Liberating the Workplace
Adam Grant offers key insights into the future of work
When I started this newsletter almost two years ago, I had a few goals in mind:
Expose readers to the power of professional coaching and the importance of growing their conscious leadership
Prepare leaders and their teams for the future of work
Explore ways to help us all work, live and BE happier
The content of each week’s newsletter focuses on some aspect of the above three topics. I usually draw from content I’ve been reading or a topic I explored with a client during an actual coaching session.
This week, I read a fantastic article, by organizational psychologist and thought leader Adam Grant, “The Real Meaning of Freedom at Work”. I believe it aligns perfectly with the goals for this newsletter, especially bringing more conscious leadership to the workplace as we transform how we all work.
A few of Adam’s points highlight the need for more conscious leadership in the workplace and the importance of thinking about how we work differently:
There are two types of freedom: negative and positive. “Negative liberty is freedom from obstacles and interference by others. Positive liberty is freedom to control your own destiny and shape your own life. If we want to maximize net freedom in the future of work, we need to expand both positive and negative liberty.”
How can you, as a conscious leader, enhance your team’s workplace freedom?
The future of work means more remote and hybrid work; leaders need to be prepared to lead their teams differently. “It’s well documented that many managers mistake visibility for value and reward presence instead of performance. The very employees who gain freedom from constraints thanks to remote work may end up missing out on the freedom to develop their skills and advance their careers.”
What are you doing to ensure your remote team has plenty of opportunity for growth and advancement?
“Job crafting” creates more engagement and enjoyment for employees. “[I]t enables people to become active architects of their own tasks and interactions. Extensive research suggests that when employees have the flexibility to customize their work, they’re more effective, more satisfied and more likely to stay.”
How much do you collaborate with your team in crafting a role that brings out their best performance and productivity?
Workers prioritize flexibility and accomplishing goals, not hours clocked. “[T]he 40-hour workweek was not ordained from above; it’s a human invention that grew out of the Industrial Revolution…When we started treating humans like machines, we began confusing time spent with value created.” “When people have the flexibility to work less, they often focus better and produce more.”
How are you providing flexibility for your team so they can truly flourish?
I agree with Grant that the future of work means more flexibility, more opportunity, and greater work-life balance. In fact, Grant notes that for generations we have built our lives, homes, hobbies and even family time around work. But now, it’s time we plan our work around our lives. It’s an exciting prospect for everyone who wants to work, live and BE happy.
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
The way we work and build teams is rapidly changing. Leaders often feel unprepared to navigate the transition. As a conscious leadership coach, consultant and communicator, Meredith helps leaders and their teams create new ways of working and relating so they can prepare for the future by consciously co-creating it.
Contact her to develop your conscious leadership and transform your organization into the workplace of the future.
You can support my work developing more conscious leadership in the world by investing in a paid subscription to this newsletter. Upgrade your subscription today!
Connect with Meredith on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for content related to these topics.