Recent research leaves little doubt that open, connected and inclusive organizations consistently outperform peers in employee wellbeing, innovation and workplace productivity. But the culture required to maintain openness and inclusion assumes an authentically collective mindset – a mindset that differs considerably from the individual focus that dominates Western society. How do we override centuries of Western thinking and open ourselves up to new philosophies of human relationships at work?
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We widely accept the idea that collaboration and collegiality are critical workplace attributes, and that the most effective teams are the ones that get along well. But research shows that diverse teams are more productive. With diversity often comes widely different points of view.
Disagreement and differing perspectives are a fundamental characteristic of any team or group – but how does the way we disagree distinguish high-performing groups from others?
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Social connections at work are good – a well-networked organization is a stronger, more efficient organization. Much evidence exists to support this idea, both on this blog and beyond. But a recent working article from Harvard and the University of North Carolina takes these insights even deeper: fragile social connections – those which can be easily dropped – may actually harm both organizations and the people who work for them.
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You don’t have go far to read impassioned references to the American “skills gap.” A recent survey published by Adecco found that 92% of American executives believe that American workers are not as skilled as they need to be. Although reasonable minds do differ as to whether the “skills gap” is a real problem or not, one thing is very clear: technical expertise is critical to running a successful business in every sector of the economy. But expertise has a shadow.
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How do we reenergize at work? And what does that energy do for us, as employees and colleagues? Researchers from Brigham Young University, California State University and the University of Michigan took on these questions in a recent article for the Journal of Applied Psychology. Their research shows that relational energy – the psychological resources we gain from our interactions with others – has the capacity to make us simultaneously more effective and satisfied in the workplace.
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The headline is stark: Americans are increasingly unlikely to read literature. So found the National Endowment for the Arts in its recently released Annual Arts Basic Survey (AABS). Measuring the ways adult Americans interact with and engage in the arts – from reading a book to playing an instrument to attending a performance – this year’s survey shows that only 43% of Americans read “novels, short stories, or plays not required for work or school.” Although the NEA’s research excludes narrative non-fiction and newer storytelling genres like blog posts and podcasts, the research suggests that reading rigorous literature may shrink away to nothing, with fewer and fewer Americans taking the time to explore the magic of literary worlds. But the NEA’s numbers are particularly striking as they break down along gender, race and educational lines.
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In a recent article for the New York Times, Charles Duhigg takes a close look at Project Aristotle, a Google initiative that sought the answer to one burning question: what makes a good team? As Duhigg explains – and employees everywhere know – modern worklife is a series of collaborations and interactions. Your ability to work on a team can make or break your success in an organization, while team productivity directly affects companies’ ability to deliver on their goals.
According to Duhigg, employees in Google’s People Analytics division sifted through decades worth of research on team productivity, while analyzing 180 teams throughout their organization.
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September 8 is International Literacy Day, a day that has been recognized by UNESCO since 1965 and which is supported by the World Literacy Foundation. With them, we recognize that literacy is a fundamental human right. But it’s also a topic that may be closer to home than many of us may realize.
As we navigate the world, we rarely stop to think about literacy – the ability to read, write and interpret signs – and we take its contribution to our own lives for granted.
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In a recent piece for the Harvard Business Review, Pat Wadors, Senior Vice President of Global Talent Organization at LinkedIn, argues that storytelling is key to belonging at work. Learn more about the case she makes for belonging. We also include stories on the key to listening well, employee-led learning, a poet-turned CEO, hope and living wisely.
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