Is there any hope for the organization if the leaders haven’t caught on yet? There is if leaders are paying attention. Trends like the Great Resignation and more recently “quiet quitting” are forcing managers to examine their mental models about their employees and what they will accept. If it’s hard to hire talented workers or to hold on to experienced employees, those represent real costs to the business. Leaders need to do some honest soul-searching about the new realities.
In No Hard Feelings³ Liz Fosslien shares three helpful tips about managing emotions. One is that it is possible to build a healthy emotional culture at work through small, positive actions. A practical way to do that is to work on communicating how you feel without getting emotional about it. Expanding our language and taking a chance to stretch a little can go a long way.
The fact is, a lot of workers aren’t motivated at work. Instead of waiting for a boss or the organization to provide a motivating environment, it’s possible (and healthier) to bring your own motivation by connecting with your own reasons for work.
When you take charge of your own emotions and your career path, you start exercising leadership regardless of your job title or formal responsibilities. As more people do that, it begins to shift the overall culture in a healthier direction.