Meaning Is the New Money (Harvard Business Review)

Meaning Is the New Money (Harvard Business Review)

Over the last year, I've been doing a lot of research on how organizations will need to evolve to meet the demands of the 21st century. The central premise of this work is that new technologies, most of which have appeared only within the last decade, greatly amplify our abilities to interact simultaneously with large numbers of people. The frontier of human productive capacity today is the power of extended collaboration — the ability to work together beyond the scope of small groups.

But doing this successfully turns out to rub up against a number of assumptions that are deeply embedded in the ways most organizations still operate today — assumptions that are no longer valid, but are so deeply buried that we fail to question whether or not it makes sense to do things the same way.

Here's one assumption many organizations live by: “If you can see your employees working, they're productive. If you pay them more, they'll work harder.”

Working in a world of extended collaboration asks individuals to contribute through a different and, in many ways, more complex set of activities. Workers must deal with rich content that flows through infinite links. Individuals must make intelligent, well-informed decisions about what to share with whom (and what not to) with less guidance from the hierarchy to simplify the patterns of interaction. And they must dig deep within themselves to form innovative ideas and put their best thinking forward.

To a large extent, the conduct of these activities is not something managers can prescribe or even monitor. Unlike process-based work, in which the goal is to perform synchronized tasks consistently and reliably, extended collaboration occurs asynchronously and is often aimed at discovering or developing something new. Rather than requiring everyone to be in the same place at the same time, extended collaboration can occur virtually. In process-based work, quality can be assured through in-process inspection and performance judged on conformity to process specifications, while the quality of collaborative work can typically be assessed only by the results achieved.

Perhaps most significantly, extended collaboration requires high levels of discretionary effort. People have to choose to do it and have to want to do it well. Leaders can create a context in which that is likely to happen, but collaboration cannot be mandated. It requires high levels of employee engagement.

My research has clearly shown that high levels of engagement, and the associated discretionary effort, occur when our work experiences reflect a clear set of values that we share. For many today, meaning is the new money. It's what people are looking for at work. Clear company values, translated into the day-to-day work experience, are one of the strongest drivers of an engaged workforce, one primed for successful collaboration.

When employees are engaged, they are excited and enthusiastic about what they're doing and enjoy pondering current challenges. They invite others in and are emotionally contagious. Engaged employees identify proudly with the organization and their work. These are the conditions that drive individuals' desires to collaborate in business.

As the old assumption that managers can "oversee" the quality of people's work and pay more to motivate more falls away, the role of leadership shifts from adopting and enforcing best practices to crafting unique experiences that reinforce the organization's values. It becomes less important to be all things to all people and more important to attract and retain people who value what you have to offer. Rather than offering a little of everything, companies must shift to excelling in specific areas that align with their unique values.

By strengthening meaning and increasing engagement, firms can connect with and motivate employees whenever and wherever they work.

Do not hesitate to contact one of our Human Resources

Professionals at HOTLINE TO HR, for assistance in getting more information regarding:

HOW TO MOTIVATE

HOW TO ENGAGE EMPLOYEES

SUPERVISOR TRAINING

SALARY INFROMATION

COMPENSATION PLANS

REWARD PLANS

Health & Safety Policy

A written health and safety policy helps promote an effective safety program. Such a policy should reflect the special needs of your workplace and should be reviewed and updated annually.

There are several reasons why workplaces need a health and safety policy or program, including:

• to show employees that safety performance and business performance are compatible;
• to clearly state the company's safety beliefs, principles, objectives, strategies and processes to build buy-in through all levels of the company;
• to clearly outline employer and employee accountability and responsibility for workplace health and safety;
• to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act; and
• to set out safe work practices and procedures to be followed to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, and to comply with Legislative Standards

To be effective, a policy must: involve senior management and representatives in the preparation of the policy, be seen as consistent with the workplace's objectives of operating in an efficient and predictable manner, be relevant to workplace's real needs, not adopted from another workplace, and be accepted as equal in importance to the workplace's other policy objectives.

• No matter how well written, a policy is no more than empty words if a plan does not exist to put the policy into effect throughout the organization.

The policy can only be put into effect where: responsibilities are clearly defined and assigned, methods of accountability are established, proper procedures and program activities are implemented, adequate provision of financial and other resources are provided , and responsibilities for carrying out the policy objectives are clearly communicated and understood within the workplace.

 

RESIGNATIONS

RESIGNATIONS

Our complex workplace laws, and human behaviour means that businesses are still required to document many, if not all, aspects of people management. Far from making it easier, each government change seems to result in a need for more documentation. Neglecting your people management documentation exposes your business to unnecessary stress caused by disputes.  Unfortunately, the verbal resignation is not an unusual occurrence. When a business owner or manager receives an employee resignation, it is important to ask them to document their resignation fully. If they fail to do this, it can result in all manner of disputes about how much notice was given, or lead to disputes about other details. If the employee fails to put things in writing, it can possibly turn into a constructive dismissal if not handled properly. The way to protect yourself is to ensure you have written evidence is to acknowledge the employee’s resignation in writing.

An example of this approach came when Dawn received a verbal resignation from Sally. Initially, Dawn was happy for Sally to work out her notice period, but two days into it, Dawn began to receive complaints from clients and other employees. Dawn decided it would be better to pay Sally out her notice period and told her she was not required to attend work. Sally left immediately and all employee entitlements were paid. Weeks later, Dawn received advice that Sally had lodged an unfair dismissal claim, stating she had been terminated. Dawn had no proof of the verbal resignation and had to request that her employees make witness statements verifying Sally’s resignation.

The outcome of this was a mediated settlement with Sally, costing Dawn several weeks extra in pay and many weeks of stress.  Orderly resignations are extremely important for both Employer and Employee. Employer should take the opportunity to get this signed Resignation Form from the Employee.

All supervisors should be prepared for how to conduct themselves when receiving resignation notice, orally or in writing, so they execute Company policy appropriately. In the simplest mechanical terms, you should have a set of documents prepared for this contingency. This letter plus the Employee Release Form is generally sufficient; the health plan continuation is a matter of formality.  Resignations are complicated for employers because the employee determines the time, not the employer, and the employer has a multiple set of objectives to accomplish to make the transition effective.

The final goal should be to get the return of all Company property immediately. This is usually problematic for offsite equipment. Just do the best you can in this regard. If they have equipment at home, first get the sign off on these documents and then direct them to go home immediately and bring everything back. If you create an immediate sense of urgency, you will stand the best chance of getting everything back.

Steps to Handle Resignations:

1.      Have the employee fill out the Resignation Form and the Acceptance letter (if necessary) and make multiple copies.

2.      Get the key or keys back in the initial resignation conversation by the Employee.

3.      Change all access codes as soon as possible without insulting or inciting the resigning Employee.

4.      Get the Employee off the premises as soon as possible without insulting or inciting the resigning Employee.  There are cases where that immediate termination is better than letting the Employee linger on premises. In this case then the Resignation Acceptance Letter needs to be issued. This letter plus the Resignation Form is generally sufficient. Note that in this case, Health Benefits Premiums need to be extended for the notice period. If the employee pays a portion of the premium, and they do not wish to continue, then the benefits can be terminated immediately as well.

5.      If possible, arrange for a going away event at a convenient time and place prior to the Employee leaving (this should be part of your normal termination package).

6.      Consider this activity the most important priority of the day it occurs. If you give it immediate precedence, the event will go off better than otherwise and you will vastly reduce any lingering byproduct. In addition, your other Employees will also be put on notice as to the procedure and prepared for if they eventually resign—and will not feel singled out, and so on and so on.

If you need assistance in handling an employee’s resignation, do not hesitate to contact one of our Human Resources Professionals at HOTLINE TO HR, to assist you.