In the same way that a pure profit motive divorced from a greater purpose leads to unhealthy organizational practices, so does working solely for a paycheck at an individual level. We have seen time and again how poorly people perform when all they care about – or all they have left to care about – is the paycheck at the … Read More
Do You Have to Like Your Colleagues?
As a workplace mediator I’m sometimes asked, “Do I have to like the people I work with?” I’m always tempted to tell them “No” – that they just have to do their jobs – but that wouldn’t quite be true. I say this because effective communication requires positive interactions among team members. Imagine that Adrian and Bobby work for you, … Read More
3 Leadership Choices for Creating a Culture of Safety
At ACHIEVE, we believe that everyone should be able to like where they work. People can only enjoy their work when they feel welcomed, included, and safe in the presence of leadership. We know that leadership impacts every aspect of an employee’s experience. We hear over and over again that people don’t quit organizations, they quit their bosses. If we … Read More
Performance Reviews – Really?
I’m shocked by how often I hear friends and colleagues express frustration about annual performance reviews. Given the amount of complaints I’ve heard, it seems that organizations are still investing an inordinate amount of time in an often-unhelpful process. What follows are two ways that organizations get annual meetings wrong, along with some ideas on how to improve the process … Read More
How to Build Employee Engagement
In Aesop’s fable, “The North Wind and the Sun,” two forces of nature demonstrate their very different styles of influence. In the story, the wind and the sun make a bet as to which of them can make a lone traveler take off his jacket. To demonstrate its strength, the wind blows and blows, but the man only grows colder … Read More
Doing Work That Matters
One morning as I, Eric, left the house, I said to my preschool-aged daughter, “Have a fun day on your field trip!” She replied, “Have a fun day at work!” Her reply made me smile. It was such a natural response coming from a child. Who doesn’t like to have fun? Yet I couldn’t help thinking that, while I like … Read More
Develop Your Culture Through Conscious Onboarding
Think back to your first day at your current job. Were you greeted at the door with fanfare and taken for lunch? Or, were you shown to your workstation and given an employee handbook? How did the way people treated you make you feel about your new workplace? How did this affect your subsequent behaviour at work? If you’re like … Read More
How to Fix a Culture Problem
A few years ago, a major furniture retailer opened a new mega store in my home city with much fanfare. It was bright and shiny – a shopper’s heaven for the masses! When I visited the store for the first time, each staff person I talked to seemed happy and interested in being there, but unfortunately this excitement didn’t last. … Read More
Why Workplace Culture Matters
Workplace culture is the most significant factor that influences happiness, work relationships, and job satisfaction. Having a clear understanding of what workplace culture is, and what your own organization’s culture is, will help you more easily identify problems and develop strategies to create a better culture and capitalize on its positive energy. In their article, “The Leader’s Guide to Corporate … Read More
Four Workstyles: How to Get Better at What You Do
A key skill to being successful in life is understanding yourself: how you think, why you act certain ways, and what makes you happy or unhappy. A healthy sense of self-awareness is a catalyst for living a fulfilled life. Self-awareness is also essential for the workplace, because every person has a different work style. If you want to maximize your … Read More
