The world is waking up to the realisation that the way to improve business is to improve the humanity of business.
In a world of work where worldwide disengagement (Gallup) is 85% (OMG!), surveys now reveal that 85% of people are unhappy at work.
HR Magazine recently reported that ”bad company culture costs UK economy alone £23.6 billion.” (BreatheHR survey).
We need a new way of doing and being at work. One that is more human and therefore more normal and more enjoyable. It’s no shock that this will lift engagement – a measure that is old hat in itself!
We know from our work and research that when you decide to #beyourselfatwork, others follow suit. You feel happier, are generally more positive and your natural self has the power to make a career, even life changing impact on those working for and with you.
The HR Mag report above reveals the benefits of positive workplace cultures, including improved morale and relationships (cited by 44%), better customer service and satisfaction (43%), and reduced employee turnover (35%). Reports also share that programs that address emotional well-being have a positive impact on employee health and workplace productivity.
Why wouldn’t any business want all this?
What about you? Willing to take action to improve your workplace?
Recently an article in Fast Company (Do you have a different personality at home and work?) shares the views of the Psychologist Andrea Liner, PsyD, that
”We tend to mimic the behavior of those we spend time with in order to fit in. If your work environment is at odds with your true personality or differs greatly from your home environment, you may find the need to alter your personality in order to fit in better.”
“It’s exhausting to feel like you’re acting all the time, and it can be hard to keep it up forever,” says Liner. “This type of behavior can lead to negative psychological consequences including anxiety and depression”.
All too often at work we worry about what people think of us, are busy trying to fit in and do and say the ‘right’ thing: we become masked trying to be the person we think we should be, to be ‘good enough’, leading to lack of authenticity, creating conformity, and hindering real communication and genuine relationships.
Liner, like us, recommends finding out your internal ‘values’, your iAM Values, to find out who you really are to better understand if you are truly being yourself at work.
If you don’t have your own iAM Values – talk to us now!
“Authenticity is a huge component of successful interpersonal relationships. It can be very hard to feel connected with people to whom you are inauthentic.’’
The benefits of this authenticity, is significantly higher job satisfaction and engagement, greater happiness at work, stronger sense of community, more inspiration and lower job stress (HBR).
After working with us, our clients rate the impact on their positivity and happiness as 88%, and feel that they have the power to change their workplace (81%).
” Leaders must abandon their egos and be truly authentic to be most effective …. if a CEO wants to transform their organisation around trust they need to start with themselves.” ”….this takes high levels of confidence for leaders to achieve…abandoning your ego is directly connected with vulnerability. You’re responsible but you give people the keys.’’ Isaac Getz, (professor of Leadership and Innovation at ESCP Europe Business School).
This is about bringing the real us to work: being honest, no pretence, truly being yourself and letting others be the same. Let go of that mask you wear at work to look competent and appear how you think you ‘should’ – stop being that person you think others want to see.
We all need to sign up to a new way of doing things – #BeYourselfAtWork.