Here is an excerpt from an article written by Marla Gottschalk for Harvard Business Review and the HBR Blog Network. To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, obtain subscription information, and receive HBR email alerts, please click here.
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Most of us find it challenging to do our best work when our work environment feels unstable. For example, if you find yourself in the midst of an organizational change, your psychological resources — such as resilience and optimism — may be stretched to the limit. If the way forward at work is particularly unclear, you’ll undoubtedly devote precious energy considering not only the future of the organization, but your personal future there as well. In that context, you might think twice about a risky stretch assignment, even if it could potentially benefit your career and the organization in the long-term. This is often the case if faith in the underlying organizational foundation is acutely in question.
Most organizations struggle to find the right balance between stability and change, which in turn affects individual contributors. But in the race for innovation and digital transformation, the idea of stability has been somewhat lost in the mix, and there are strong indications that we should revisit its merits. If you want to develop an environment where contributors thrive, your workforce must be able to count on some basic things — such as role clarity, timely feedback, adequate resource allocation, and attention to how our work is structured. For example, the retail industry is learning that erratic work schedules likely benefit no one. When employees have a more predictable schedule, productivity increases. Although this finding may seem obvious, things that might contribute to stability generally receive little attention as compared to other topics, such as productivity or agility. Interestingly, the presence of stability could serve as the foundation for those other things. Google’s Project Oxygen, which discovered that psychological safety was related to team effectiveness, was likely only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to rethinking how to bring our best selves to work.
Both personal and organizational stability have always mattered — we’ve simply relegated them to a lower priority in many companies. But can we ever really become fully engaged with our work if a minimum level of stability is not present? Can an organization survive for 50 to 100 years or more if core stability isn’t acknowledged and carefully considered?
It’s time for organizations to circle back and invest considerable resources in enhancing stability. Organizational practices such as clearly communicating your mission and goals, along with strategies to accomplish them, can help. But in my experience, many sources of stability can be easily overlooked when leaders and managers are addressing other issues deemed to be more urgent. To counter this, we must make a more concerted effort to bring stability to the forefront of our minds — and apply this thinking to individuals’ needs. This includes the practice of being mindful of the role of stability and how it can positively affect our work every day. There are some key topics to consider and apply, including the [first of several] following:
- Has the employer/employee exchange agreement been openly discussed with your team members?
- Do contributors feel that what they receive from their work is equitable, considering what they might be investing?
- Are perceived promises about work and career paths largely upheld?
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Here is a direct link to the complete article.
Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial & Organizational Psychologist, diagnostician, and advisor. She explores topics related to managing challenge and change at work. Follow her on Twitter @MRGottschalk.