What's Important At Work - Part 2 of 4

In my last post I used to research to define the twelve factors that are Important at Work. But I also concluded that simply measuring them was, well, not that simple. Why not?

Well for starters, there’s an “and” in each one. They’re all about more than one thing. In fact, I think that they’re all about several things:

1. Status and Reputation
   Prestige and stability and of the product, service, innovation or the employer itself, giving employees a level of belief and pride in working there
2. Integrity and Values
   Consistency, fairness and doing the right thing on CSR, inclusion, diversity, safety, customer satisfaction, wellbeing
3. Leadership and Vision
   Very clear direction and narrative for the organisation, which has an understood meaning. Delivered by trusted and authentic leaders
4. Management and Support
   Day to day direct input from a manager that supports, feeds back, coaches, stretches, trusts, listens to and respects the employee
5. Expectations and Focus
   Clearly communicated expectations that balance employer, employee and customer, so that everyone is clear how they can contribute
6. Voice and Contribution
   Employees who have a voice, and are able to participate in decisions, show creativity and contribute to changing what is done or how
7. Accomplishment and Control
   The quantity of tasks, how interesting and stimulating they are, and the level of empowerment in how to perform them and see them through
8. Recognition and Value
   The level to which employees’ contributions are seen and appreciated, and the chances that they have to show their expertise
9. Learning and Progress
   The chances to be challenged, to use and develop skills and competencies, and to move on or up in the organisation
10. Time and Place
    The degree of flexibility for where and when the job is done, and a culture that supports and allows a work-life balance
11. People and Teams
    The levels of teamwork, support, respect, help, expertise and social interaction that the people that employees work with, or for, provide
12. Environment and Process
    The physical environment that employees work in, the resources and tools that they are given to do their job, and the structural and people processes

To understand and measure these 12 factors could become pretty complex. But hopefully in my next post, I’ll show that it isn’t. And instead that this apparent complexity is actually your tool to creating something unique for your organisation.