Workplace Transition 2819  is the fifth of five overviews of the terms and concepts associated with the 10 characteristics of the well-living workplace. This term is a viable substitute to "healthy workplace" or "better workplace." 

In addition, you can complete a quick self-assessment of each characteristic from your organization's perspective. In doing so, you gain personal insight into what each characteristic means to you. Then, answer these 3 questions for each characteristic: So what? Now what? What else? to develop an action plan. 

A great way to review these characteristics is to self-assess them against your organization - your workplace using two scales titled “Level of Satisfaction” and “Level of Importance” with 1 as low and 5 as high.

In this article review characteristics 1 and 2.  
Assess each of the  characteristics based on:
Level of satisfaction ... is your internal assessment of the characteristic as you perceive it: Is it satisfying (enjoyable, rewarding) for you?
Level of importance ... is your external reference: How important (vital, essential) is the characteristic to your work with others? 

Self-Assessment by Characteristic 

Organizations that encourage all employees to take risks above a predetermined “high waterline” often are more innovative and creative. This risk and creativity mix is greatly assisted (enhanced?) when fun is involved. A sense of joy and pleasure keeps people engaged and able to offer their best in all types of interactions.

When people are encouraged to put service and community ahead of self-interest, the breakthrough in task completion ensures they are rewarded with a job well done. With this kind of achievement, they contribute to the adage “you educate what you want to learn.” Therefore, in helping others, employees learn deeply and enjoy a way of celebrating the adventure that service commitment entails.

Setting Up Your Understanding of the Well-Living Workplace 

A groundswell of awareness brought about all things social media have employees requesting assistance in creating healthy or better organizations/workplaces or what we call the well-living workplace™.

The challenge for Executives and Entrepreneurs (Business Owners) is having a place to start (maybe restart).

This article highlights the 9+1 characteristics of the well-living workplace™ and explores two of them in detail. (Yes it's 5 articles in the series))smiles 

These characteristics offer you a possible direction from which to move forward in your organization's alignment with the well-living workplace - healthy organization requests from your stakeholders. AND, you might find some of them are in play already - time to celebrate! 

Because two characteristics are presented in detail, you have these options for your movement: 

• (A) take action with these characteristics today - have partial information 
• (B) read about them with no action until you read the full series - however, talking with a few allies maybe a better way forward as you create an informal pathway until you read all 10.
• (C) convene an Action Reflection Group to develop a formal outcome map and action plan over the next five weeks - we can support you, use our Contact Page to make a request to organize Facilitative Mentoring.
  

These statistics —by themselves— are often the impetus for organizational transition FOR employees. That is, managers determine what will happen. More often than not - employees receive their instructions with no (or minimal) input. That is, the few determine the best for the many.

However, not all employee-related statistics tell the truth about what is really happening in the organization.

Organizations, by their nature, are dynamic. Therefore, tension exists within them through internal work and external influences. Many times leaders, managers, supervisors, and employees are ill prepared to work in these ever shifting conditions, which lead to the statistical story mentioned above.

Because markets and conditions fluctuate, change is a constant companion of leaders, managers, and employees in organizations. How each company internally deals with change is an indication of the employees’ capabilities to match organizational competencies.

When those involved in the organization realize that “shift happens” everyday, they can take the first step toward finding the ways and means to learn and grow the organization of work with the input, ideas, insights from EVERY PERSON.

A useful MAPP* to accompany the organization learning journey is called the well-living workplace. This MAPP is drawn from the experience of those who learned from celebrating what works, and the challenges and the humbling circumstances hinted at above.
*MAPP = Map to Act, Act to Plan, Plan to Provide, Position, Prepare - etc.

What is the Well-lIving Workplace

The well-living workplace refers literally to a place where people — while working — live well together.

• In organizational terms, the well-living workplace operates to dynamically balance people, movement, and profitability. 
• In employee terms, the well-living workplace provides a time and place for employees to contribute their knowledge and skills in ways that have them like what they do and do what they like.

One of the more interesting dynamics of creating - more so, co-creating the well-living workplace is the realization that it is approachable and not necessarily attainable. This insight begs the question, “What’s the point then?” 

Working to achieve a well-living workplace is much like any life-sustaining activity. Take learning and eating as examples.

Learning is a lifelong journey. Along the journey, one strives to know what can be known and what more can be learned. One might also argue that there is no logic in eating healthy foods. We are all going to die anyway! However, to live a fulfilling and vibrant life, the food you consume allows you to fully enjoy what you are doing. 

Similarly, integrating well-living workplace practices guides your organization toward wellness for the people involved and the organization as a whole. 

When persons are asked what kind of workplace they desire to work in, they respond with statements like, “It is a place where I am challenged and yet respected,” or “I am recognized for what I do,” or “It is clear where we are going and I know what I can do to contribute.” 

These types of responses are like food that nourishes the body. In creating the well-living workplace these responses are the ideas that frame the development of 9+1 characteristics of the well-living workplace that follow. 

9+1 = 10 Characteristics of the Well-Living Workplace

Here is the start of the list:

• Lead from the vision
• Manage through responsive listening
• Network-based organization (of work)
• Persons bring their uniqueness to their work
• Balance among people, producing, and profit
• Ethical and supportive behavior
• two more follow next Thursday ...

Additional Insights 

The 9+1 characteristics of the well-living workplace are open-ended and generic. The list serves as a guide. Each characteristic encompasses different issues and initiatives effecting employee and organizational wellness.

As more of these 9+1 characteristics are woven into the organization of work, the closer your organization becomes to gardening the term well-living workplace. Then, it's a case of sustaining the intentions, actions, and outcomes inherent in the list.

Be aware that the well-living workplace is approachable but rarely obtainable. Like many things in life, to work in a well-living workplace means embracing the journey more than reaching for a destination. Yet, appreciating the destinations you do reach encourages their use as places of respite and recreation to move on.

As your organization works from these 9+1 characteristics, remember their expression is unique to your organization. Through dialogue and actions, everyone fashions the well-living workplace where significance, dignity, and a sense of community frame productivity, performance, and profits. 

Therefore, no two companies are alike. Yet one organization can learn from another.

In Closing ... with personal commitment and the guidance available both internal and external to your organization, the well-living workplace can flourish where you work today. Request our assistance by sending a message on our Contact Page

Onward

Complete the assessment.
Review the numbers.

Move in this order with the statements below ... that way you do less of #3 because of what you did with #1 and #2:

1. Where you have the numbers 4 and 5 - take a deep breath, and explore what's working well. Then discover ways to do more of what works!
2. Where you have the number 3 - take a deep breath, and pay attention to the back-and-forth activities in your organization of work. That is, you'll think - more importantly you'll hear conversations like "we had a good week, this week not so good" and "seems we take a step forward and a step backwards - what's going on?" Consider what actions you'll take.
3. Where you have the numbers 1 and 2 - take a deep breath, and dive into what you think is happening. Consider ways to deal with those things hindering the organization of work. That written, it's possible the ideas you came up with in #1 and #2 may take care of what you dealing with in #3
   

And let us know what happened via our Contact page (private) or add a comment below (public).

Here are two eBooks - cost affordable - with 30 suggested action_outcomes per book - to move you forward together - in their words, on your terms

In Closing Workplace Transition 2819 ... ​
You are invited to become involved ... and so - - - - your comments are appreciated below.

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