“A commitment to being humane, kind, compassionate, and respectful towards others.” – ICF Core Value
Gone are the days of assuming that employees should lead two separate lives: work and personal. While work-life balance remains as vital as ever, it’s important to acknowledge that employees are whole people who bring their unique lives and experiences into the workplace, whether it’s at home or onsite.
Understanding that a workforce is composed of whole people – leaders included – can be key to creating a future of work that considers the needs of all.
According to the ICF, humanity looks like…
- Being open to other points of view.
- Creating authentic relationships that support honesty, transparency, and clarity.
- Continuously seeking and developing self-awareness.
- Accepting responsibility for actions and learning from them.
- Committing to inclusivity, dignity, self-worth, and human rights.
To create a culture that centers humanity, employers should work to build a workplace that prioritizes self-awareness, authentic connections, and learning. When leaders develop honest, transparent, and clear relationships with employees, all parties understand what is happening within an organization, why decisions are being made, and why they matter.
In a human-centered organization, these relationships go both ways, creating opportunities to receive employee feedback and offering a lens that can either validate or challenge the leader’s point of view. From these constructive and honest conversations, strengthened policies and guidance can be built to keep an organization moving toward successful transformations.
Creating Equitable Policies
“A commitment to use a coaching mindset to explore and understand the needs of others so I can practice equitable processes at all times that create equality for all.” – ICF Core Value
When considering implementing a new company-wide mandate or policy, employers should consider the impacts on all employees, including those whose lived experiences differ from theirs.
To create new, equitable policies, leaders must consider the identities of their employees.
“Who does this mandate work best for?” and “What challenges could this mandate pose for employees?” are important questions that should be considered to ensure that policies are truly effective, creating opportunities for all employees to be successful.
The Future of Work: Opportunities Await
The bottom line: When employees feel empowered, secure, and cared for in the workplace, they don’t submit resignation letters.
When a coaching culture exists in the workplace, psychological safety is valued as leaders operate from a space that prioritizes listening, empathy, and collaboration. In an environment that prioritizes the whole employee, space can be made for teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving to thrive.
Leaders have the workplace data now. If they move forward and center collaboration, humanity, and equity, 2024 is the year when employees and leaders successfully co-create the future of work.
Human-Centered Leaders Wanted for A Career in Coaching
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