30 Aug
Many years ago I worked as a reporter with ABC on a half-hour weekly current affairs program. I had an experience there that made me believe that enjoying your work was great for engagement and made me addicted to more. Not long after I started my boss said to me , “Why don’t you do whole program?”
“What the whole thing?”
“Yes.”
Once my initial shock turned to glee, I threw myself into the program. It was to be on the subject of the shifting routes for drug trafficking across Asia and the effects the drug trade has on local communities (pretty terrible but that’s another story).
My manager gave me his contacts and a deadline and set me off. I loved it. Until then I had never had the experience of really WANTING to work, of being proud of what I was doing and excited and engaged. My own program – autonomy and responsibility. These are very powerful motivators for people and when given will greatly enhance ‘discretionary effort’.
Near the due date he asked to listen to what I had. My reaction was apprehension.
He listened carefully to the whole thing, made some suggestions for improvement, and again offered some contacts to interview. Not only was he fair, reasonable and balanced, but helpful. He was right too – it became a better program.
Again I threw myself into it, came in at odd hours, woke in the morning with ideas and energy. I had never worked so hard, so carefully and so diligently. Everything was double-checked, edited to perfection. I even came in on my day off to make sure the tape was in the right pigeon hole for broadcast (I said it was a long time ago). And I was really proud of it.
Eventually it was aired on ABC Radio National and Radio Australia (to about 30 million listeners). As you can imagine, I was chuffed. Not only that but I would trust this leader implicitly.
The point of this story is that when people are happy at work – they work happily. They give far more ‘discretionary effort’, are more engaged, and more conscientious. Not unsurprisingly, it is also good for the health and wellbeing of your people.
Wellbeing programs are a win for you, a win for your people and a win for the organisation (as long as your wellbeing program works).
How’s the wellbeing program at your workplace? Get in touch if you’d like to do a health check of your wellbeing program.
