Happy New Year! Now Get Back to Work-- and FIX IT!

No, you don’t need to check the calendar. It’s still early September. But early autumn has always felt more like a beginning than what I typically experience on an actual New Year’s Day each year. As a kid, I always looked forward to the first day of school: new teachers, new desks, occasionally some new classmates, and sometimes even new schools.? Each “grade” was the beginning of a new chapter in my life. And as we get older, we experience that “first day” feeling with our kids – and the grandkids. Our two little granddaughters head off to school this week – one to First Grade and the little one to Pre-K.? And then there is the college experience. Leaving home for school, again usually in late summer or early fall, is usually a milepost we reflect back on as the beginning of our journey into adulthood.

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That “new year” feeling also existed for me in the work environment. Despite having worked most of my career in one industry, the end of summer typically marked the beginning of several things.? September typically represented the start of a new planning cycle for the upcoming business year and a time to put on the final pushes to close out the current year strong. Logic always directed that we took our summer vacations to recharge and refresh to be ready to deal with whatever year-end was going to throw at us.? And even the weather, at least to me, was ideal. While the dropping temperatures and falling leaves might represent an end to some people, I saw it as a time of new opportunity, fresh with excitement. The current year was shedding its skin in anticipation of a new beginning. Contrast that with New Year’s Day. Come January, the holiday and New Year celebrations are over, and the weather is something we look to run away from versus toward.

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So after an August break from “Witz”dom, did I succeed in getting myself pumped-up for the beginning of my favorite time of year?? I’ll let you judge. But as we get back into the swing of things post-summer, I am reminded that the world of work remains in flux.? Employers are still flummoxed about whether to be “in” or “out” of the office.? Hybrid sounds good – but if you ask 10 employers what their hybrid approach is, you get 10 different answers (I guess that’s really what hybrid is all about, right?).? Do employers really mean it when they say you don’t need to be in the office, or is that the sales pitch they use to hire what’s become a transient workforce, only to find out that if you want to have an impact you need to be physically present? Salaries and benefits are still touted as items which should make me want to work for you – especially that 401(k) match! The promise of flexible - and now sometimes – unlimited vacation time – is high on the recruitment lure list.? A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is a must as employers seek staff. And a focus on sustainability and community engagement is becoming even more critical, particularly with the expansion of Gen Z into the workforce – many of whom have never worked in an office 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (and have no intention of EVER doing that!).

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But are all of the benefits and enticements being offered by employers the real trick in hiring, developing and maintaining a productive and loyal workforce?? They might be more of givens than they are perks – and they come at a significant expense to employers. It’s been reported that labor costs can account for 65-70% of an overall company’s cost of doing business, yet according to a Paycor Survey, HR professionals only spend 15% of their time managing that cost.[1]? Employers also spend considerable dollars on brand marketing and advertising. While the primary reason for the spend is to attract buyers for their products and services, they also use brand awareness as part of the hype they promote when recruiting new talent. But are people truly joining or staying with an employer due to the popularity of the company’s commercials or because their name is on a big building or favorite stadium?

So where SHOULD an employer be investing when it comes to talent?? How about the job itself.? Yes, of all the things to consider when creating a workplace where people want to come and stay, why not focus more heavily on the tasks and tools that help make workers more satisfied that they are actually accomplishing what they intend? Think about the last time you either interviewed for a job – or you were the interviewer seeking new talent.? How much time was spent discussing the job itself? Discussing company culture, understanding leadership structure and reporting relationships are critical items to share when seeking employment.? And knowing the benefits and compensation structure during an interview are crucial, but as I indicated earlier, understanding these elements are givens.? In my experience, the actual job is often only discussed in the context of our “past” experience – talking about what we did and what we accomplished. Again, important topics – but where is the equal time focused on the matter at hand – the job you want me TO DO moving forward? What is going to stimulate me and make me want to show up every day?

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To better understand the importance of creating jobs that truly motivate people, I highly recommend a new book by Thomas Bertels and David Henkin. “Fixing Work: A Tale about Designing Jobs Employees Love” is a business fable about a typical middle manager in a large company who faces a familiar set of challenges: a crushing workload, disengaged employees, and angry customers. But when he learns about the ingredients of a good job - meaningful work, autonomy, and feedback - he embarks on an epic journey to fix work. And despite the usual resistance to change, corporate politics, and misaligned incentives, the manager does chart a course where he succeeds in gaining more highly engaged employees, greater productivity, and delighted customers.?

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The book is a fast read and shows what is possible if we design or redesign work differently and provides a realistic roadmap for leaders at all levels. ?The story is set in an insurance company – and as a 40-year industry veteran, I can attest the problems presented in this book are real. So are the proposed solutions.? But the issues are not unique to insurance – the solutions can apply across any industry and any work environment. ?

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It is important, however, for leaders to open their mind to what needs fixing about work. Are corporate leaders spending too much time on non-job specific characteristics when engaging their workforce? We certainly need to address the evolving workforce, where we want work to be done, and how we must continue to use benefits and compensation as tools to enhance employment opportunities and keep employees engaged. And employees must be part of that discussion. But we study, we train, we apprentice to do something more than collect a paycheck. Employers also need to look at how they can be competitive from a cost perspective.? Filling office space because you have it doesn’t get the job done faster, and paying people above market rate or needing to fund signing or retention bonuses may get you the person, but what are you SPENDING to make sure the work you are asking them to perform is meaningful?

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Recently, I was participating in some volunteer work for a local non-profit, one of my fellow volunteers was discussing the fact that her employer notified her that all employees would be required to come into the office 4 days per week later this year. It was anticipated, but still it’s causing some people to reflect on their contribution to the employer.? “I really wish I felt like I do when I volunteer here when I am at my job,” she said.? Volunteer work appears to be meaningful in her world – but more importantly she is able to see the result of what she is doing and its impact on the people our non-profit serves. Not all employers can generate that same feeling, but they CAN create a similar approach to making sure their employees feel that their contributions are valuable – and meaningful.

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Reflecting back on the season, and the new beginning I feel each autumn brings us, I’d like to propose a “New Year’s resolution” for leaders.? Let’s commit to fixing work at its root, by looking at the jobs we do and ask others to perform in greater detail.? In “Fixing Work,” the book’s protagonist learns, “everybody wants to be part of a winning team.”? We want to feel like we created something and point to a result that meets or beats expectations – and when it doesn’t, we want to be part of the solution that shapes future direction. It starts with the work itself – and as the book’s authors share, “You can only do a good job if there is a good job to be done.”??

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Reisenwitz, from the German, translates something akin to “travel joke” in English. It explains why many a German-speaking border agent would snicker as I passed through passport control when I was working in Europe. I would subsequently translate the name to mean traveling fool – a jester, or a “wit,” given my career on the road. Throughout that career – and my overall life journey – I have acquired insight I have found beneficial that I’d like to share in this periodic newsletter. You can decide if it’s wisdom – or “witz”dom.? Hopefully you’ll find a little of both.

[1] Business Journal 2022 Cost of Doing Business