Feeling valued and respected at work supports and sustains our motivation to perform to the best of our abilities. When we know our contributions at work matter, we can develop a sense of ownership and identity in our work and generally feel more energized and engaged in what we are doing. Research on workplace appreciation…
Why an ownership perspective matters to TOH@UTC
People who own and run their own businesses know that the “buck stops” with them – There is no one else to whom they can turn when there are actions to take, decisions to make, or difficulties to overcome. Developing and maintaining an ownership perspective as an employee means recognizing and embracing the power of…
Stay Interviews as a Tool for Building Trust, Amplifying Employee Voice, and Fostering Professional Growth
There are many questions when an employee quits or otherwise leaves their position in an organization. Traditionally, organizations conduct “exit interviews” or “exit surveys” to address these concerns. However, this reactive approach often falls short by itself, being “too little, too late” to truly address underlying issues that might have contributed to an employee’s decision…
Managing Gossip at Work
Gossip within workplaces is very common – By some estimates, almost 90% of employees share, hear, or are the target of workplace gossip on a daily basis (e.g., Grosser et al., 2012). Data gathered through the Total Organizational Health (TOH@UTC) initiative confirm that in many workgroups on campus, gossip is a frequent occurrence in day-to-day…
Job Crafting: Redesigning Work for Enhanced Meaning and Motivation
For most of us, the motivation to work is at least somewhat linked to the meaning and purpose we find in what we do, and to our ability to control at least a little bit of how we do that work. When our work feels really basic, routine, restrictive, or unchanging, our motivation to work…