Reintroducing The Hierarchy Of Needs

Two things we need to be measuring in the workplace

The workplace has always been the cause of buzzwords, and action as a result of them. From sustainability to leadership, people and culture to diversity and inclusion, these umbrella terms have been the conversation starter for countless initiatives, policy changes and development, and endless dollars in workplace enhancements and improvements. Seeing how fast technology is evolving around us, and the very nature of work changing just as quickly, how is it that we can make people engaged at work and feel like they’re doing their best work because they want to, and not because they feel like they have to? My answer: We ensure they feel that they belong and trust one another.
 

Now, if we look at one of the more recent hot topics, Diversity and Inclusion and Unconscious Bias, I would say that trust and belonging are at the heart of both, and one step further along. Just because we have a diverse and inclusive workplace doesn’t necessarily mean people feel like they belong. Rocky Ozaki, gave me a great analogy to help explain. He reminded me that if we were to host a dance and everyone was invited, that we would have a diverse group in attendance. He then reminded me that if people were invited to the dance floor, that they would be included. He then said that if he asked someone to dance, and the other said yes, they would all of a sudden feel a sense of belonging and trust.
 
Why are trust and belonging so important? Well, we’re living in a time now where on average we are checking our phones 85 times a day. We spend nearly 10 hours a day behind a screen and in a world that is increasingly connected I feel that we are connecting less and less. Actually Harvard Business Review said that up to 40% of corporate America is feeling alone, and that the health implications of loneliness is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. I actually feel that we have a loneliness epidemic on the way because we don’t know people as well as we used to, and we are too concerned about answering that last email or posting a new Instagram picture than we are having a deeper conversation.
 
To measure something as intangible as trust and belonging would likely yield subjective results. These results will vary depending on numerous factors and differences in staff, and will still serve as a bright North Star to guide cultural developments in the workplace. To start, both belonging and trust can be asked on a monthly basis, and respondents can indicate on a Likert Scale how they are feeling, along with having the opportunity to comment as well. This combination of qualitative and quantitative responses is key to having HR’s thumb on the pulse of the organization, and to also understand why thing either are or aren’t optimal at that time.
 
The workplace is as complex as the people in it, and it isn’t changing any time soon. If we were to start measuring belonging and trust though, I feel that our people will start to tell us where the gaps are and how we can fill them. I feel the main reason we aren’t doing so now is because we’re trying to be fast, and have hard science tell us what we need to do. My advice is use our people and engage them in the process. I believe that the best thing we can do to speed up our companies and processes is to actually slow down, rehumanize the workplace, and have everything we do be rooted in belonging and trust.

Author Bio

Eric Termuende is on a mission to change the way we talk about work. A bestselling author, speaker, and entrepreneur, Eric is co-founder of NoW Innovations and has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Thrive Global, the Huffington Post and many others. In 2015, Eric was recognized as a Top 100 Emerging Innovators under 35 globally by American Express. Eric sat as Community Integration Chair for Global Shapers Calgary, a community that functions under the World Economic Forum. He is a former Canadian G20 YEA Delegate, representing Canada in Sydney in 2014. Eric is currently signed by the National Speakers Bureau and travels the world talking about the future of work and multiple generations in the workplace. His new bestselling book, Rethink Work is now available on Amazon and in bookstores across Canada. Connect Eric Termuende Follow @Termuende Visit https://erictermuende.com