IDEAS in Action?: The Bridge Between High Performance and the Human Experience at Work

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

?- Maya Angelou

From Employee Experience to Human Experience:

Not too long ago (at a time when conferences were in-person and not virtual), I met an interesting young professional who worked as a client experience specialist in a leading consultancy firm. As I interacted with her, I asked if she could share a few learnings that I could apply to our work developing teams and leaders. She mentioned that she worked with clients who had a specific set of needs, and one of their main areas of focus was to ensure that the client experience was a positive Human Experience (what Deloitte in their 2020 Marketing Trends defines as ‘the energy, connection, and meaning we live and breathe each day’).

This got me thinking...what else can be done to ensure that the employee experience is discussed in the same precise way? In other words, what is it that results in a positive Human Experience in the workplace?

This is not an entirely new concept (10 Stats Linking the Customer and Employee Experience), however, at this time, more than ever, there is an urgent need for us to find ways to care and connect as humans at work. 

Human experience starts with the premise that an individual’s lived experiences, personal identities (such as race/ethnicity and gender), mindsets, values and ambitions are vital because they form the foundation for who we are and what we need from the organizations and people where we work.

IDEAS in Action?

Before meeting the client experience consultant, my team and I had concluded that the employee experience required a more precise analysis of what it meant to have a positive human experience.

For us, this exploration is done at three levels:

1. We scan the organizational culture and climate 
2. We apply a wider lens that integrates equity, accessibility, and sustainability, or what we call IDEAS? (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Sustainability)
3. We create brave and safe places to discuss polarizing perspectives and address team dynamics in a psychologically safe environment.

Conversations with executive leaders and teams, DEI Professionals, and Human Resource Professionals demonstrate the need for this deep self and team exploration. For example, they ask themselves: 

• Do we have the clarity and courage to move from awareness to action and impact?
• Do we have a clear commitment and accountability to support the strategy with long- and short-term goals?
• Are we ready to confront the fear of negatively impacting the brand by saying or doing the wrong thing?

Several research studies such as a recent 2020 Mckinsey & Co report titled 'Diversity Wins' indicate that companies with a more diverse workforce are more likely to experience above-average financial returns. However, the same study, as well as many others, also show that most organizations are failing to adapt their DEI strategy (e.g. 3 Critical Steps For Companies That Want To Move The Needle On Diversity). As a result, while these organizations may have a strategy with diversity and inclusion programs, this approach has not moved the needle.

Using the IDEAS in Action? framework, we start with precision analytics to first benchmark performance levels and the human experience. We then work to create brave and safe spaces with teams within the organization for meaningful dialogue to take place.

With these steps, we are working with the organization’s leaders to integrate IDEAS in Action? into the organization's purpose and values to sustain the positive changes.

What’s next?

I will be sharing many experiences and learnings at the Human Experience Summit 2.0 on Thursday, December 3, 2020 at 9:00 AM PST. I look forward to a very insightful discussion with my other panelists @Rhett Power, Co-Founder - Wild Creations, and @CB Bowman, MCEC, CEO - ACEC | WRE | MEECO.

Register for free here