A Burnout Epidemic
We are facing a scarcity of engagement at work. More than half of all American workers are reporting at least moderate levels of burnout, a level even higher than at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Across the globe, 62% of workers report that they are not engaged at work. Aside from the mental health impacts, burnout at work costs your business and the entire economy money. A Gallup study estimates that a lack of engagement at work costs the global economy $8.9 trillion.
In all the hustling and grinding of modern business, there is a vacancy when it comes to human connectedness and meaning in the workplace, and we are seeing the results in statistics like these.
The good news is that there is a solution. Every business owner has the power to create a company that is not only successful but fulfilling to those who work there. The solution to burnout is not to retreat but to lean in and connect with our employees, with our customers and with our communities.
When your vision for your company goes beyond profit margins, sales and revenue, you start thinking about how your business can serve something much greater than itself. The focus shifts to impact, and infuses your company culture with energy and purpose.
Gallup CEO Jon Clifton said, “What can leaders do today to potentially save the world? Change the way your people are managed.”
You Are the Master of Your Own Happiness
True leadership starts with ourselves. As much as our words matter, our biggest impact as a leader comes from what we reflect back to our team.
“Leadership is an inside-out job. It starts from within.”
If you want to create a workplace culture of happiness, you must first learn to master your own happiness.
The secret is that happiness has very little to do with success and everything to do with pursuing your purpose and fostering connections. When you take responsibility for your own happiness by practicing gratitude, focusing on your passions and giving back, you’ll be in a position to show up with clarity, kindness and wisdom.
"We must be willing to take responsibility and hold ourselves accountable for the energy we bring to any space.”
You have the ability to change your company culture when you lead from your heart. You can bring joy and passion to your work environment when you stop seeing yourself as someone with a title. Instead, see yourself as a leader who brings out the best in your employees. You will be blown away by what your employees have to offer when you empower them to contribute to a bigger vision while honoring their unique skills.
Science of Achievement vs. Art of Fulfillment
There is a distinct science to achievement. That means that there are defined rules to follow to achieve predictable results. The cycle of achievement is as simple as taking action, observing the result and adjusting your action based on the result until you succeed. Massive action is the key, and repeating the cycle will ultimately lead you to the result you want.
However, achievement alone is never enough to bring happiness. There are billionaires with every luxury under the sun who don’t have true happiness. And there are humans with very little who radiate joy.
“Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.”
Even more important than the science of achievement is the art of fulfillment. Fulfillment is an art because it varies from one person to the next. But there are commonalities. We find fulfillment in life when we give and when we grow.
This is as true for your business as it is for your personal life. If you want loyal and engaged employees, you need to empower them to chart their own course and give them opportunities to make an impact. That impact might be contributing to your community in a meaningful way or leading your coworkers in an important effort. If your employees are growing and giving, they will be excited to come to work each day, and you’ll be on your way to creating a raving fan company culture.
Creating a Raving Fan Culture
Raving fans in a company culture are not just employees. They are employees who are obsessed with their company and their job. They don’t just show up to work and punch the clock; they bring enthusiasm and their best ideas every day. They tell their friends about how much they love working where they do, and they are willing to stick around even when things get hard.
This only happens in a company culture where people are valued more than products or the business itself. In a raving fan company culture, employees are empowered. Their unique gifts are honored and utilized. They feel like valued and integral members of the team.
It is in your power to build a raving fan culture in your business. Start with finding your WHY. Figure out what your company does that is important and why it is worth pursuing. Invite those you lead into this shared, purpose-driven vision.
Be clear about your priorities. No product can ever be more valuable than the people you serve—both your clients and your employees. Be prepared to understand, anticipate and fulfill the deepest needs of your customers and your team. This is what sets apart supremely successful organizations from others.
Provide opportunities for growth and change. Allow your business to change to meet customers' needs and give your employees many opportunities to be challenged and try new things. See failures and setbacks as opportunities to learn and do better. Growth breeds happiness and success.
Finally, make giving an integral part of your company identity. That can mean incorporating regular charitable contributions into your business plan, volunteering in your community or creating a workplace that supports its employees. Whatever you choose to do, remember this:
“The secret to living is giving.”
Nothing will infuse your company culture with happiness faster or more effectively than leaning into purpose, connection, and increasing your impact. Creating a raving fan company culture will not only make you and your employees happier, but it will also make your business more successful. What step can you take today to catapult your success and fulfillment in business?
Need help getting started? You don’t have to go it alone. Through our business results training, we’ve equipped countless entrepreneurs with the tools and strategies to become world-class leaders, and we can do the same for you.
