Shared Values and Common Goals
Chris Edmonds is the founder and CEO of the Purposeful Culture Group, which he launched after a 15-year career leading and managing teams.
Why should leaders be concerned about or even proactively manage #workplaceinspiration? A leader’s job is to get things done through others. In order to make sure this is happening, organizations carefully monitor all sorts of data–production, sales, profits, market share, deadlines–and more. You’re likely familiar with your company dashboards and comparisons between projects and actual output.  Sometimes, the team is recognized if output exceeds expectations. Sometimes not. Regardless, there is usually an ongoing evaluation of many levels of data about results. While output and results are important (after all, organizations are in business to generate revenue), output as the exclusive metric drives undesirable consequences. At minimum, a team focused only on output becomes a group of people that are considered “cogs in a wheel” rather than important contributors.  An “I win, you lose” mentality can develop among team members. While employees may spot problems, they avoid speaking up because “that’s not my job.”  In extreme circumstances, leaders may become abusive, which can lead to revenge through sabotage or intentional laziness on the job. As you might guess, these negatives lead to lost time and money, eroding success.
While output and results are important (after all, organizations are in business to generate revenue), output as the exclusive metric drives undesirable consequences.
CHRIS EDMONDS
#WorkPlaceInspiration is the degree of human enthusiasm for their customers, teammates, and company, and the application of discretionary energy by staff to customers, teammates, and company. When we take a look at companies highly regarded for performance and well-being (such as Fortune’s yearly list of best companies to work for, you tend to see two commonalities: shared values and common goals. Common goals align skill and effort toward the desired results. When you add shared values, you align staff toward formal values expectations and citizenship standards within the company. Remarkable things happen when both goals and values are deeply shared!  Employees show up with enthusiasm. They revel in being trusted and respected. They are willing to take calculated risks to solve problems. They CARE. The hard dollar gains and workplace culture improvements are impressive. Just take a look at Gallup’s ongoing employee engagement page for examples of the importance of engaged employees. In one specific case, a hotel chain experienced an additional $250,000 for every ¼ point gain on a 10-point scale measuring employee engagement. (from Dr. Tony Simons’ Integrity Dividend) This is evidence that #workplaceinspiration works. Will your company lead by example?
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