How to support more intentional ways of working: A corporate wakeup call
When was the last time you felt seen, heard, and appreciated at work? Or energized by your job? Or in sync with your team? Or empowered to share opinions, new ideas, and needs?
Given the recent years of turmoil – The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting, waves of layoffs by major companies – it feels safe to assume that many people’s hearts just aren’t in work right now.
But we live in a world where working is necessary to live, so what are we supposed to do?
Today, I’ll talk about why breaking the mold matters immensely, and how we might do that.
It isn’t a cure all, but my aim is to help people and leaders who navigate environments that aren’t set up to support more intentional ways of working (which, unfortunately, applies to many companies).
The Problem
Most companies are designed to optimize resources, one of which is humans. Businesses are built to get as much out of us as possible in service of the company, efficiency, profit, bottom line, and so on.
This reality means that we’ve gotten used to ways of working that aren’t in service of our tender, human hearts. And even when we try to be more intentional, it can be extremely difficult because our environments aren’t conducive to leading with heart.
As a result, many of us have shut down or shut off emotion at work, pushed aside physical needs, disconnected and compartmentalized “work life” from “real life.” But the reality of recent years has made it harder to maintain this divide.
Children show up in Zoom meetings, emotion shows up at work, and friction is building as we navigate significant tumult, change, and uncertainty.
In other words, our ability to contain and compartmentalize has gotten harder as the lines have gotten blurrier. And showing up as our full, authentic selves (something I’ve written about previously), may leave us feeling messy, confused, and vulnerable in the current climate.
So, what can we do about it?
Recently, I co-hosted a workshop with Sara Frailich, founder of the design research collective, on the topic of heart-centered design. The essence of the conversation was this: Now, more than ever, we have an opportunity to act and work differently, creating new ways forward that ARE authentic and heart centered. But doing so can be extremely challenging in environments where being heart centered isn’t easy – shifting will take effort.
What do I mean by heart centered?
Being heart-centered means:
Understanding our own true values
Valuing ourselves and those around us
Feeling, sensing, and connecting to wisdom as a way of knowing (rather than relying solely on thinking))
Being self-aware, and recognizing when things are not in line with our values
Taking care of and understanding ourselves so we can show up fully (and better understand others)
It doesn’t mean we’ll throw structure out the door, or show up and just “ride it out.” Quite the opposite.
Being heart centered means being more intentional with ourselves and others, and creating structures that allow for people to share more honestly, and make decisions based on more than just what’s in service to the business, but also on what’s in service to the humans inside and outside of the organization.
Why is it important?
On paper, this ethos sounds wonderful. In practice, it has the potential to move mountains.
I’ve seen the benefits of it in my own work facilitating workshops for companies and teams across industries, and I firmly believe that it’s most effective when it starts at the leadership level.
Here’s what operating from a heart-centered space can cultivate:
Better Trust and Psychological Safety: When we’re non-judgmental and understanding, it fosters an environment of trust and psychological safety. People feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts, concerns, and challenges without fear of criticism or negative repercussions. And this open atmosphere allows for better collaboration, creativity, and innovation within a team.
Improved Communication: When we’re committed to understanding one another, it greatly improves communication. By actively listening (more on that here), and holding space for others’ thoughts and needs, we better understand different perspectives (which is particularly helpful for problem-solving and decision-making processes).
Greater Empathy: When we treat each other as humans foremost and show that we genuinely care about the well-being and success of our team members, it fosters a sense of belonging. People feel more valued and included, leading to stronger relationships and cooperation.
I’m intentionally not laddering all of these perks back to productivity, output, or profit because that’s not the point. Leading and acting from a heart centered space is all about supporting the human condition, and making our relationship with work more authentic and sustainable.
That sounds great! How do we cultivate it?
Tune into your own heart as a means to take care of yourself.
What do you need to do to show up fully? Do those things, and be responsible for you as much as possible. That might mean asking for help from a colleague to prepare for a meeting, or skipping time with a friend so you can go to bed early. Always prioritize these needs first.
Tune into the other people in the room – their energy, humanity, attitudes – and kick off working sessions with a reminder that we are “people first, job titles second.” This might mean:
Setting people up for success through expectation setting. Email an agenda beforehand so people know what to expect during the time together. Invite questions in advance. Be willing to connect 1:1 if anyone is particularly concerned. Then check in with people at the start of the workshop, and be prepared to check in with individuals 1:1 if issues arise (or if you can sense that someone is having a hard time with the work).
If you’re a leader, don’t judge or assume, but come to understand, asking the right questions instead of rushing to judgment and assumption. It means respecting others and leading them with care and responsibility, treating people with love and respect to bring out their best.
Anchor the work in purpose and values. This might mean:
Clarifying the purpose and desired outcomes upfront, or facilitating an alignment exercise with the group, such as a playing field method, or a simple this / not that list on the board.
If you’re starting from scratch, or feel like the team doesn’t have a solid foundation, a day-long brand sprint could be used to define the essential elements for the work to build upon.
Don’t be afraid of the issues
I find that fear of addressing the issues is actually the main issue when it comes to being fully present. Avoidance is a STRONG muscle and while you may not be able to fully break through long-held patterns, it’s worth trying.
Whether you’re a leader, facilitator, or someone within an organization who simply wants to work more mindfully, these tips are a great starting place.
You can expect some resistance – remember, modern orgs aren’t set up to support this way of being – but my hope is that these suggestions will reduce disconnection, make the process of working more sustainable, and support yours and others’ tender, human hearts.