Rethinking how we work

The changes we talked about in the first blog have impact on us all. Fewer people around means we must work more productively if wages are to rise.

Likewise changes to our life expectancy is likely to result in all of us working longer. The UK government recently announced that people under 35 might have to work until 75 before collecting their state pension.

Assuming we overcome the climate problem and that robots don’t take over our world, then the question for us personally is how can we possibly work longer and somehow more productively and remain sane?

 

Rethinking the traditional work environment

The answer lies in rethinking how we work and how the context of work actually functions.

Feeling miserable at work and looking to leave often reflects a poor work culture and inadequate and uncaring managers.

In a world where the personal, empathetic and sensitive has come to the fore in emotional arrangements amongst people, it is the traditional work environment that often jars with this.

 

How do you make a “bad” manager listen to employees?

Of course many managers are highly communicative and effective.

But likewise many are not.

Workers want to feel valued and listened to.

But how do you get this point across to someone who lacks the skills to listen?

And would such a manager value your input or simply side-line you?

 

Hello gossip – Goodbye productivity

Against such perceptions of hostility – or actual hostility – employees can often simply go silent and seethe with frustration.

In such environments, gossip can be at record levels as people express their dissatisfaction to their colleagues rather than their bosses.

If the organisation only knew they might understand how much valuable productivity is being wasted because of such discontent.

One solution is to find a way for employees to express their views.

But open forums of even a small group can take time to organise and may feel intimidating for both managers and workers.

A better solution would be to collect information electronically on a daily basis and feed it back to everyone.

That’s where devices like Celpax Mood Meter offer hope for both employees and managers.

 

How does the Mood Meter work?

It’s all very simple.

Employees press Green for a good mood and Red for less good.

Over time the data amounts to a chart showing how things are going. By sharing the information everyone gets to see how mood is actually going.

Managers can make a difference by talking about what concerns people have.

All this in the hope that by addressing them they can improve mood – and hence improve productivity.

This is a simple system and one that provides continuous feedback.

Used properly it is also hugely democratic and inclusive.

So what happened in one organisation when we put the mood meter into practice?

Find out here.

 

 

Measure if your leadership actions are working.

Chris Gerry is CEO at The Skills Lab. They provide behavioural training and advisory services to organisations in the UK and around the world. They facilitate cultural change that allows people to develop soft-skills needed to learn, work and lead happy lives.