Back in January we unassumingly posted an Instagram Reel that would blow up our account……… and open our eyes to just how truely miserable some people must be at work.
Promoting our Engagement Champions platform we posted a number of Reels dropping a few of the Gallup 12 elements of employee engagement.
3 posts in we dropped the contentious reel which went a little like this “If you’re one of those people who think you come to work to work and not make friends you aren’t going to like what I have to say” “The chances of you being engaged at work without a best friend there is 1 in 12”
“I have a best friend at work” is Gallups most controversial employee engagement question.
The responses we received were split into 2 very distinct camps:
“I hate everyone I work with”
“My best friends are those from school who I’ve known forever”
First of all, for everyone in the first camp – for the love of god go get another job! Life is too short!
For everyone else, the question isn’t proposing you make your work friends your best friends outside of work. “I have a best friend AT work”
Why is this question so important to employee engagement? The biggest driver of employee wellbeing & engagement isn’t what they are doing, it’s who they are doing it with.
When you show up to a meeting with your bud beside you having your back you’re more likely to speak up ……… to show up! Be present! Share ideas! Chuck that “out of the box” suggestion into the discussion!
At its core it’s about creating psychologically safe workplaces, where people feel confident and safe to share their ideas and opinions.
Let’s jump in the Time Machine for a hot minute and picture yourself at school. You have no friends at school, all your friends live the suburb over. You have heaps of fun with them on the weekend and the afternoons you’re allowed to ride your bike to their house. But Monday to Friday? Well, Monday to Friday you are friendless.
Now think about how keen you are to get out of bed each morning and go to school – not so much huh?
How willing are you to put your hand up in class? Nuh uh don’t put yourself out there, what if you’re wrong or people wonder why you’re contributing?
Are you going to talk your school up and share positive experiences? Nope!
Just so we are clear: you hate going, you don’t contribute and you have nothing nice to say about the place.
Juuust in case you missed that this is an analogy for work……. this is what happens to our employees when they don’t have someone they can trust to have their back, or are open to sharing experiences with them.
When you don’t have a psychologically safe workplace, when people are shut off to forming trust relationships at work, this is what you create.
A dysfunctional workplace culture, unengaged, unproductive and disconnected employees.
The contentious Reel.
If you would like a strategic approach tailored to your specific business needs contact us to arrange an obligation free chat about how we can help.
Through impactful HR we create a positive employee experience every time.
We aim to create future-focused, people centred HR solutions to accelerate organisational and employee wellbeing, engagement and performance by making HR easy.
THE PEOPLE & CULTURE OFFICE SUPPORTS HR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS AUSTRALIA-WIDE TO TAKE A FRESH APPROACH TOWARDS THEIR PEOPLE AND CULTURE FUNCTION.
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