Seeing Your Work as an Act of Service: An Antidote to Absenteeism

In our last blog, we talked about helping employees see their work as a noble calling. And how that would help them to feel better about their work and, at the same time, reduce absenteeism.  All work matters and all work makes a contribution. When we begin to rethink our work and see it as being important, how we do our work and how we feel about our work changes.

It is not so much about what we do, but how we do it and how we think about our work. Serving others is the path to deeper meaning and fulfillment and spirit at work. We fulfill our deeper purpose by serving — serving others or serving a cause. It is through service that we make a contribution, and that is where meaning and fulfillment come from. As the saying goes, “It is through giving that we receive.”

Shelia’s story demonstrates this well.

 

Sheila was a graduate coordinator at a university. Among other responsibilities, she fulfilled the role of counselor to students. She dealt with students who ran out of money before their next loan was available, got kicked out of their apartment or ran out of food. Rather than be annoyed with the students, Sheila welcomed them. In fact, she looked forward to helping them. That was her job and she was there to serve. Sheila felt good about being able to help the students solve their problems. She took pride in helping them achieve their goals and was often invited to their graduation ceremonies. She knew she was making a difference. Sheila was very clear about her purpose — to serve.

Sheila’s experience was different than her colleague’s experience. Although they did the same work, Sheila had spirit at work; her colleague was struggling with burnout. What do you think was different? Sheila’s co worker was frustrated with the students and their lack of responsibility. She saw their visits as an interruption to her work rather than as a part of her job. She couldn’t believe that these students could be so irresponsible and working with them took a toll.

 

Often it is just a matter of our attitude and thoughts, because the work we are doing is already about service. This is the case for many employees and especially for those in the public sector and helping professions. However, if we do not see how we are serving others and do not take time to feel good about serving them, we lose most of the benefits. As did Sheila’s colleague.

 

What would change if you saw your work as an act of service? What would you do differently? How would it feel to see your work as a noble calling? Start to rethink your work today.

Why has the public sector gone from being a noble calling to having the highest absenteeism rate?

Working for the public sector used to be considered a noble calling. Today, Statistics Canada reveals that employees in the federal public service have the highest rate of absenteeism in the country. They are followed by health-care and social service providers, provincial public servants and municipal employees. Absenteeism is lowest in the private sector.

Absenteeism rates have been rising in all sectors since the late 1990s. The average days lost to absenteeism due to sick leave, family demands, and other personal reasons has gone from 7.4 days per worker in 1997 to 10.2 days in 2007. For public service employees, the rated jumped to 16.2 days per worker per year on average.  These days are on top of vacation time, maternity leave and other scheduled time off.

Why the difference? Statistics Canada points to an aging workforce, increased women in the workforce, higher stress levels, and more generous sick and family-related leave policies in the public services.

Others point to low morale as the cause. In a recent poll by Angus Reid, one-third of Canadians think it is more honourable to work in the private sector as compared to 15 percent who believe the working for the government is more honourable. Given a choice, 43% of those surveyed said they would choose careers in the private sector, whereas only 33% would choose the public sector.

Those interested in the private sector are drawn by the creativity, salaries and mobility. Those attracted to the public sector say it is because of the generous benefits and job security. Only one-quarter say they were drawn by a “vocation of service.” I believe that this is the root of the absenteeism concern.

While benefits and job security are important, particularly as we weather the recession, they do not give us that deeper meaning and fulfillment so many of us are seeking. They do not give us the feeling that our work is honourable. We need to know that our work matters, that we are making a difference through our work – to have something we call spirit at work. Others call it work engagement, happiness at work or flow, but it all refers to feeling good about our work and the contribution we are making.

Spirit at work can be developed. I took a team of workers through the Spirit-at-Work Program and it dramatically reduced the rate of absenteeism and turnover. Not only did we see an improvement in retention, our research pointed to an increase in job satisfaction and commitment. Morale improved and the group began working together as a team. Why? Employees began to see their work as a noble calling. They appreciated themselves and the work they did. They began to think about their work differently.

I believe that the answer to high absenteeism rates lies in helping public servants see their work as a noble calling and to feel good about their work. How can they do that? By rethinking work. Here are four ways to begin rethinking your work:

1. Get to the heart of what matters about your work.
2. Be on purpose at work.
3. See your work as an act of service.
4. Cultivate a spiritual value-based life.

Absenteeism has a huge effect on morale, productivity and profitability. It can and should be halted. We will talk in more detail about these four ways in our subsequent blogs.

What does Blink-182, a Pop Punk Band, have to do with Spirit at Work?

While the music of Blink-182 may not be your favourite, this band’s story illustrates how a brush with personal disaster can transform our experience of work. Faced with a personal crisis, we have a tendency to re-evaluate our priorities and our way of being, putting us on what I call, the transformative events path to spirit at work. When we have spirit at work, we are fully engaged in our work, we find meaning and fulfillment in that which we do and we see how our work makes a difference in the lives of others.

Here is Blink’s story. Having sold some 13 million albums, the pop punk trio was at the height of their music career. Then due to extraordinary pressure and irresolvable differences, the band took a time out, resulting in a four-year hiatus. Last year, drummer Travis Barker nearly died in a plane crash – a crash which took the lives of his assistant and bodyguard. It was that event that led the group’s singer-guitarist Tom DeLonge to re-evaluate his priorities and break the radio silence toward his band mates. In an interview, DeLonge said that “It was very clear to me after Travis’s (near-death) that all these forces of nature were pushing for (a reunion) to happen.” The group decided to put aside their differences and come together to play again. Blink-182 is now on a 50-date North American comeback tour. But it took a near-death experience to get them there.

My research has shown that there are four paths to spirit at work: always there, coming together, contextually sensitive, and transformative events. Members of Blink-182 are on the path of transformative events.

What is the path of transformative events?  Stuff happens. We get sick. We are diagnosed with a debilitating disease, maybe one that is terminal. Our marriage ends in divorce. Our children make bad choices with negative and long-lasting results. The company we work for downsizes or goes under, and our spouse loses his or her job. We lose a loved one. The path of transformative events occurs in response to a crisis or spiritual awakening and can precipitate spirit at work.

A personal crisis (as Blink experienced) demands a response before it results in spirit at work. It requires that we do something. Individuals often begin to question their values, life priorities and lifestyle, a process sure to affect their relationship with work. Often, they begin to question the meaning of their work: Why are they doing it? Who is it helping? What is the contribution? How does it related to their deeper purpose? This response can turn a difficult event into a transformative event.

Why should we be interested? The recession has led to an increase in job loss, organizational takeovers, and downsizing – a significant life event for those impacted by such a decision. But even how we respond to events that are unrelated to our work – such as serious accidents, divorce or the loss of a loved one – will impact how we do our work. Thus, all of these events become opportunities as well as challenges. Once the necessary grieving has taken place – and that is important – times of crisis offer the potential for growth, change and spirit at work. A personal crisis gives us the opportunity to rethink our work – if we take it.

What is the next step? It is important for employers to realize how actions taken during the recession – some necessary for the survival of the company – have impacted employee spirit, job satisfaction and commitment. Action needs to be taken to rebuild relationships and help employees gain a renewed enthusiasm for their work and increased job satisfaction. At the same time, employees need to take steps to foster their spirit at work – the first being rethinking work. Everything changes when we rethink our work.

Work-Life Balance is Bunk

On July 11, 2009, Eric Lam of the Financial Post asked, “Whatever happened to touted work-life balance?” I say that it doesn’t exist, probably never did. I prefer that we aim for work-life integration. Work-life balance presumes a clear separation between work and the rest of our lives, which is impossible. Creating rigid boundaries often increases stress and a sense of being fragmented.

Work-life integration removes these boundaries. When we are integrated, we see how everything we do, including our work, is related to our deeper purpose. Everything is connected. It is not fixed. There is give and take. We accommodate. We integrate. So when we are called at work by the daycare to pick up a sick child, we pause our work and pick up our child or make alternative plans without guilt. We are clear that caring for our child is part of our deeper purpose. Similarly, when we need to bring some work home or stay late to finish a project, we expect to do so, because that too is part of our purpose. When we are integrated, there is an ebb and flow so that all priorities are accommodated. This is important because there needs to be room for all our priorities. If we focus all our energy and attention on one priority, we begin to cut ourselves off from the things that matter to us and we begin to lead a fragmented life.

This is not to say that we give equal attention to all priorities in our life all the time. That is the concern I have with the notion of living a balanced life. It assumes that everything is equal. When I think about balance, I think about trying to balance a teeter-totter. It is very difficult to get the exact balance where both sides of the teeter-totter are at the same height from the ground. One side is always higher than the other. And the energy expended in trying to make them equal can be enormous. Not to mention the frustration that goes along with “not being in balance” or the guilt about “not living a balanced life.” Not everything is in balance. Not all priorities carry equal weight. There are times in our life when we are called to give more attention to particular areas, be that raising children, helping elderly parents, developing our career, pursuing secondary education, living our passion or regaining health.

Practicing integration is different than striving for balance. People view family, work and personal interests, for example, as part of a larger and connected whole, rather than as separate and competing parts. Moreover, each of these life tasks provides an opportunity to fulfill our deeper purpose. Rather than attempting to maintain an equal balance, we need to give varying emphasis to each responsibility as need and priority dictates over time.

To the employee. Is your life fragmented or integrated? Is your work and the rest of your life separated or connected? Give yourself permission to let go of the need for a balanced life and live your life in line with what you have identified as your priorities. Honor what you know is important to you.

To the employer. During the economic recession, many employees are happy just to have a job. In these situations, they often put aside other priorities and focus solely on work. Some tolerate working conditions and expectations that are less than ideal. While this is understandable, it can and will take a toll – on both the employee and the company. The recession cannot be used as an excuse to take advantage of or ill-treat employees. Instead, companies need to find ways to support work-life integration. To show employees that they care. The number one driver of engagement is a sense that senior management is sincerely interested in employee wellbeing. It is time for employers to rethink work in spite of the economic situation. For more ideas about how to rethink work, order Rethinking Your Work: Getting to the Heart of What Matters.

After the Recession, How Do We Get Back on Track?

The Conference Board of Canada announced today that the worst is over and that Canada can expect to climb out of the recession this quarter. That is the good news. But as employment numbers lag behind signs of economic recovery, the bad news is that the damage resulting from the recession is well underway. Experts point to the shock waves of layoffs today and those that are anticipated tomorrow. Those who avoid layoffs are left with “survivor’s guilt.” Others go out of their way to show that they are worthy of their job – some to the point of damaging their health or their relationships.

Rather than working together for the higher good, many employees find themselves looking after their own best interests. They are in competition with their colleagues. Any why not? With families to take care of, mortgages and other financial responsibilities, it is natural for survival mode to kick in. And yet, everyone loses. Employers lose commitment to the company. Customers lose service. And, employees lose shared support and that sense of community that is the glue for an inspired workplace.

What is a sense of community? A sense of community is best described as feeling connected to others at work and through work. This sense of connection involves feelings of trust, mutual respect and a shared purpose with our co-workers. When we feel connected we feel like we belong at work. We are a part of a community, part of a team where others care about us and we care about them. We know that we matter. Everyone knows that their work is important and that they need to work together to achieve common goals. When this connection permeates the workplace, it doesn’t matter if you are the CEO, janitor, receptionist or someone in between; everyone shares the connection. Sharing a sense of purpose and meaning with our co-workers about our work contributes to feelings of community at work and of course, our spirit at work. Connection with others, along with a common purpose, goes a long way to achieving mutual goals and getting organizations back on track.

So what is the answer? It is time to rebuild the relationships damaged as a result of decisions made during the recession. To rebuild a sense of community and a shared common purpose among employees and employers. To help employees become more fully engaged in their work and the reason they took the job in the first place. It is time to rethink our work.

International Happiness Day and Spirit at Work

Today, July 10, 2009 marks the first ever International Happiness Day. How appropriate given that it has been 10 years since Martin Seligman, a psychologist from the University of Pennsylvania launched the field of positive psychology. Rather than looking at deviant behavior and what doesn’t work, positive psychology focuses on what does work, what makes people happy and what makes a fulfilling life.

Spirit at work goes hand in hand with positive psychology. Rather than looking at burnout, stress and everything that is wrong at work, spirit at work consider what is right, what contributes to our sense of well being at work and how to become more fully engaged in work. Essentially, rethinking our work!

What is spirit at work? Spirit at work is about finding meaning and fulfillment and being fully engaged in our work. It is about making a contribution through our work and seeing how that contribution makes a difference. Spirit at work is accessible to everyone. It does not matter if we hold administrative, blue-collar, the trades, professional or management positions. Research has shown us that spirit at work can be developed and when it is present, everything changes. Job satisfaction and commitment to work goes up. Teamwork and morale jumps. Absenteeism and turnover goes down. Why? In short, people with spirit at work are happier.

The purpose of this blog is to help you rethink your work. We will do this by sharing stories, telling you about the latest research, and giving you ideas about how to create spirit at work.