Do you have high ceilings as long as you agree?
Do you have high ceilings as long as you agree – or do you have high ceilings for real? Here it is high ceilings and everyone says what they think! Have you heard that before? With the more conviction in the voice the person in question says that the ceiling is high, the lower it usually is. Unfortunately. For those with really high ceilings, it never needs to be pronounced, they instead talk about how they can improve their business.
In Edward L Decis and Richard Ryan's excellent management theory "self theory determination", we see, among other things, that caring, security and the opportunity to influence are important factors for both feeling and performing well at work. Unfortunately, occupational psychology research is an ill-applied science in working life. There we can be much better at taking into account what we already know through massive research makes us more motivated, feel more engaged, feel good, develop, collaborate better, become more innovative and perform better.
How, then, are we going to create a culture with high ceilings?
In order to succeed, we must dare to build away the 'silent organisation' and learn that nothing gets better because we turn a blind eye to it. We should best ensure and involve managers and employees in developing clear goal images, building in encouragement, continuous follow-up and feedback. We need to raise the ceiling so that everyone can fit, so that employees (managers are also employees) feel that their opinions count and that their knowledge is valuable and is made the best use of. All with a single goal – to develop both individual and business for the better.
Here are some tips from the "developer" when the roof is to be raised properly:
1. Embrace the problems!
Turning a blind eye to the problems won't solve anything, they'll be there anyway. I promise. Whether you close your eyes like you were in the middle of a sandstorm in the Sahara, it won't contribute to any improvement to a greater extent. That's not how bad the problems are, no matter how hard it is. Embrace them, it's free organizational development. And the sooner you plan how to take advantage of "problems", "opinions" and "criticism", the easier it will be.
2. Encourage ideas and invite everyone!
Be sure to create leadership where improvement ideas are taken advantage of. Let all managers and employees also be business developers, they usually have a knowledge of the business and your stakeholders that that newly hired innovation manager can never match. Therefore, invite everyone to develop the business. Do not take all responsibility for implementation, but help to create an implementing force where you together improve and make visible both the person and those who contributed. Also, be sure to make the effect visible to everyone in your organization. Then you are well on your way to creating an innovative organization for real.
3. How are things going? How are you?
Talk continuously with your employees, create a dialogue and mutual trust. The better you know your employees, the easier it will be for you to lead them in the best way. Continuously ask them three questions:- How are you?
How's it going?
Can I help you in any way? And you, never forget that magic word "thank you" when your coworkers have done something good.
4. Follow up your work continuously!
Following up on your set goals increases work performance by an average of 25 percent and there should be few managers and employers who turn down that increase. So be sure to continuously follow up your work, both in terms of ups and downs. Make sure it's okay to fail, as long as you learn something from it and either fix it or scrap it. Healthy daring, half won!
Good luck!
/Johan
This was the third article our guest writer, the inspiration Johan Book from the motivational agency,wrote for Mentor. Read the other two here and here.