“The ache for home lives in all of us. That safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” – Maya Angelou
Recently on our organizations communication boards we asked employees, “what does home mean to you”? As an employee engagement specialist, my desire is to find a way to incorporate the elements of being “home” into our work place.
Based on our employees’ submissions, this is what home means to them:
- Belonging
- Being your authentic self
- Safety
- Being cared for
- A haven for play and relaxation
- Sharing
- Contributing
- Conversation
Assuming it is the same thing or similar for your group, what can you do to incorporate these elements into your work culture – or better yet –what are you or your team members already doing to promote the elements of home in your workplace?
According to the recent follow-up video to Who’s Sinking Your Boat – Why Is Your Boat Still Sinking – 60% of employees are still not engaged. Why is that? Because employees are affected by both “life” and “work” factors, meaning what happens after work affects engagement as much as what happens at work. We need to ask how we can engage the whole person. It may no longer be about work/life balance but more about work/life blending.
What can we do? Start by asking these 4 questions:
- Am I engaged? If not, why not?
- Am I overwhelmed? If so, who can I talk to?
- Am I adequately challenged? If not, what can I do?
- Am I enthused and passionate about what I do? If not, what can I change?
As you schedule speakers and topics for your upcoming all staff meetings or team meetings in the coming year, please consider having a discussion about “home” at work and how we can advocate for this in the workplace. The right work/life blend coupled with a demonstrably caring manager or supervisor will increase productivity, creativity, overall health and happiness, and create better team relationships.
Please call on me to assist you with this planning. And if you recognize that you are overwhelmed, please know I am a confidential sounding board. I’m here to help!
Lisa
Employee Engagement 