5 Building Blocks to Harmony in the Workplace
CONSTITUTE your organisational tribe
Harmonious group dynamics and stimulating work relations are essential to the everyday life.
Motivational theories have demonstrated that financial return is not the only motivator drive organisational performance. Vast literature proposes an underlined theory of impact driven by shared purpose and vision and the desire to contribute to a culture, an objective, a tribe.
The organisation, its departments and teams epitomise modern tribal affiliations which can closely resemble familiar relation.
The entrance to the organisational ‘tribe’ occurs via selection completed by both the employer and the employee and here we outline 5 building blocks for any size organisation, or team to use to strengthen work relations.
(1) A Guiding Covenant
Rules of engagement and values shared by the teams and to which all can defer to.
Include simple and human rules of engagement such as: Freedom of ideas; Listening with the aim to understand not to respond; Courtesy and Respect and Ask for help.
A covenant will facilitate the on boarding of new people and reassure existing members of their individual values recognised by the organisational tribe.
(2) A Charter of Roles & Outcomes
Access to individual and team roles & objectives and encouragement to share challenge and success stories on achieving goals.
Understanding participation and recognition of contribution will enhance organisational cooperation towards achievement of business goals.
(3) A Communication Path Outline
Agreement on how projects updates are shared and via which medium.
Organisations information repository is essential and ease of access must be validated and reviewed.
Discuss Email policies as well as internal social media usage to ensure that there is an understanding and clear expectations on effective communication. Meetings, frequency and meeting rules be also agreed upon members.
(4) The Decision-Making Framework
How decision will be brought to the group and which decisions will be open to proactive participation enables team to be prepared and alert.
The Framework aims to set clear expectations upon transparency and anticipate how affected parties can be involved in shaping decisions.
(5) The organisational Journey
Chart the last decade or last year of the business journey: the organisational tribe can see its stability or its transient nature.
Display your MILESTONES: each person will be able to recognise him/herself in the path and new employees can see how their role can fit in the overall organisational culture.
Conclusion
Employment allows the individual to participate and be part of a tribe.
Tribal behaviour is observable in organisations like Google, Facebook, Apple – the employee’s social life occurs within the periphery of the organisation.
Understanding group behaviours is also fundamental to small and medium organisations where more than 70% of Irish workforce is employed.
We recognise harmony in music when the totality of sound is pleasing to the ear. We know Harmony when we see it.
Harmony in the workplace follows the same aesthetic goals of pleasure and absence of strident noises that we find in nature. Harmony is not accidental – it is a durable entity built upon defined foundations.
RelevantBibliography
