Elearning! Magazine: Building Smarter Companies via Learning & Workplace Technologies.
Issue link: http://elmezine.epubxp.com/i/134584
threethings CRAFT Inside virtually everyone is a maestro searching for a masterpiece. For some, it's the primary source of fulfllment. Tink artists, athletes and performers whose core passion is a unique skill, talent or gifedness. But those are just the obvious examples. You'll also fnd this source of engagement providing satisfaction to woodworkers, orthopedic surgeons, venture capitalists, inventors, chefs and builders. Anywhere skill is required, you will fnd some workers who derive joy from performing it, right down to the master street sweeper. Tasks that are meaningless and monotonous to one person can be a veritable playground for another. So why are some people more engaged by craf than others? Tere are numerous factors, of course, but any organization can optimize the craf factor to raise engagement. First, emphasize it. When Starbucks closed all 7,100 of its stores for three hours to re-teach 135,000 baristas the art of making espresso, it turned what had become a routine into an art form. For many baristas, job satisfaction was no longer just about the benefts afer that. Te challenge of exercising those skills was nothing short of engaging, and along with each successful cup of espresso came a renewed sense of satisfaction. Second, measure it. A problem clearly defned is a problem half-solved. Likewise, a craf clearly described is engagement half-unleashed. Games without rules and goals quickly lose their appeal. It is in the nuances of the execution that they become compelling: mastering a curve ball, nailing a jump shot, or completing a pass. People become captivated when they know how to impact the score. Organizations that leverage craf well also measure craf well. Tey defne it, teach it, practice it, and live it. Finally, celebrate it. People are drawn to competition, even if it is against an inanimate goal. We are creatures of recognition. When craf is recognized as an organizational value, and even embedded in performance management, people engage accordingly. CULTURE People are social creatures. Te need for belonging is one of the strongest drivers in the human experience. It just so happens that organizations of people provide an ideal venue for social expression. Culture is nothing less than the collective personality of the organization. Just as friends are a source of engagement, companies with great personalities can be engaging too. Toughtful leaders can architect the culture of the organization in the same way that thoughtful people can refne their own personality by shedding bad habits and adopting good ones. When a worker belongs to an organization that heightens esteem, shares personal values, and/or creates a sense of support and community, that worker is energized to become more engaged. Craf, Cause, and Culture are the food, water and sunshine of any organization. Most of the time, people will tolerate shortcomings in two of these three categories as long as they are well-served by at least one. Starving artists are willing to starve as long as they can practice their craf. Martyrs are willing to die when the cause is signifcant. People will sometimes compromise craf and cause when simply belonging delivers enough value. Needless to say, the best organizations constantly cultivate all three. And that lays a foundation of workplace engagement capable of supporting the most ambitious L&D; strategies. 38 June / July 2013 Elearning! CAUSE Peter Drucker told the story of three stone-cutters who were asked what they were doing. Te frst replied that he was making a living. Te second explained that he was cutting stones exceptionally. And the third proclaimed, "I am building a cathedral." Transcendence is an engaging concept. Some work is innately transcendent: social work, public service or catastrophe relief. However, even for-proft companies can fnd the deeper meaning in the things they do. One of our fast-food clients wraps their operational routines around a servant leadership objective. Tey take pride in providing a sense of community, connection and belonging for each guest who visits. Servant leadership is a true point of focus for team members, which, in turn, feeds their quest for transcendence to execute it well. —Jef Gray is vice president of Professional Services with Novologic. His specialties are one-to-one relevance-based marketing, rich-media communications technologies, mobile, CDN architectures and leadership development. Ben Ortlip is a writer for some of the world's top brands, a strategic advisor to leaders, and director of Message Strategy with Novologic. His passion is helping people create and implement strategic plans for business and life. Follow Gray on Twitter at @NovoJG. Follow Ortlip at @benortlip.