“75 percent of my people are on anti-anxiety medication”, a founder and entrepreneur recently told a group of us.
People are anxious, lonely, and depressed in huge numbers right now. There are all kinds of sociological, spiritual, relational, and health reasons for this. However, our workplace environments, cultures, and habits often aren’t helping.
The status-quo and “business as usual” aren’t going to cut any more it if you are going to build a thriving organization.
We could call this “Great Resignation” the “Great Search for Meaning and Purpose” in life.
People are tired of being treated like a number. It’s so ubiquitous that we have words in our culture for it, like “cogs in the machine” and “working for the man.”
It’s so bad there’s even a book written about it, Dying to Work.
What if we were able to say instead, Thank God It’s Monday! ? (there’s a book by that title too)
Or, what if we built cultures of love and healing? The Healing Organization by Raj Sisodia tells story after story of flourishing organizations that are doing just that.
You see, I believe work is inherently good. We’re made to work, to do good work. To use our gifts to serve one another.
Work is broken, but work is good.
Here are a few ideas for leaders to turn their work environments and cultures from “drudgery” to “life-giving”:
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It’s ALL about relationships. People are the point. People are forever, are you treating them that way? They’re not a means to an end, they ARE the end. No more cogs in the wheel and turning people into numbers, please.
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It’s about individualization. We have got to stop looking for silver-bullet strategies and start getting to know the individual hopes, dreams, gifts, and aspirations of each team member.
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Consider caring for your team members even AFTER they leave your organization. Everybody claims to care for their people while they are performing for them, but the real test comes after they leave your organization. McKinsey created a thriving alumni network of former employees, with regular events and get-togethers. You know what? It’s been a huge asset for their recruiting, and for building their global network. A win/win.
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Listen to your people. They’ll often tell you how to help them flourish, given the space.
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Develop a meaningful higher purpose, and align your organization to that, authentically. Purpose-driven organizations increase retention by 25-50%, in addition to a whole slew of other tangible advantages such as recruiting, bottom-line, customer retention, and on down the line (several studies and references on this if you are interested in exploring further, let me know).
