Energizing Your Organization: Strategies for Sustained Vitality
Cultivating wellbeing in the workplace has become more significant than ever.
In 2022, over two thirds of employees (68%) and executives (81%) asserted that improving their wellbeing is more important than advancing their careers (Deloitte 2022 Study). Additionally, research confirmed that toxic work cultures are the top factor driving resignations and the Great Resignation (MIT Sloan 2022 Study). These examples highlight people are taking a stand for their wellbeing.
Unfortunately, most employees (83%) and executives (74%) are facing job related obstacles interfering with their ability to achieve their wellbeing goals (Deloitte 2022 Study). To attain wellbeing, job demands and wellbeing need to be integrated instead of in conflict.
For too long, organizations have approached wellbeing in the workplace by designing a separate initiative or program. A Forbes article emphasized that such an approach to wellbeing: “will not get [organizations] very far in driving organizational health or productivity.” (The Well-Being Schmooze, Forbes 2022)
To foster true wellbeing in the workplace with positive outcomes, it’s essential to embed wellbeing into the culture.
But how? Build a culture of organizational vitality.
Organizational vitality creates an environment where everyone thrives in the workplace. When individuals thrive, they maximize their wellbeing, which is foundational to building vitality.
Vitality, the inner resource of positive psychological, emotional, and physical energy, is the essential link between the internal focus on wellbeing and the external expression of leadership.
Imagine a leader with an abundance in vitality, leading with their full leadership potential and positively energizing others. Such leaders are not only high performers themselves, but they also positively impact the performance of those they interact with. To learn more about positive leaders, refer to my previous blog on Positive Leadership.
Now imagine an organization full of employees and leaders high in vitality. When everyone shows up and leads with their full potential, they have both their own energy and an abundance of vitality to share, they support each other and positively energize those around them. They create extraordinary results within and outside of the organization, including for their communities and customers. Such organizations not only create cultures for thriving, they are also top performing. This is what organizational vitality looks like.
How to Build Organizational Vitality
Creating a healthy organizational culture, with foundations in trust and psychological safety, leads to organizational vitality.
“The culture of a workplace – an organization’s values, norms and practices – has a huge impact on our happiness and success.” –Adam Grant
Culture makes an immense difference on individuals thriving in the workplace.
However, building a stronger “organizational culture” can feel abstract. It is often approached like another project for HR to champion, which is a huge mistake. It takes the commitment of all leaders to prioritize and champion the culture, in addition to HR. This is an opportunity for an organization to express what they stand for and show how to live into it.
What makes up organizational culture? Some elements are visible and some are invisible. Visible elements include: mission, vision, purpose and core values. Invisible aspects include: norms, beliefs and practices.
Unfortunately, for too many organizations, the visible aspects become statements posted on a wall. And, though the invisible aspects drive how works gets done, they are not given much attention.
To be most impactful, the culture needs to be experienced day-to-day and employees need to be rewarded for demonstrating behaviors that align with it. When individuals aren’t living the culture and being rewarded for those behaviors, then there is a disconnect.
Employees are 2.5X more likely to say that their work gives them a feeling of personal accomplishment when the company’s mission, vision and values align with their own (Qualtrics 2022 Research).
Cultivating Organizational Vitality
Organizations can begin by gaining an understanding—through employee surveys or feedback—of where the culture is related to thriving in the workplace. Consider what organizational vitality means for your organization when defining or refining the visible elements of the culture: the vision, mission, purpose and core values. Determine the desired behaviors needed to cultivate organizational vitality.
Make the invisible aspects more visible so everyone understands what the culture is and how to flourish within the organization.
Reflection questions: How does and could the culture foster vitality? What behaviors, in alignment with each element of the culture, would promote thriving in the workplace?
Cultivating Team Vitality
Leaders can emphasize team connection and team dynamics in order to build a culture of team vitality. Create the space to focus on the how—the invisible aspects of culture: how everyone collaborates, communicates, interacts, and completes the work. Build strong relationships with your team where you demonstrate you value the whole person. So often the focus is on the output and not the how.
Reflection questions: How could you create the space for team connection on a regular basis? How does what you are cultivating within your team connect with the broader organizational culture?
Businesses have untapped potential for organizational vitality when they operate as a community of connected human beings supporting each other and working toward common goals. Instead of operating with the outdated business model of a sole focus on profit generation.
People spend, on average, two-thirds of their waking life with those they work with. And, many have shown they are no longer going to put up with a toxic work environment. People are confirming more and more that they want to work within a culture where they can thrive.
The opportunity to turn our businesses into communities of wellbeing has never been greater.
It’s our responsibility as leaders within organizations to create the connection and the emphasis on human thriving and putting people first.