Gone are the days when a paycheck, the employee of the month award, and the gold watch at retirement were sufficient motivators for people to perform at their best or to remain loyal and dedicated to the organization. Just as technology has increased the borders of our markets, it has also increased competition for the best and brightest employees. Employees today seek to work for a company and leaders with whom they feel proud to be associated and who treat them like active contributors, not passive producers.
In a 2013 study by the Society for Human Resource Management, on employee job satisfaction and engagement, “relationships with immediate supervisor” was ranked more significant to employees, than employee benefits, or the organization’s financial stability. Employees want to work for leaders (managers and supervisors) who appreciate the value they add and rely on their passions and talents to every extent possible.
It is important that leaders acknowledge that workplace culture is a direct reflection of current leadership. A direct determinate of workplace culture is the degree the individual leader chooses to engage with others. As a leader you must make a purposeful decision to engage your employees on a positive emotional level. Although engagement is a personal matter, successful leaders acquire and practice daily the mindset and behaviour skills that will create a culture that promotes a sense of personal ownership, accountability, and responsibility among their team members.
This culture-creating mindset and behaviour are learned skills that only come through knowledge and practice. Acquiring the skill of Positive Presence will provide you with the tools and techniques necessary for developing and sustaining the kind of workplace culture you want to be associated with.
CORPORATE HARMONY is grateful to Dr. Michael E. Frisina for his contributions to this entry.
Catherine is the President and CEO of CORPORATE HARMONY, providing virtual solutions for leadership development and organizational culture change. Her leadership and coaching experience as a Project Manager in an ever-changing, fast moving technological organization with unrelenting demands drove her to the realization that a positive mindset and strength-building behaviors are essential for today’s complex and chaotic organizational systems. CORPORATE HARMONY’s virtual platform of programs, coaching and performance measurement, is an innovative online technology of tested proprietary content. The world-class content of CORPORATE HARMONY’s Positive Presence Program develops the skill of ‘Positive Presence’ and the necessary ‘Positive Presence Behaviour Competencies’ for maintaining a positive and energized mindset and increased performance in today’s complex work environment, and leading to a culture of collaboration and connection. Catherine’s vision for Corporate Harmony is to bring the skill of “Positive Presence” to the corporate world as it becomes more complex, ambiguous and chaotic. Catherine is uniquely positioned to impact organizations’ productivity and long term success, with her powerful vision of eliminating bad stress from every workplace around the globe, bringing purpose into the people equation to promote healthy, productive and meaningful work cultures and turn the tide on the neglect of mental health on a global scale. Catherine is author of the book: “CORPORATE HARMONY – The Performance Link for Today’s Modern Organization” Catherine can be reached at: Catherine.Osborne@corporateharmony.ca or go to ‘contact us’ on our website www.corporateharmony.ca. Catherine is available for consultation, and can be reached by 519-695-3407.