Human Intelligent (HI) Workplace is defined as one where leaders model effective leadership behaviors by creating an organizational culture where the workers’ experience is one of being engaged while collaborating with their diverse team members. It is a workplace where the workforce feels psychologically safe when raising different perspectives, taking risks, being innovative, and/or being creative. It is a workplace where the workforce feels listened to and understood by their leaders. It is a workplace where the workforce finds fulfillment in the work they do and, in the organization, they work in.
Each of the underlined and bolded terms has quite a bit of research and writing. The reason I believe it is important for organizations to consider this is because I believe it will create a competitive advantage for organizations. The organizations that prioritize their workforce, the humanity that comes in to work every day, I believe will not only be a better place to work but also provide a competitive advantage for them. As Mitt Romney once said in his run for president, “Corporations are people too”. Also as has been said, without your workforce all of you have are buildings, not a business.
Some of this is usually seen in organizations that are Great Places to Work. These same organizations have been found to generate 8 times more revenue per employee by maintaining positive workplace experiences, reduced burnout, and high levels of psychological health among their workforce. These types of workplaces can lead to less sick time, less conflict, greater work satisfaction, and overall better customer service. IBM found that when organizations focus on creating better human experiences through its diverse team members, it leads to 32% more revenue and 211% than the S&P 500.
It is estimated that people will spend 90,000 hours of their adult lives at work. Today especially after the pandemic there has been a shift. The pandemic put life and death up front, close, and personal for many. It also reminded some without realizing it, of the “countless homeless” people in corporations as Ms. Jones wrote in her book “Jesus, CEO”. I saw what seemed like this phenomenon one time when I returned to a city where I used to work and happened to walk through an area where many were on the way to the offices of a company I used to work for. They looked like zombies walking aimlessly and not very happy to be on their way to work.
Some organizations if not cautious can become toxic or primarily focused on the bottom line and not enough on their workforces. Which ironically is the one that helps them achieve the bottom line. They can be seen as environments that do not nurture, perhaps exploit, tear down, and have leaders that appear to not care about their workforce. This is when today’s workforce expects their leaders to care for them and most seem to not know how. They have also been found to have a bigger impact on their worker’s health than their doctors. This is taking place while working has been cited as the 5th cause of death due to stress.
Writings particularly in the NeuroLeadership space have highlighted that what our brains need are leaders that create workplace environments that feel safe and secure. That they communicate and listen effectively as highlighted in the HI Workplace definition. This is when it has been noted in one study that only 8% of leaders are effective communicators and listeners.
When creating an HI Workplace in the growing era of AI will lead to customer satisfaction, productivity, better financial returns, and a competitive advantage, The questions to consider for your organization and leaders are the following:
- Is your organization ready?
- Are your leaders equipped?
- Do you have an organizational culture that will be more human-focused and centered than their competition?
- Is your organization interested in becoming an HI Workplace or leave things to chance?
Visit Human Intelligent Workplace to see our development services and take our structured questionnaire to find out
Another area to consider is what a study by the Boston Consulting Group found over 10 years ago, that what workers were looking for in their next employer were:
- Appreciation (a simple thank you and its free)
- Good relationships with their colleagues
- Good work-life balance
- Good relationships with their superior.
Salary came out as 8th which is not surprising and aligns with other research. In addition, other research points out that what motivates workers is not salary, but instead purpose (doing something bigger than them), autonomy (not being micro-managed), and mastery (continuing to learn). Other information found is that today’s workforce wants to be happy in their workplace and have more flexibility regarding their work setup, such as remote or hybrid.
All of this leads to the type of organizational culture in an organization which is a reflection of leadership. There are those who claim that organizations need to be innovative and creative in order to compete. This means that leaders need to create a psychologically safe environment, so the workforce is willing to take risks to be innovative and creative when there is a 50-50 chance of failure when trying something new. This is when 71% of leaders are reporting significant stress since stepping into management, almost half considering stepping down, and Gen Z seems to not be interested in a managerial role which is now called, Conscious Unbossing.
Last, there is the explosion of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Many think this technology might lead to the elimination of many jobs or worse yet the taking over of humanity. Yet if history is any indicator when the PC came into existence it eliminated almost 4 million jobs and created almost 20 million new jobs. Deloitte pointed out that things like empathy, curiosity, and compassion will not be eliminated by AI, because it is a very human quality.
In summary, when the workforce feels psychologically safe it leads to more engagement, happy employees are less sick and absent, and creating an inclusive work environment leads to retention and reduced burnout. In essence when creating an HI Workplace in the growing era of AI will lead to customer satisfaction, productivity, better financial returns, and a competitive advantage. The questions to consider for your organization and leaders are the following:
- Is your organization ready?
- Are your leaders equipped?
- Do you have an organizational culture that will be more human-focused and centered than their competition?
- Is your organization interested in becoming an HI Workplace or leave things to chance?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Edwin Mourin᷁o – Ruiz, Ph.D.
Dr. Edwin Mouriño is an Air Force veteran, author, Human Capital, and DEI practitioner and speaker. As a human capital practitioner, Dr. Mouriño’s focus has been on helping leaders and organizations help themselves. He is an experienced professional with many years of leading and/or supporting key elements of organizational change projects. Dr. Mouriño is an Air Force veteran who began his career in Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as a graduate of the DOD-Defense Equal Opportunity & Management Institute (DEOMI) and has also been a speaker.
He brings broad industry experience that includes Fortune 100 companies. He is the founder and president of Human Intelligent (HI) Workplace, an organization focused on helping leaders help themselves through leadership, team development, and executive coaching. He has been and continues to serve as a college professor. He is also a Senior Fellow with the Conference Board on the DEI and Leadership Steering Committees.
He has extensive experience and thought leadership on Human Capital issues and supported organizational change efforts through Leadership Development, DEI, Executive Coaching, Team Development, Executive Retreats, Personality Assessments, and Organizational Change. He has spoken at numerous professional venues and written numerous articles on human capital trends impacting organizations, specifically addressing DE, and is the author and co-editor of several books.
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