AFFIRMATIVE WORK ENVIRONMENTS
Stating the obvious, positive environments and employment practices enhance employee performance. Using the word affirmative to replace positive puts a subtle spin on this point. The word affirmative is from the Late Middle English (in the sense ‘assertive, positive’): via Old French from late Latin affirmativus, from affirmare ‘assert’ (see affirm). It connotes saying yes, expressing agreement or consent. When employees affirm their presence in a workplace, they agree to be there. They say yes to the environment.
Affirmative work atmospheres produce higher productivity, greater retention and change-hardy cultures. Companies with contented and cheerful employees outshine their rivals according to a study sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration at the University of Michigan.
More importantly, expansion of positive practices predicts enduring improvements in various indicators of effectiveness including organizational climate, job satisfaction, customer satisfaction, employee retention and an atmosphere of respect, gratitude and integrity.
We hear that millennials are increasingly looking for purpose and value in their work. More than career paths, they want to feel alive — that what they do is making a positive difference. I contend that is true for all of us.
What is an affirmative work environment and is it a business strategy?
Let’s take a cursory look at three aspects:
A culture of respect and accountability;
Building in fun and meaningful celebration;
Making happiness at work a business strategy.
A Culture of Respect and Accountability
Nowhere is there a culture of respect greater than in many Asian countries. In Japan, Korea, and parts of Indonesia, the emphasis is on what is good for the group. There is a consciousness that whatever one does impacts the whole. The work done by any worker affects everyone else and this is the definition of accountability. This is paired with respect — the backbone of the Asian culture — and a basic principle of how to treat one another. Together, respect and accountability to others create a “we” environment.
Imagine such a focus in the workplace. The emphasis on the collective good would foster collaboration leading to more innovation, sharing the workload and a more congenial environment. Instead of employees engaging in self-promotion, we’d see more loyalty to the group and the company — the collective vs. the individual. Instead of separation, we’d see respectful interactions that are inclusionary and appreciative.
Building in Fun and Celebration
Amy Lyman, cofounder of the Great Place to Work Institute, says fun and success go hand in hand. “It’s absolutely a question [are we providing an environment of fun?] companies should be asking themselves, because it is something that happens in great workplaces…when companies make the leap from good to great, they must start addressing sophisticated trust issues. One corollary to developing strong bonds of trust is that people are able to also have a great deal of fun at work,” Lyman says. “If you are interested in increasing the opportunities for fun across an organization, and people genuinely engage and have fun, then that is an indication to me of a strong workplace culture that people will want to commit to. You would see a correlation between fun and reduced turnover, better recruiting, greater camaraderie…all those positive things you see happen in great workplaces.”
Celebrations are fun for employees; they create energy and engagement. When employees feel connected to a company goal and they get to help celebrate its achievement, their engagement goes way up. “Anything great that’s ever been accomplished had a team attached to it. Celebrating success gives people an adrenalin rush,” says Malinda Lowery, co-founder of Multiple Choice, Inc., a leadership development company. “They think, ‘Wow, I’m part of this!’ It’s about knowing that you’re a piece of something bigger than yourself. It’s the level of employee engagement that differentiates companies, and the research says only 52 percent of the workforce feels engaged,” cautions Lowery. “You can spend your time cheering success, or you can spend it dealing with issues that wouldn’t be issues if people were excited by what they’re doing.”
Celebrations have a positive impact on: building a sense of team, strengthening employee engagement, diminishing unwanted behaviors like lethargy and absenteeism, lifting a company toward greatness. To encourage risk-taking, consider celebrating mistakes. This can fortify a team and therefore boost the whole organization. It also takes the sting out of so-called failure. Kyle Zimmer, CEO and co-founder of the non-profit First Book, Inc., contends that if teams are not making mistakes, they’re not trying out enough innovations. Zimmer says, “We want people who have tried things and have failed and have risen above it.”
Happiness as a Business Strategy
The Conference Board reports that for the 1st time since 2005, 50+ percent of Americans are satisfied with their work situations. On the other side of that coin, nearly half of the workforce is unhappy. Let that sink in. According to the report, the five components that US workers are least satisfied with are promotion policies (25.4 percent), bonus plans (25.5 percent), educational/job training programs (30.8 percent), the performance review process (31.2 percent) and recognition/acknowledgement (34.3 percent). That is sad.
But do we even know what it means to be “happy” at work? In his book, The Truth About Employee Engagement, Patrick Lencioni uses a Job Misery Model (nothing like taking a positive approach) to demonstrate that Job Happiness is knowing that who you are, matters at work. People know your name and what you do has an impact; your work is relevant; you’re making a difference within the organization and because of your work, your company moves forward. Easy-peasy, right?
It should be easy. Do we assume that those unhappy American workers don’t feel any of what Lencioni suggests is required for job happiness? Do these employees not feel at all valued? Why not? Are too many companies too focused on their overall success in the eyes of shareholders and not looking closely enough at who is doing the work. Have employees affirmed their presence, said yes to the environment? Do they and their leaders know how and why they are doing the work? Do they feel alive? Are they growing? Is there purpose and value in their work?
So…
Statistics, models, research studies, expert opinions and books are fascinating to study and ponder but nothing is realized without action. What can I do from where I sit or stand? What can one person do? I can interact with my colleagues respectfully and refrain from gossip. I can honor my words and do what is mine to do with accountability. I can smile and laugh with those around me at work celebrating their successes and sharing my own. I can dress up and show up affirming my presence. I can say “yes.” Will you?
