Culture Leadership Charge – Happiness Matters

How happy are team members in your organization today? Happy team members are enthused, engaged, cooperative, creative, and productive.

A colleague shared an “interesting” conversation she had recently with the leadership team of a global firm. They were discussing increased turnover in their company. They were losing talented leaders and team members.

Exit interviews revealed that these players didn’t feel appreciated. They felt the company and it’s leaders were focused exclusively on results. Employees felt more like “cogs in a wheel” than valued contributors.

One VP suggested doing an engagement survey to learn what the rest of their global workforce thought about this issue.

The CEO boldly replied, “I don’t care about happy employees! I just want these people to produce!”

{Awkward silence.}

This CEO isn’t alone in his belief about happy employees. It’s an assumption that many senior leaders hold.

How might one influence a senior leader with this belief? How might one inspire that leader to not only understand the benefits of employee engagement and happiness but to actively encourage it?

In today’s three-minute episode of my Culture Leadership Charge video series, I share the two approaches I’ve had success with, shifting leaders’ beliefs towards employee happiness.

My Culture Leadership Charge series features short (two-to-three-minute) videos that describe proven culture leadership and servant leadership practices that boost engagement, service, and results across your work teams, departments, regions, and even your entire company.

Each episode’s “charge” is a challenge for everyone in your organization – not just leaders – to refine their behaviors and ensure everyone is treated respectfully at all times.

You’ll find my Culture Leadership Charge episodes and more on my YouTube and Vimeo channels. If you like what you see, please subscribe!

Photo © iStock – S. Chris Edmonds. All rights reserved.