5 Workplace Issues, Their Associated Questions Helpful in Creating the Well-Living Workplace (Clarity)
Workplace issues are a matter of confusion or conflict, frustration or upset, appreciation or gratitude, celebration or expansion – you put forward in the form of questions.
Why in the form of questions? To diffuse the attendant emotion!
Identifying workplace issues (asking questions) within and around your organization of work occurs as a result of debate, discussion and/or dialogue.
Debate is a personalized adversarial approach to inquiry – to get at “the truth” and characterized by “either/or” thinking. Often, debate generates heat (conflict).
Discussion is less adversarial than debate. However, the root of the word discussion is ‘cuss’ that means – to strike out (like percussion, concussion, etc.). A person still seeks to make a point. And yet, will listen to some degree to other perspectives.
Dialogue is a non-personal, issue-based and appreciative approach to inquiry directed towards discovering mindsets and their meaning to the persons involved. It is characterized by “either and or both” thinking (and feeling) which, to those who prefer debate, may appear paradoxical and ambiguous. Usually dialogue generates light (value).
Asking the correct questions, in the correct way, results in more light than heat. Presuming the answer without questions, results in the opposite — more heat than light.
Workplace Issues and Their Associated Questions
Here are five important workplace issues with associated questions that evoke debate, discussion and dialogue about your organization of work:
Strategic Issues – About direction – in answer to Why?
It answers the question ”Why am I doing this work?” or … “Why are we doing this work, using this form, following this process, etc.?”
The strategic aspects of your organization of work consider the stories and conversations associated with topics such as mission, vision, shared values, core beliefs, history and myths, image, social responsibility, the influence of executive, financial mapping-planning, marketing and branding, policies …
Structural Issues – About arrangements – in answer to How?
It answers the question ”How am I to do the work?” or … “How are we to do the work, use the new form, follow the process, etc.?”
The structural aspects of your organization of work consider the stories and conversations associated with topics such as the unspoken and spoken rules, agreements, boundaries, helpful mechanisms, rewards, roles and responsibilities, management, day-to-day coordination, information technology, knowledge management, monitoring and measurement, procedures and processes, reliability …
Relational Issues – About connections – in answer to Who?
It answers the question “Who am I to be working with whom?” or … “Who am I working with, who wants us to use the form, who is encouraging us to follow the process, etc.?”
The relationship aspects of your organization of work consider the stories and conversations associated with topics such as accepted ways of behaving with each other (e.g., among employees, clients, managers, stakeholders), inspiration, recognition, diversity, resilience, resourcefulness, self-awareness, group awareness …
Communication Issues – About message, medium and audience – in answer to the When and Where?
It answers the questions “Where are we to do the work?” “When will the work start and finish?”
The communication aspect of your organization of work consider the stories and conversations associated with topics such as internal communication, message format, message channel, message-audience match, location of conversations, listening, speaking, story-telling …
Resource Issues – About time, effort and money – in answer to What?
It answers the question “What resources are required/requested for the work ahead?”
The resource aspect of your organization of work consider the stories and conversations associated with topics such as time assignment, person-hours, money allocation.
Summary for Workplace Issues
Leveraging the five workplace issues of Strategy, Structure, Relationship, Communication and Resources creates the well-living workplace especially when dialogue and to some degree discussion are used. While debate is sometimes helpful, it’s tempered by the preferred use of “healthy debate.”
You impact or affect the creation and sustainability of the well-living workplace through the interventions selected to deal with the workplace issues. That is,
- with strategic issues you leverage direction interventions
- with structural issues you leverage arrangement interventions
- with relational issues you leverage connection interventions
- with communication issues you leverage message-medium-audience interventions
- with resource issues you leverage time-effort-money interventions
Executing your organization of work improves delivery and sales
whereas dealing with workplace issues increases value and profit.
It’s up for dialogue!
Legacy is for giving. It’s in you to share.
Make it a wellthy day,
Moving Forward Together
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