Thriving in the Workplace
What I learned about the future of work at the Thrive conference
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend the Thrive conference hosted by 15Five here in Austin. I’m a big fan of 15Five’s commitment to making the workplace better through technology, coaching, and management training. This was their inaugural conference for Human Resource leaders and the agenda featured informative and thought-provoking speakers. For this issue of the newsletter, I’m going to share some of the most interesting and inspiring ideas.
Time to Drop the Rope
The current workplace is based on an adversarial relationship with power dynamics constantly shifting based on the economy. In a bull market, employees have the power; in a bear market, employers have the power. This creates a vicious cycle of distrust because both parties are self-seeking. It’s like a destructive tug-of-war that goes back and forth. It’s time to drop the rope and instead of thinking so much of Me, start thinking about We.
The Future of Work is Completely Up for Reinvention
This is what keynote speaker and future-of-work strategist Heather McGowan believes. As we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we have an unique opportunity to recreate work and unleash human potential. McGowan shared fascinating research on workplace trends and how they’re forever changing the way we work. In a future issue, I’ll dive deeper into her findings and what it means for leaders and their teams.
Psychological Safety is More than a Buzzword
If we’d had bingo cards for the conference, the psychological safety box would have been marked in every session. But it really is an essential element for building a more conscious workplace and strong teams. There are three things every employer must focus on to create psychological safety: role clarity and expectations, strong relationships, and consistent feedback (both managers and their teams receiving it).
The Future of HR and Leadership is Meeting Basic Human Needs
Thriving people create thriving businesses. This means that beyond just a paycheck, employees increasingly expect their employer to provide opportunities for their personal and professional growth. Learning and development are basic human needs, just like compensation and healthcare. Coaching and mentorship will be essential services every employer provides to their staff.
Pay Transparency for Everyone
New York just implemented pay transparency for all workers. And this trend will soon move to other states. Pay transparency will help make the workplace more equitable for employees. But it will mean a major shift for employers, managers, and HR leaders.
Humans Seek Self-Actualization at Work
It may sounds New-Agey, but keynote speaker Scott Barry Kaufman believes that to unlock human potential, we need to include self-actualization in our career. Based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, self-actualization is “the realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone.” To help their employees, conscious leaders can ask, “How can we bring out the best in everyone?” Kaufman shared the Human Potential Index he created with 15Five, which lists the elements every human needs for security, growth, and self-actualization. I’ll share more about this in a future newsletter as it’s critical for leaders to know in developing their teams.
One of my favorite quotes from the conference was mentioned during a session on creating more psychological safety for teams: “You can’t build in the world what isn’t within you.” This perfectly captures what conscious leadership is all about: first BE the change you want to see, and then you can create it in the world around you. Coaching is one of the most powerful, effective ways to raise your conscious leadership.
It was incredibly encouraging to participate in a conference where the concepts of conscious leadership were discussed in almost every session. We truly are at an inflection point in the workplace and there are thought leaders, CEOs, HR professionals, and many others who want to recreate work to be more than just a job. We can love who we are through work by developing our innate talents and abilities. We have the opportunity to recreate work so we do more than survive; we can genuinely thrive.
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
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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.
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