No, that's not a typo and I did mean to use the word tribe; and yes, it's totally applicable to every workplace in America. My reference to tribe in this context is talking about the external interests, passions and aspiration of workplace individuals, and how they can actually help your staff become more engaged, integrated and productive employees.
So what really got me fired up was reading a Harvard Business Review article, "Let Your Employees Bring Their Interests to Work" which suggested that managers should interact more with their most promising employees and learn about their outside interests. However, by gaining access to this information almost seemed to be a ruse which the company could then exploit (ie, by collaborating with these external organizations) for their own benefit. Therefore, what appears to be on the surface an effort to engage employees could actually be another ploy to invade their privacy to advance the company's profits.
The ironic thing is, if managers truly discovered what triggers and motivates their staff as individuals, it would actually produce a positive outcome. Furthermore, not all managers have the necessary skills to develop their staff and are in fact poor coaches and mentors.
Human Resources 101 will reveal that all employees really want is to be recognized, respected, motivated and empowered. A quick survey among today's workplaces would confirm what we've known for a long time, that most employees (managers included) are disengaged, feel over-extended, suffer from work-induced stress and feel burnt out. The work environment can be a toxic one and needs addressing to reverse this "dog-eat-dog" cycle.
The role of a manager should be to develop their staff to achieve professional excellence, and that involves really getting to know your employee. Employees need more than just a salary to compensate them for their input, and a good manager should be able to provide these intangible benefits including:
• Ongoing/systematic communication
• Recognition
• Personal/job development
• Promotion opportunities
• Sabbatical leave / paid time off without fear of losing job
• A fun and challenging environment
Upper management must also play their part and learn how to engage their employees and maximize their potential or risk losing their best talent. CEOs need to really show support for diversity and inclusion amongst their peers and have a real conversation about how to create a supportive and trusting work environment. Managers must lead by example and accompany their employees in the daily trenches, in order for their staff to cooperate, open up and share information about their communal tribes.
Recognizing an individual's multiple identities will allow managers to evaluate which of them can become a value-added resource to the company, and heighten the employee's engagement.
If employees are not being fulfilled at your company, they will simply look elsewhere.
A downloadable white paper in PDF format is available to read: "Impact of Corporate Catabolism on Engagement, Performance and Bottom Line And the Anabolic System that Reverses the Cycle" at http://www.engagetosuccess.com/white-papers.html for organizational leaders to discover how to reverse the cycle for a more cohesive, harmonious and productive workplace.
Debrah Mathis, founder of E2S Solutions Professional Coaching LLC, works with "Invisible Leaders" - wo(men) who have developed a habit of playing out 'small' in their lives which limits their potential for growth and advancement. I help them discover how to tap into their personal strengths and energy to move in a direction towards their best self in their careers and lives without 'overcompensating' or shrinking back.
If you're looking for a coach to partner with to work on your legacy - what you will create in the next stage of your life for the organization and the people you serve and love, then visit http://www.EngagetoSuccess.com.