Mr. Hawkins, my fourth-grade elementary teacher, is the first person I remember who would use the phrase, “Nothing is permanent except change.” While this statement may indeed be true, change is still hard and often frustrating. For organizations, change frequently causes stress and increased conflict, typically resulting in decreased employee engagement and productivity. One might wish to simply avoid change, … Read More
The Connection Between Trust and Caring Leadership
“If only my staff trusted me more.” I regularly hear this statement from managers who lament the lack of trust in their relationships with staff. They know that without trust, they won’t be able to get the results they hope for. Although most managers I meet do realize that trust is important, they struggle with how to develop it. After … Read More
How Should a Leader Respond to Bullying?
My 15-year-old daughter recently changed schools, just four weeks into the academic year – not an ideal time to make a change! But, after weeks of tears brought on by bullying behaviour targeted at her, it became clear that leaving was the best option. I’m used to working with issues of bullying and disrespect in workplace settings. At ACHIEVE, we … Read More
Is Enough of Employees Work Meaningful?
In our new book, The Culture Question, my co-authors and I define “meaningful work” as “work that is purposeful and brings satisfaction to employees by drawing on both their abilities and their interests. Meaningful work occurs when purpose aligns with an employee’s interests and abilities” Let’s be honest. We all have some tasks that are “not meaningful” – those that … Read More
Purpose: Where To Start
Organizations can articulate purpose on many levels, from the value of individual tasks and roles, to the significance of entire departments, to the overarching purpose of the organization as a whole. When we understand the purpose of something, we can choose to engage with it more deeply and freely or disengage with clarity about why we don’t want to participate. … Read More
Cannabis in the Workplace: What’s the Deal Anyway?
I’m sure that, like me, you have seen many articles and training advertisements about the need to educate yourself and prepare for the legalization of marijuana (for my international readers, I am based in Canada and “weed” became legal here on October 17, 2018). Frankly, the “noise” around legalization has been so loud that I’m just glad the date has … Read More
On Innovation & Failing 49% of the Time
During my childhood, my siblings and I never had a shortage of things to do. We had a garage full of tools and we lived right next to a small wooded area, both of which provided us with ample opportunities to experiment and explore. One spring, we spent days building a raft that we hoped to use in our small … Read More
“Moving Up” The Ladder
We are currently in the midst of hiring for a new position within our organization. I’ve already written about the importance of hiring people for the right fit – both for culture and aptitude – but lately I’ve been thinking about a different aspect of sustaining a culture of employee engagement, which is hiring employees who will be content in … Read More
The Culture Question: Book and Survey
I’m excited to share that I, along with three members of ACHIEVE’s leadership team – Eric Stutzman, Wendy Loewen, and Michael Labun – am finalizing ACHIEVE Publishing’s most recent book titled, The Culture Question: How to Create a Workplace Where People Like to Work. The formal release date of the book will be in January of 2019. However, the book … Read More
Is it Worth It? The Honest Answer
I was meeting a friend the other day, and we ended up having a great conversation about the question, “Is it worth it?” He had been working longer hours than normal after committing to too many projects and speaking engagements – all of which he found enjoyable and meaningful. After one too many late nights, his wife asked him, “Is … Read More