Have you ever worked somewhere where memories of your adolescence came flooding to your psyche?. Where it felt less like a professional workplace and more like a school playground, or the wild wild west? I don't know about you but I have. But here's the thing, it can be difficult telling adults that childish games have no place in the workplace. Not only do these games hinder productivity but at times they cross the line, by taking professional disagreements into a whole new realm, in the personal, which is somewhere you never want to go at work.
Let's face it, though most of us probably have dreams of being financially free, our realty is that we work for the things we need and at times the things we want.
At its core a 9-5 ideally should be a place where you live your dreams. Your talents and abilities are in full display, your everyday takes you to a new height of personal and professional fulfillment. Not only that, but you help to move the company's mission forward. You are doing what you love so it never feels like work. You are surrounded by other professionals who are also at the top of their game and living their best life, everyone is secure in their abilities thus there is a level of synergy that brings total harmony to the workplace. All working in perfect synchronization to accomplish a common goal. Sounds too good to be true? Very few of us get to actualize this dream in life, and even then it's no cake walk.
What is more common is that few of us are blessed to find a job that stokes the flames of our passion. We may even be good at the job but we work out of a need rather than from a place of desires. In years gone past (our parents generation) this mattered less. We still had fulfillment, we made ends meat for our families. And due to a standard and a morale that can be found in few corporations today, our parent's still enjoyed their jobs...for the most part.Today, we are expected with each technological advancement to do a job that may have been done by 3 individuals in the past. We are asked to stay ever connected through email and phone and put up with an environment at times (due to the demands for increased productivity and this revenue) best described as cut throat. We work with colleagues who are made to feel insecure about their position which in turns adds to the toxicity of the environment. But here's three reasons why leaders should invest in fostering a good and healthy workplace environment.
1. As individual contributors, the demands on our day to day time and the expectations of outcomes and the productivity demanded, leaves no room for personal differences. Therefore it is prudent for leaders to root out descent within teams that hinders productivity and foster one that is of collaboration which ultimately will bolster productivity.
2. Praise your teams. With the demands mentioned above, it's important to say to your subordinates, I see the work you do and I value you. This should be done without discrimination and favouritism. If someone deserves the praise you should give it.
3. Finally, as leaders you should create an environment that nurtures the best out of everyone. Does not encourage jealousy through having favourites and builds an individual plan of advancement for each person that is based on fairness and that coaches people through shortcomings to become their greatest selves
Now some may say this is wishful thinking and a place of employment such as this does not exist but I disagree. It's up to leaders to usher these environment into existance and this is my challenge for the leaders of today and tomorrow.
