Last week I attended Culture Amp’s Culture First Leaders Forum in Sydney. What I love about the culture first community is that we’re not afraid to tackle the big issues or as Didier Elzinga, CEO of Culture Amp calls it the left hand questions that get to the heart of the matter. What are you thinking that you are not saying?
The theme of Better culture, better bottom line couldn’t be more relevant. Organisations are grappling with low engagement, market uncertainty, high turnover (highest in large organisations at 19%, according to AHRI’s September 2024 Employment Outlook report). The data also shows that employee engagement is at an all-time low. So what can leaders do?
The forum surfaced critical questions for leaders:
Are we measuring the right things when it comes to employee engagement?
Are our current engagement metrics reflecting employee well-being?
How can we validate our people while simultaneously challenging them to grow?
How can we create space for growth in our own lives?
A recent Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning study reveals a concerning trend: despite increased wages and flexible schedules, employees are reporting record levels of unhappiness, stress, and burnout. The global economy is paying a steep price for this dissatisfaction, with an estimated $9 trillion lost annually due to decreased productivity.
Clearly, it's time for a new approach. It's time to move beyond mere engagement and focus on fostering genuine fulfillment at work. The Harvard study suggests that real human-centered leadership is the key to unlocking this potential.
Fostering fulfillment means understanding and addressing each employee's holistic needs for well-being, spanning emotional, physical, social, financial, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, and occupational dimensions.
As the infographic highlights, when employees feel fulfilled at work, they are far more likely to give their best efforts, experience less stress and burnout, and remain loyal to their organisations.
The essence of human-centered leadership
True human-centered leadership goes beyond empathy and inclusivity. It requires a genuine commitment to helping each individual succeed and find meaning in their work.
It calls for leaders to tailor their leadership style to the unique needs of each employee, striking a delicate balance between seemingly contradictory behaviours:
Finding the balance between empathy and compassion and knowing when to offer understanding versus taking action to alleviate suffering.
Connecting and aligning an employee's work to both the organisation’s purpose and their own individual goals and aspirations.
Creating psychological safety, a safe space for open communication while also encouraging constructive debate and challenge and forster intellectual honesty.
Focusing on efforts and outcomes by recognising and appreciating both the results achieved and the effort invested.
Embracing the challenge
Implementing human-centered leadership is not without its challenges. Leaders may face time constraints, organisational barriers, and even their own ingrained tendencies to revert to familiar leadership styles under pressure.
However, organisations that prioritise fulfillment and invest in developing their leaders' capacity for human-centeredness will reap the rewards of a more engaged, productive, and loyal workforce.
The path forward
The Harvard study emphasises that achieving true fulfillment at work necessitates a paradigm shift. It requires a commitment to supporting employees' well-being for its own sake and empowering leaders to become adept at understanding and meeting the diverse needs of their teams.
As Didier eloquently put it:
How can we validate the human being, while asking more of the human being?
That is the question that lies at the heart of human-centered leadership and the pursuit of fulfillment in the workplace.
Ready to cultivate a thriving workplace?
Are you ready to embark on a journey towards a more fulfilling workplace? Let's connect and explore how coaching and leadership development can help you cultivate a culture of human-centeredness within your organisation
References
https://www.harvardbusiness.org/insight/fulfillment-at-work-requires-real-human-centered-leadership/
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