Creating We

At Forward Thinking Workplaces, we discover the people, insights, and strategies that lead to Forward Thinking minds, leaders, and workplaces of the future — today.

13 Forward-Thinking Insights

1. PEOPLE HAVE A HARD-WIRED NEED TO BE HEARD
2. THIS IS A TIME WHERE WE NEED TO CRACK OPEN A NEW MODEL IN OUR HEADS & IN OUR HEARTS
3. IT’S TIME TO IMAGINE CREATING THESE ENVIRONMENTS FOR EVERYBODY’S HEALTH & GROWTH
4. GIVE PEOPLE THE FULL BREADTH OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURE
5. GIVE NEW EMPLOYEES AN ORIENTATION TO WHAT THE COMPANY IS ALL ABOUT
6. PEOPLE WANT TO BE APPRECIATED, BUT THEY ALSO WANT TO BE PART OF A WINNING TEAM
7. HOW CAN I HELP YOU BE SUCCESSFUL?
8. WHAT ELSE CAN I LEARN?
9. PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO BE LEFT OUT
10. HOW CAN I TELL THE TRUTH?
11. IT’S BEING ABLE TO HAVE A VOICE THAT IS SO IMPORTANT
12. HOW DO WE CREATE ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE HEALTHY FOR EVERYONE?
13. YOU CAN SEE BOTTOM-LINE SUCCESS IN COMPANIES THAT ARE WE CENTRIC

Read the full interview at How Do We Tap Into the Best Conversations People Can Have?

Question 1: How can we create workplaces where every voice matters, everyone thrives & finds meaning, and change & innovation happen naturally?

1. PEOPLE HAVE A HARD-WIRED NEED TO BE HEARD

“Human beings have such a need to be heard and listened to and to be able to do things that are innovative even if they're making mistakes, but they want to be able to have that option and everybody working and learning from that. You talked about things that are on everybody's aspirational list for a great company. So the question is, How do we lead to that? How do we help leaders understand that that state of being is hard-wired into every human being?”

2. THIS IS A TIME WHERE WE NEED TO CRACK OPEN A NEW MODEL IN OUR HEADS & IN OUR HEARTS

“We have so many misunderstandings between what human beings thrive with and strive for versus how we label people to appreciate or not appreciate certain environments. This is a time where we have to crack open a new model, a new algorithm in our heads and in our hearts about what it means to have the kind of environments you're talking about through your questions. Every human being thrives in them whether you're an accountant or see yourself more as analytical. That doesn't stop you from appreciating and being excited by participating in things that are very innovative.”

3. IT’S TIME TO IMAGINE CREATING THESE ENVIRONMENTS FOR EVERYBODY’S HEALTH & GROWTH

“I think we’re now at a time where we need to step back and take some of the judgments and labels out and imagine creating those environments for everybody and for everybody’s health and for everybody’s growth. The last thing I’ll say is that people that live in healthy environments live longer, have fewer illnesses that come up, and knock on their door every other day, so I think this topic is worthy of more conversation.”

Question 2: What does it take to get an employee’s full attention and best performance?

4. GIVE PEOPLE THE FULL BREADTH OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURE

"When people join an organization, they do so because they think that the organization is going to help them find a new role or new identity in the world. They move into a company and either they become like that company or they become a better contributor. But I think sometimes leaders don’t think about it that way. They don’t go the full run of what their employees want. They want to bring in new employees to help with certain things, certain projects, and so forth. Every time a new employee joins a company, there’s a huge shift in what their identity is going to be. They will either come out of this company feeling validated and honored for what they can bring or they’re going to come out feeling, “Ok, we were just another person that was put into this particular job because there was a key need there”, but a lot of time companies don’t give them the full breadth of understanding of the culture and being part of it.”

5. GIVE NEW EMPLOYEES AN ORIENTATION TO WHAT THE COMPANY IS ALL ABOUT

“The bottom line is when new employees come in, make sure that they get an orientation to what the company is all about and what the projects are all about. Don’t just throw them in and thank them for joining, but really help them get the context of where they fit into the bigger picture of what’s going on. That creates a better employee. That gives them a sense of importance. When people have roles and things that they can do that are clear in their mind, it changes everything.”

Question 3: What do people really lack and long for at work?

6. PEOPLE WANT TO BE APPRECIATED, BUT THEY ALSO WANT TO BE PART OF A WINNING TEAM

“I think this question and the last one have a lot in common. People like to be appreciated. If you want to have one word, it’s appreciation. But I think it’s more than that for the employee. They not only want to be appreciated, but they want to be part of a winning team. They want to have a role that’s important. They want to be able to share their ideas and engage with people on topics even if it means disagreeing with the boss. I call them “Expressing Conversations” where people can really express what’s on their mind and really add value to an organization—not just become a number in an organization.”

Question 4: What is the most important question management should be asking employees?

7. HOW CAN I HELP YOU BE SUCCESSFUL?

"How can I help you be successful?"

Question 5: What is the most important question employees should be asking management?

8. WHAT ELSE CAN I LEARN?

"What else can I learn? Where else can I learn more about the company and what the company is doing, so I represent the company and that I am part of the change and transformation that’s going on.”

9. PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO BE LEFT OUT

“They want to get into as many of the right meetings and subgroups that they need to be in, so they can do the best that they can do. It’s engagement at its deepest level, having a role, and having a place to fit in. Then being able to contribute to lots of people.”

Question 6: What’s the most important question we can ask ourselves?

10. HOW CAN I TELL THE TRUTH?

“How can I tell the truth? What’s on my mind? Is this environment allowing me to do that or do I feel like I have to be pent up and not share things that are really important but maybe different from what the organization is all about?”

11. IT’S BEING ABLE TO HAVE A VOICE THAT IS SO IMPORTANT"

"It’s being able to have a voice that is so important. Can I have a voice in this organization?"

Question 7: You have a very clear point of view that sounds like it’s “we centric” in nature. Can you tell us more about that?

12. HOW DO WE CREATE ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE HEALTHY FOR EVERYONE?

“In all of your questions, you were asking questions that helped us understand how to join an organization and how to get the best out of others. All of that in my mind is moving from an I-centric perspective to a We-centric perspective, which is how do we create environments that are healthy for everyone. That’s We.”

13. YOU CAN SEE BOTTOM-LINE SUCCESS IN COMPANIES THAT ARE WE CENTRIC

“They really support people being open and transparent with each other. They also focus on relationships before tasks and really stand under the same reality and build visions of shared success. Another characteristic is that they really tell the truth when they’re not on the same page and working to fix it rather than to judge people as stupid or all sorts of other things that are our habit patterns. All of these things are so extraordinary because they not only hit the bottom line, but they hit people’s lives not only in work but outside of work.”