The Human Spirit - An Unleashed Powerhouse

“Respond to every call that excites your spirit.”

― Rumi, Essential Rumi

            I believe the human spirit is the most powerful tool in the world. By powerful, I do not necessarily mean capable of accomplishing monumental tasks or achieving a personal goal, although it does help us in these pursuits. What I mean is capturing the energy that drives each individual person to do what they absolutely, without a doubt, love to do. The difference is once we reach a goal, that task is finished. However, it is the human spirit, the unique energy or undercurrent that constantly flows behind the scenes of a person’s life that compels them to follow their heart’s desire. Whether or not we are carrying out this beautiful purpose, I believe it is always there. The key is tapping into it!

            As I explored employee engagement this past week, I encountered a quote by Nikki Henderson, the Executive Director at People’s Grocery in Oakland, CA. Nikki states:

“Human systems break down when the human spirit breaks down. As people, we treat each other with respect and integrity when we truly feel like part of a community. If that strong human spirit and feeling of community is absent, no amount of community organizing will change anything within neighborhoods.  If we prioritize the people versus the issue, we can create lasting change.”

            This statement touches on two vital points that are central to our society and organizations, no matter the purpose. These two points are human systems, or the connection and interactions of humans, and prioritization of humans over issues to create lasting change. Many businesses rely on a mixture of human systems and various operating systems that prioritize the product or service above the employee. An easy way to see this is by asking someone how they feel at the end of their workday. I would venture to say their response is likely to be drained, depleted or exhausted. I think the answer should be revitalized, invigorated and enlivened. Employees should be allowed to unleash their power and creatively explore their potential at work. In his blog, “What Comprises the Spirit of a Corporation?”, Bob Deutsch states, “Moreover, this enlivening of the spirit -- of employees and of the corporation -- can only be accomplished as a natural outflow of good management.” So what does this “natural outflow of good management” look like? Is there any organization doing this right now? I offer a few articles that may partially address this question:

Google - “How Google Motivates their Employees with Rewards and Perks”

SAP – “Ten Powerful Employee Engagement Lessons”

Cummins – “Employees achieve huge increase in hours devoted to community service”

Southwest Airlines – “Southwest CEO Says All You Need Is LUV”

            Yet with all the research around employee engagement (yes, there is literally thousands of articles and reports written by companies, consultants, CEOs, etc.), the answer is actually very simple. Relationships, shared passion and communication. Imagine you work at a company where there are a 30-50 employees, enough to where you probably don’t get a chance to speak with all of them throughout the day or work with them on team projects. Steve, one of your colleagues (and a fictitious employee), is known for his sales expertise, great attitude around the office, hard work ethic, and always having a smile on his face. All of these are valid reasons to speculate that he is an engaged employee who probably loves his job. But how would you really know if you never spoke with him or understood his story? What does he do outside of work, what is he passionate about in life? Is it possible that his positive attitude and work ethic are just a way to keep a job and earn a living for his family while he doesn’t really care at all for sales? What awakens his spirit?

            Deutsch points out in his article that “Enlivening the spirit….can only be accomplished as a natural outflow of good management.” This is only half the story, the other half lies within each individual to figure out what compels and energizes them. Then pursuing this story with great determination and sharing it with others. Picture what it would be like to ask if you can step into someone else’s story and help them to fulfill their passion or if someone did that for you. What an unfathomable joy for all involved!  

            Is this really possible in the busy workplace though? Of course! The undercurrent of energy that flows in everyone, our unique human spirit is waiting to be unleashed. All it takes is a little (or big!) push to step into these new conversations with our colleagues, friends and families. There is no magic trick, it’s called two ears and one mouth. Use them proportionately and live at the learning edge of chaos where possibility is waiting for us! That is employee engagement.

            Some people think I live with my head in the clouds. An optimist, who could use a little more realism perhaps. It just depends on how we want to live. I will admit to my childish love for animated movies, however, and the ideal world they often portray. But why not?! I want to live without fear and in a world of endless possibilities. 

            

            Listen to the words in this scene and allow yourself to be swept up in the joy of the character's spirit. We should strive for this in every moment and settle for nothing less...

Thriving Employees, Thriving Community

“In the realm of the dead, Sisyphus is forced to roll a block of stone against a steep hill, which tumbles back down when he reaches the top. Then the whole process starts again, lasting all eternity.”

-http://www.pantheon.org/articles/s/sisyphus.html

            Employee engagement in the workplace is a topic of great interest to me. The emotional connection an employee feels to the organization they work for and its goals is vital to the personal health of the individual and the success of any company. Considering the average American, age 25-54 with children, worked 8.8 hours a day in 2012 (Bureau of Labor Statistics), I would strongly argue that a person who is engaged in their job positively affects their community as well. But, why does any of this matter? As long as we make sufficient money to support our lifestyles and achieve some degree of happiness, isn’t that enough? A resounding “NO!” shouts every atom that makes me who I am. As a supervisor at Costco Wholesale, I have the privilege of working directly with around forty incredibly different and wonderful people. I have seen the outcomes of poor management (both my own and other’s) and the fruits of servant leadership (again, both my own and other’s) within the Costco community. Experiencing the freedom to use my talents and the empowerment granted by upper management is a gift every employee is absolutely entitled to. Passing that gift along to the team I manage is the finest example I can give of why employee engagement matters so much for every single person in a company. I believe there is immense power in realizing who we are and being encouraged to carry out our greatest talents within an organization.

            Over the next few months I will explore what employee engagement is exactly, why it is being examined and practiced by companies of all sizes around the world and if it really has any bearing on the success of a company. According to the 2013 State of the American Workplace Report (Gallup), 70% of American workers are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” and are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces. Another way to read this is managers are failing to bring out the best in 70% of their employees. It is a tragedy that we have settled for such a poor state in the workplace. My goal is to find out how this has happened through anecdotes, supporting and opposing opinions, historical studies and any other interesting facts in the field of employee engagement. Once we know why we haven’t been able to fulfill our own purpose at work, we can once again live a thriving life.