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| DESCRIPTION | |
| When it's lacking: - Few people can see, let alone understand, the big picture and how they fit into it. - There's a nagging sense among some employees that "this place (or job) just isn't right for me. I'm not in a situation where I can succeed." - People feel a clash between their own values and goals -- and what goes on in the workplace. Going to work requires them to be a different person. |
When it's thriving: + Individual employees clearly see how they and their work fit into the bigger mission of the organization. + People are able to tap their strengths. + Employees spend their time doing things that match their deepest interests. + The individual's personal mission fits well with the organizational mission. There's alignment between what they want in life and what they do at work. |
| EXAMPLES |
| When Sandy went to work for a research lab, it was somewhat unclear what she would
be doing. There were several possibilities, and all of them sounded exciting. Well,
things couldn't have gone better. Her colleagues came to appreciate her command of
the Russian language, and they asked her to translate a series of Russian research
articles. She loved the work and even began taking articles home. "My productivity
was awesome," she recalls. Lonnie works as the assistant to a community-organization director. The job has wide responsibilities, to say the least -- "everything from sweeping the floors to planning fundraisers." Most of the time, she says, the work is "mundane." ("There's a lot more floor-sweeping.") Yet she puts it all in perspective. "Every letter I type, every call I answer, every floor I sweep -- all of it has an impact on our success as an organization. If I weren't here to do those things, this place would sure enough keep going, but it wouldn't be nearly as successful." As a sergeant in the Marines, Edward had an uncanny ability to understand the likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses of each person in his platoon. This would have been useful in most situations, but for Edward and the other soldiers, the particular place and time made these insights a matter of life and death. They were serving on the front lines in Vietnam. He recalls: "I knew that Al was at his peak in the afternoons, and that Ryan was the best shot, and that another guy really knew how to read maps. I found it real easy to have them do whatever it was they were good at." The only problems arose when Edward and the platoon were in the rear, away from the fighting. "If I knew that Al and his buddy were useless in the mornings, but that they really got the job done in the afternoons and evening, I'd let them sleep in. Well, the higher-ups found out and told me I was breaking the rules. They overrode me. They wanted me to have one set of rules for everyone." What do work and workplaces have to do with Mt. Everest? Everything in the world, according to Steve, a programmer for a networking firm. His job, he says, is mildly interesting. He wants it to be exciting -- like a trek up the world's tallest mountain. "I'm obsessed with adventure and travel," he notes. "My job, unfortunately, is anything but adventurous." |
| ACTION IDEAS |
| What talents and skills do you love to use outside of work? What are your deep interests?
Perhaps you're crazy about writing, or maybe you spend hours and hours of free time
developing Web sites. Is there any way to bring these passions to the workplace?
Try -- and try to get other folks to do the same. Get to know what fires up your colleagues. What are their deep-down interests? What is their source of "flow"? What would make them race to work because they can't get there fast enough? Talk about these passions, and tap into them as often as possible. Encourage people to redesign what they do and how they do it based on their deep interests. Make this a collective undertaking. Too risky, you say? It surely will induce chaos if people lack a common direction. Otherwise, it will generate more ownership, invention, and bottom-line benefit than anyone could ever imagine. Who are your suppliers, and who are your customers? (Better language: Who serves you, and whom do you serve?) It's an easy question -- until you try coming up with the answer. Give it some serious reflection. Consider drawing a flow chart, process map, or system diagram. Even a 15-minute system doodle can give insights into where and how you fit in. A team, work unit, or functional area can do the same. Tape some butcher-block paper to the wall, and engage in constructive picture-drawing. A quick-sketch system diagram or process map can help folks see the big picture and their role in it. It may even uncover improvement opportunities as people spot redundant steps, unmet customer needs, and easy-to-solve supplier problems. |
| Copyright 1998-2002 by Tom Terez and Tom Terez Workplace Solutions, Inc. P.O. Box 21444, Columbus, Ohio USA 43221-0444. Tel. 614-571-9529..mail@BetterWorkplaceNow.com HOME | 10-Minute Briefing | Free Online Tools | Insight and Inspiration | Laugh and Learn | Buzzword Bingo | Kits, Books, and Tools | Keynotes and Services | Meet Tom Terez | Tell a Friend | Bronze Access |
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