What Makes A Great Place to Work?

What makes an organization a great place to work? Is it the flexibility to work from home? Free snacks and drinks? Is it great benefits, including yoga and meditation?

These may be important to some people in the start but over time, perks don’t cut it in the long-term. Especially when we realize these perks exist to keep us working longer hours and dedicating our lives to our jobs.

And because so many physical offices were shut over the last few years, everything has shifted. 

What Really Makes A Great Place to Work?

What we have in front of us is an incredible opportunity to ask this question, What makes a great place to work?  And shine a healthier light on it. We don’t have to bring the shadow with us.

So if it’s not free food and beer in the fridge, what matters to people today? 

An increasing number of people of all ages are seeking meaning more than ever. It is a need to have a clear sense of what we are here to create and having an environment supports us in doing our work. Flexibility is increasingly important. 

The three key elements of what people want in a great place to work include:

1. An ability to communicate openly about everything in a culture where people walk the talk
2. Being trusted
3. Being valued

Whether we go back to the office, or not, what is staring us between the eyes is that it’s time to define what “work” actually means and how it relates to a living culture.Ask any human walking this earth and most will share how important dignity and respect are to our overall wellbeing.

Communication is at the heart of it. Less focus on programs, more dialogue, information flow and people who do what we say. Imagine that everyone has a voice. Can the biggest perk be fulfilling work?

At the Heart of It is Trust

When we can express ourselves and listening is active in our organization, trust is then built and we feel valued by how we perform in our chosen professions. Everything else simply falls into place when we have an ability to choose how we best work.  

Making the list of top companies to work for is part of the old system. Where we are headed, when more people step into our power, we may learn that trust is not a program. Building relationships is about how well words align with actions. It takes huge investment of communication, meaning and experiences.

When we are able to trust another, the flow comes back to us. It’s a two-way street that starts at our own intersection. 

For the courageous, the question we are each asking more and more is, what fuels our fire and ignites our passion in every aspect of life? Where we choose to work and who we work with are becoming increasingly important.

Related: Innovation Can’t Be Rushed​