Learn, Share, Grow – Workplaces Should Be Emotionally Connected

Below is a lesson from forbes.com on why workplaces should be emotionally connected, as well as our key learning.

The Blue Courage team is dedicated to continual learning and growth.  We have adopted a concept from Simon Sinek’s Start With Why team called “Learn, Share, Grow”.  We are constantly finding great articles, videos, and readings that have so much learning.  As we learn new and great things, this new knowledge should be shared for everyone to then grow from.

The Best Practice Institute Thinks Workplaces Should Be ‘Emotionally Connected’

by Alisa Cohn

Louis Carter thinks that the creating a workplace that people love is a key best practice for companies and the CEOs who run them.

As the founder and CEO of the Best Practice Institute, an organization and talent development center, Carter should know. He is also the author of 10 leadership books including Best Practices in Talent Management and Change Champion’s Field Guide.

As Carter and his team conducted research at companies, over and over he saw that a quality he calls “emotional connectedness’ was a strong driver of top performance. BPI published a study of “Most Loved Workplace.”

As Carter describes it: “Love of workplace or Most Loved Workplace (MLW) is the intersection of intense feelings toward aspects of a company, perception of how your company feels about you, and attitudes toward respect and treatment of employees. Our study proves that intense amorous feelings for the workplace are a greater predictor of organizational outcomes such as organizational commitment and perceived willingness to produce more for the company.”

Continue reading here.

Key Learnings:

• Carter and his team conducted research at companies, over and over he saw that a quality he calls “emotional connectedness’ was a strong driver of top performance.
• As Carter describes it: “Love of workplace or Most Loved Workplace (MLW) is the intersection of intense feelings toward aspects of a company, perception of how your company feels about you, and attitudes toward respect and treatment of employees. Our study proves that intense amorous feelings for the workplace are a greater predictor of organizational outcomes such as organizational commitment and perceived willingness to produce more for the company.”
• When you have low personal connectedness you know your work won’t be recognized and it’s frustrating or you just check out. When you feel connected to the people around you but not to the organization you enjoy the social aspects of work but may not focus on performance and achievement.
• Emotional Connectedness – high personal connectedness and high organizational connectedness – drives discretionary effort, more creativity, positivity and more desire to collaborate.
• Companies with more emotionally connected employees get better outcomes.
• When we love, when we feel intimate, when we feel connected in the workplace, there is a unification of the personal and professional.In those cases our work can be a mission that fuels other parts of our lives rather than taking away from other parts of our lives.” When these elements are present, employees are also more productive.
• Carter said these concepts are powerful for soldiers returning from the military to new jobs. “We helped soldiers transition from military to civilian life.”
• How can leaders increase emotional connectedness? Some simple tools that Cater recommends are:

1. Thank people regularly for their contributions. Carter recommends writing old school thank you notes when you can.
2. Celebrate successes proactively and publicly
3. Use setbacks as learning opportunities
4. In addition to focusing on company goals, ask employees about their own personal goals and help them see how these fit together.

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