14 DAY TRIAL // A thriving workforce is an absolute requisite when it comes to increasing productivity at the workplace, says the conclusion of a new scientific research on the issue. What the research is basically saying is that being happy with one's job is not a guarantee that that worker will display high performances.
Scientists at the University of Michigan (U-M) Michigan Ross School of Business, led by professor of management and organizations Gretchen Spreitzer, say that the difference between being happy and thriving is translated in the difference between a productive and a high-performance workforce.
This is plainly obvious when you look at how some of the largest, most important companies in the world set up their headquarters, and in how they treat their employees. To workers in other fields, those buildings and ways of doing things seem like heaven on Earth.
Under such circumstances, there's no wonder those top companies continue to be the best at what they do, researchers say. Their workers are not only happy, but they literally thrive at the workplace, they eagerly go to work every day, and are allowed to do things at their own pace.
Various studies have shown, for example, that workers not bound to a fixed schedule, or who do not have a daily norm to fulfill, are more productive than those who are told what to do, and how much, every moment of every day.
“We think of a thriving workforce as one in which employees are not just satisfied and productive but also engaged in creating the future – the company's and their own,” Gretchen Spreitzer explains.
“Thriving employees have a bit of an edge – they are highly energized – but they know how to avoid burnout,” she adds. The latter aspect is very important, since many workers nowadays work so hard to impress their bosses, or achieve job security, that they burn themselves out after a while.
Spreitzer has been researching the nature of the perfect workplace for seven years, together with Georgetown University McDonough School of Business assistant professor Christine Porath. In their studies, the researchers analyzed data from more than 1,200 white- and blue-collar workers.
The conclusions of their research appear in the latest issue of the esteemed journal Harvard Business Review. “Vitality is the sense of being alive, passionate and excited. Employees who experience vitality spark energy in themselves and others,” Spreitzer explains.
“Companies generate vitality by giving people the sense that what they can do on a daily basis makes a difference. Learning is the growth that comes from gaining new knowledge and skills. People who are developing their abilities are likely to believe in their potential for further growth,” she concludes.