How we work is changing constantly. We have more tech tools to get the job done and our online communication methods keep us connected to our colleagues at all times. But all of these options are starting to overwhelm employees.
Research shows people collectively check their phones 8 billion times a day1. We are connected 24X7 through some means of communication. Gone are the days when employees would worry about using their phone for a personal call. Today people are constantly on some form of social media which may or may not be work related.
But each time someone is distracted, it takes 20 minutes to get back into the “flow” of their work. That is a lot of lost time each day and the constant interruptions and switching from one technology media to another means people are more prone to errors, become disengaged with the workplace overall, and productivity suffers2. Many employees are citing the constant information feed and need to be connected as a major source of stress. And we all know, the more stressed someone is, the more prone to illness they become.
HR departments and management need to step in and help not only to improve the wellbeing of their workers, but also to retain the quality of work produced and productivity levels. So how can HR and management help?
Human centric design thinking is getting attention from HR leaders and management teams. Sounds like a fancy theory that needs a lot of outside consulting time to implement but what does it really mean? It really boils down to observing and mapping how work actually gets done and then making changes (sometimes small and simple) to improve the employee experience. Here are some key attributes of design thinking:
- Pausing is important and we need to build in time for thinking and reflection. When we are constantly busy doing work we forget to pause. How many times have you sat at your desk trying to solve a problem with no success? But then as soon as you take a break or a walk around the block, the solution comes to you. Pausing helps us to reconnect to our imagination and latent knowledge.
- It puts people back at the center of work. Procedures are necessary and important but if we get too caught up in them, we forget that all improvement and advancement comes from our imaginations. Only people have the ability to imagine what the future could be 1, 3.
- Self-management becomes possible. The goal of many business leaders is to build self-governing organizations through effective team management. People and teams need the freedom to tackle their tasks in the most efficient way for themselves. Handing down too much process and procedure does not lend itself to growing self-governing teams.
So how do you get started? Here are some simple steps:
- Observe how work is being done in its current state (this becomes your baseline)
- Quickly map out and document the steps to complete the task
- Highlight what you feel can be improved on (ask for suggestions and ideas from your employees)
- Alter the task based on the input you gathered
- Measure the impact of the change
- Learn from it – what could have been done better?
- Repeat
This process is very similar to many of the strategies you might put in place if you had a quality management system. It is about audit of the procedure and continual improvement. It is ultimately about defining what an excellent employee experience looks like and working towards reflecting that in the tasks and work of the employee.
About the Author:
Marnie Larson is the CEO of StarGarden Corporation and oversees its operations in Canada, US and New Zealand. She has over 20 years’ experience in the software industry and specializes in HCM, Business process automation and Workflow technology.
References:
- http://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/focus/human-capital-trends/2016/employee-experience-management-design-thinking.html
- http://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/focus/human-capital-trends/2014/hc-trends-2014-overwhelmed-employee.html
- https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/09/in-the-machine-age-only-one-type-of-organization-will-thrive-a-human-one