Things for organizations to try: Improving Worthwhile work
Setting goals and using frontline feedback helps us see the impact of work more clearly. And it also helps us see the contribution and influence we are making.
1. Connect the dots
Organizations can connect the dots so that employees have a clear understanding of the contribution they're making to bigger goals.
How to do it
- Consider how to design customer, client and feedback processes so that everyone gets to hear and see the difference the organization is making.
- Collate all the Celebrations shared in Friday Pulse that capture client and customer feedback to feed your internal communications channels (Note, Admins can export the excel spreadsheet from the Notes page, accessed via the the Results drop down menu in Friday Pulse)
- To strengthen how teams connect the dots, ask them to stop and reflect once a quarter on the celebrations shared in the platform that they contributed to. The size of the contribution matters less than the fact that it was there!
Case studies
From Timberland factories in the Chinese apparel industry, to large national health service organizations in the UK, it’s important for people to feel connected to the people who are benefiting from their work. NASA enhances how meaningful colleagues find their work by changing the meaning of their work. A famous quote “I'm not mopping the floors; I'm putting a man on the moon”, illustrates how employees locate meaning in longer-term aspirations rather than the immediate task at hand.
2. WOOP in the workplace
WOOP - Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan - is a strategy that helps people find and fulfill their wishes and change their habits.
How to do it
- Explain and encourage use of the WOOP strategy - by email or in person.
- To use WOOP:
- Think about what matters to you (wish).
- Clarify exactly what achievement of this goal will look like (outcome).
- Understand the barriers to success (obstacle).
- Find ways to overcome these obstacles (plan).
3. Put the "I" in the "we"
Create space for individuals to align their personal strengths with the collective goal of the organization. This will sustain people's energy over the longer-term and make employees using four or more of their strengths more likely to consider their work - and the organization's mission - a calling.
How to do it
- Enable colleagues to complete a Strengths Profile (or a similar one) to encourage everyone to distinguish between their different skills and strengths.
- Ask teams to review how their strengths can be applied to the organizational mission.