By Paul Beesley
Director & Senior Consultant
Beyond Theory
LAST summer, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the RSA, published a report on behalf of the Government. The report was called Good Work. A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Matthew speak. I was impressed with what he said and how he said it.
The Good Work report examines the issues we face as our world of work changes:
* Technology is creating new ways of working, challenging the legal status that people have at work e.g. being classified as an employee vs worker vs self-employed.
* We experience mixed messages concerning our economy, higher customer demands, globalisation, low productivity and Brexit.
* The threat to jobs due to robotisation and artificial intelligence.
Our world of work is changing. But is it changing for the better?
The report focuses on our need to provide people with meaningful work. If we do this, then there is more chance of us overcoming the challenges I’ve highlighted above.
At Beyond Theory we firmly believe that work is a force for good. We believe that work provides three things for people:
* Income
* A sense of purpose
* A social network
Evidence is all around us that shows when employee engagement is low things are bad, yet when engagement is high things work wonderfully.
So, what can we do to make work ‘good work’?
What actions can we take to enable people to feel good about themselves, their colleagues and their customers? Here’s my advice:
* Ask yourself what is your company’s purpose. How well is this understood?
* Ask how well do know what motivates your employees to do what you ask of them.
* Keep work as interesting and as challenging as possible for everyone concerned.
* Make sure communications are engaging and two-way, maintaining interest and motivation.
* Focus on the psychological contract that your employees have with your company i.e. how they feel about your business?
* Don’t overlook the physical contract that your people have with your company i.e. their terms and conditions. Do these need to be updated?
* Do you a work culture of entitlement or performance? Examine the levels of productivity in your business. Invest, train and encourage your managers to work alongside their teams.
* Give your employees a voice, listen and act on what they say. Get them involved as much as you can.
* Live your company’s values and make sure others do the same. Authenticity is a must as employees will tell the difference.
If you’d like a copy of the Good Work report then let me know and I’ll happily email you a copy. Contact Beyond Theory on 01604 212505, email or visit www.beyondtheory.co.uk
Beyond Theory is proud sponsor of the Employer of the Year Award, Northamptonshire Business Awards 2018.