Changing our workplace environments can’t just be about changing the employee. Rather, organizations need to change around the employees in order to ensure that they can thrive.
People explode with energy when they experience high levels of engagement and genuine positivity. If this happens and leaders help their employees be the best versions of themselves at work, those employees will go out into the world and create change.
Heidi Spirgi is incredibly passionate about this topic. She is the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Cornerstone On Demand, an HR technology company. Heidi has done a little bit of everything, but the common thread of her career has been helping organizations to unlock the best of their employees through emerging practices and programs, building cultures that ensure people can be the best version of themselves at work, and leveraging technology to do all of that.
In our recent conversation, I asked Heidi how organizations can keep employees from reaching their breaking points and instead help them thrive. She said, “leaders absolutely need a very different core skill set than they needed in the past. And two of those things that are so important are the ability to be vulnerable and show the entire organization and their teams that they too are suffering, that they too struggle, that their world is incredibly messy, just like their employees’ worlds are messy.”
When leaders are vulnerable, employees feel they have permission to feel and be who they are instead of trying to not be their authentic selves at work. This is the only way to get people to trust you and bring their own full selves to work.
I’m talking about these topics—as well as how to be there for your workforce and, really, be there for yourself— in my weekly newsletter. I’m also sharing a video to help you think about your week ahead. You can sign up here.