2 Tips to Reach Your Highest Potential At Work
In follow up to an earlier post about collective intelligence, I want to dig deeper into what makes us give our best at work. In response to my biomimicry-inspired post about how we can model organizations after superorganisms like ants, one reader commented that biomimicry principles work when there is no ego, and when everyone can be treated equally. Thank you Barbara for that insight. It’s absolutely true.
Giving your best at work also depends on intrinsic motivators that are enduring; these include a sense of belonging, shared values, competence, challenge, and collaboration to name a few. Feeling part of a team where you are encouraged to be happy and to learn is crucial to your success, and your company’s too.
I want to highlight two other conditions that are instrumental in bringing out the best in you and your team: trust and communication.
To build trust, there are key behaviors we must cultivate, according to author Stephen M. R. Covey:
- being accountable for our actions
- being honest and transparent
- facing reality
- making expectations clear
- listening first
Secondly, completely non-hierarchical and two-way communication that is always happening, as in biomimicry, is important, and affirmed by The Container Store’s CEO, Melissa Reiff, who states that communication IS leadership. This is a profound statement, and she defines this type of leadership as:
daily execution of practicing consistent, reliable, predictable, effective, thoughtful, compassionate, and yes, even courteous communication.
So, take a look around at your working conditions and evaluate them for optimal growth, trust, and communication. Cultivate the work life you want. You deserve it. Share your insights with me!
Giving your best at work depends on strong trust and open, constant communication. Photo Credit: Brook Cagle on Unsplash.