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The three B’s you need for an aligned and thriving workplace culture

Employee expectations and priorities have shifted dramatically since the start of the pandemic. And this shift in mentality is, in many cases, causing a disconnect between employee and employer with profound consequences (see the great resignation).

So, what can be done?

Where do organizations start when developing a strategy to reestablish the aligned sense of purpose between its overall objectives and that of its employees?

According to Dave Ulrich…

Follow the three B’s:

Believing
Becoming
Belonging

In this article, Dave Ulrich explains how to increase employee motivation, satisfaction and cultivate a connected culture of high performance and wellbeing.

From the article:

How to Put Believing into Practice

Leaders make believing practical to employees by becoming meaning makers. They help employees connect their personal values to the organizational values. Here are three starting points.

Create a purposeful organization.As meaning makers, leaders help define a broader purpose for their organization. The organization isn’t just a bundle of activities (step 1) or processes (step 2), but a deeper meaning often connected to a deeper sense of values. Southwest Airlines, for example, strives to democratize the skies with cheap fares. Google aims to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Unilever has a purpose of “making sustainable living commonplace” with goals around improving the health and well-being of all people while reducing environmental impact.

Help employees become clear about their personal beliefs. Meaning makers also help employees answer personal questions like: What do you want to be known and remembered for? What do you want to contribute through your work? What problems do you see that you’d like to help with? These questions help the employee recognize his or her personal brand and identity.

Connect organizational purpose with employee beliefs.Leaders help employees recognize that their personal identity will be enhanced through their active participation in the organization. Southwest, Google, and Unilever attempt to hire people whose personal beliefs align with the organizational purpose. This alignment enables employees to find more meaning at work, and thus more personal well-being and productivity. For example, Southwest has the highest pilot productivity in the airline industry.

Read the full article, here.

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