a team. These focused efforts can turn into tunnel vision, blocking our view
of the bigger end in mind while keeping us from seeing the many other roads that
lead there.
Remember: Those performance measures, that emphasis on teams, and whatever else you
implement are just the means for creating a great workplace that engages hearts and
minds every day.
When it comes to taking on big challenges of any type, there's power in numbers.
Even one ally can make a big difference. With dieters who are working to achieve
a lifestyle change, a spouse who sticks with his or her old health-harming ways can
make the effort next to impossible -- in sharp contrast to the supportive spouse
who stocks the refrigerator with good foods, joins the dieter for evening walks,
and provides an empathetic ear when it's needed.
With workplace improvement, going it alone can be a similar exercise in frustration.
But pursue change with a colleague or a group, and you turn the effort from a Quixote-like
escapade into an inspiring mission.
Begin with the end in mind -- the vision of a healthy, engaging workplace -- and
uncover people's ideas for achieving it. Instead of issuing directives or declaring
what will be done, ask questions to find what should be done. You'll end up with
a nice excess of ideas that have ownership built in.
When it comes to any meaningful improvement, there's no time like the present to
begin taking action. But even if you're a certified optimist who wants to bring positive
change to the workplace, you probably face at least a few resistant colleagues and
a long list of responsibilities that keep you busy enough.
So start small. Do the doable right now, then do something else. Keep it going. Bring
in a co-worker or two to begin making this a collective effort. Subtly promote the
positive results of your efforts to win over skeptics and fence-sitters.
There's no quick fix, packaged program, or easy shortcut that can renew the heart
and mind of a workplace. The question is, will that deter you -- or make you more
determined?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tom Terez is a speaker, workshop leader, and author of the book 22 Keys to Creating
a Meaningful Workplace. Visit him online at TomTerez.com, BetterWorkplaceNow.com, and InnerBest.com.
Copyright 2006 Tom Terez. All rights reserved.