A CHRO recently told me that their employees want full flexibility around when and why they come to the office, and that’s what they’re getting.
And no big surprise: these employees are happy!
The company was even featured as one of the Great Places to Work—the holy grail of a great culture.
However, the CHRO went on to say that their business is having some challenges. In a nutshell: they aren’t making their numbers.
I thought to myself, perhaps the business might be better if people were together more?
Maybe FULL flexibility creates individual happiness but a community of proverbial ships passing in the night (or day in this case) doesn’t.
And I happen to know that there is a correlation between human connection (IRL) and bottom-line performance.
In fact, my favorite study of all time out of Cornell found that firefighters who are devoted to the ritual of the firehouse meal save more lives.
Which is why I think it’s time for human leaders everywhere to rethink their ideas around flexibility and connection.
Now that doesn’t mean that everyone needs to go full Amazon style and return to five days a week in the office, but I do think it’s time to be more intentional about how we connect.
In my keynotes for companies across the country, I talk about the Three P’s of how to be intentional:
- Purpose
- Presence
- Protocols
So here’s the thing: Happy employees on the one hand and making work work on the other don’t have to be mutually exclusive. But without being intentional, it could end up being the worst of both worlds.
That’s why it’s so important for great human leaders to find the sweet spot between tech and connect.
Remember: you might not make all the people happy all the time, but you can make work work for most people most of the time.
Who’s with me?
10/22/24
