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Meaningful Workplace

Which Comes First? A Strong Corporate Culture or a Meaningful Workplace?

March 13, 2014 —

Which Comes First? A Strong Corporate Culture or a Meaningful Workplace?

There’s a virtual cornucopia of so-called “culture decks” finding its way across the web today. These glitzy slideshows present the values that supposedly drive each respective company’s workforce.  A quick scan of these decks shows that many of the companies are mimicking another. They are using clever language to make things sound really sexy. And of course they employ design that makes your mouth water. These cultural displays are all well and good, however one has to question them on several levels:  To what extent are they honest, credible and accurate...
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Meaningful Workplace – Getting Employees to Respond Positively

March 4, 2014 —

Meaningful Workplace – Getting Employees to Respond Positively

Meaningful Workplaces are built by companies that aim to produce a more meaningful outcome from, and for, their people. To become meaningful, these companies adopt a new stance vis-à-vis their relationship with their employees. They strive to reduce the distance that’s been imposed through organization structures and prevailing attitudes. They seek stronger emotional connections up, down, and across their enterprise. They see their task as making their company fit for the future by making it fit for humans. They create a Meaningful Workplace master plan that defines their compelling reason...
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For Employees, Employee Engagement Starts With The Letter “C”

January 13, 2014 —

For Employees, Employee Engagement Starts With The Letter “C”

If one thing marks the companies with highly engaged employees, it is that the top people of the company – the “C-suite” – are in sync with the idea that “people matter”. Working together, these leaders put forth ideas, hopes and aspirations which their employees, in turn, use to fuel their personal desire to create more meaning in their lives. The leadership “walks the talk” by acting and speaking in ways that demonstrate their intent, their positive attitudes and their shared purpose. What sets these engaged workplaces apart is that the...
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Why Recruits Say, “No Thanks”

November 13, 2013 —

Why Recruits Say, “No Thanks”

I came across an interesting article on recruiter.com the other day entitled, “7 reasons I’ll turn down a job after interviewing with you”. Two caught my eye: 1. You’re too negative – If you’re bad-mouthing the company, other employees, your workload, or even yourself, then chances are slim that I’ll come on board as your newest employee. Why? Because negativity is toxic. It tells me that morale is low and that you don’t enjoy your job. I recognize it’s possible that you’re just having a bad day, but it’s just too big of a risk to take. 5. You don’t tell me...
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The Meaningful Workplace: It Takes New Ways of Thinking, and Behaving

November 6, 2013 —

The Meaningful Workplace: It Takes New Ways of Thinking, and Behaving

“How do you build an organization where people are willing to bring their gifts of initiative, creativity, and passion?” – Gary Hamel You can’t build a workplace that is meaningful to people using the old mentality and outdated tools that have rendered your current workspace meaning-neutral or, at worst, meaningless. To forge meaningful alliances with meaning-seeking employees requires new ways of thinking and acting. Familiar business constructs that have formed the foundation of employer/employee relations are being rethought and retooled to make business fit for the future. Ambition is...
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Change How You Think About Values At Your Company

October 22, 2013 —

Change How You Think About Values At Your Company

“Values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes. As such, values reflect a person’s sense of right and wrong or what “ought” to be.” – Wikipedia Enterprises seek “appropriate” courses of action and outcomes, so they establish and communicate a set of corporate values. But, too many businesses find that employees aren’t sufficiently influenced by these values. In other words, they don’t fully embrace the ideals, they often act in “wrong” ways, and they don’t work together...
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Why Workplaces Aren’t Meaningful Now

April 2, 2013 —

Why Workplaces Aren’t Meaningful Now

Disillusioned by the age of conspicuous consumption, worried by the state of the planet and its people, rocked by war, corruption, and financial crises, and immersed in a swirl of information, news, opinion, and gossip, people are searching for meaning in their lives. Today they feel a need to align with people, ideas, and companies that make them feel they’re part of something bigger than themselves. People are seeking a sense of purpose, a reason for being, and the answer to the question, “Why is this good?” Today their idea of good is shaped by an increased awareness of their own needs,...
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3 Drivers For A Meaningful Workplace Conversation

August 21, 2012 —

3 Drivers For A Meaningful Workplace Conversation

In our published paper, “How to Talk to Employees in Turbulent Times”, we encourage CEOs to establish a new dialog with their employees and offer key drivers to have a meaningful workplace conversation. The recent economic climate has been enough to unsettle any employee. Even if they are working for an apparently stable and growing company, employees are nonetheless influenced by the world around them. They are naturally concerned about what effect the turbulent environment will eventually have on their lives. In the past, it has been normal for CEOs to issue high-level reports...
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The Talent Challenge

September 15, 2011 —

The Talent Challenge

The talent challenge for CEO’s is real. According to a recent study by PWC, CEOS are hot on the issue of talent management with more and more seeing it as a tool to deliver real competitive advantage. Consider the drivers: 66% of CEOs fear talent shortages will strangle their company’s growth. Developed-market talent pools are ageing. Millennial generation of workers is bringing strikingly different expectations. Growth is now being driven by far-flung emerging markets, where top talent can often name its own price. No wonder 83% of CEOs asked told PWC they intend to make “some” or a...
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The Meaningful Workplace – Workplace In Crisis

July 5, 2011 —

The Meaningful Workplace – Workplace In Crisis

The workplace is in crisis. Workers are not engaged. Productivity is down. Morale is low. Many employees obviously don’t see the point of what they – or their employer – are doing. How can a business turn the tide of employee dissonance?  How can it become fit for a future that’s bound to be more competitive, complex and commoditized?  How can it connect with people who are no longer blindly accepting corporate propaganda? People who are more “we” than “me” focused? People who are more discerning about the ideas, products and brands they buy into, the businesses they...
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