Respectful Workplace, Part II

RespectfulWorkplace published the second part of my interview. Here are a couple of excerpts:

RW: In your book, you mention creating a “humanized workplace.” Could you please describe for our readers what that would look like?

LT: In today’s high-tech environment, sometimes “humanity” can be forgotten. A humanized workplace is a collaborative work environment in which everyone puts the larger good of the company first. It is the reverse of a corporate playground rampant with TOTs. It’s a workplace that has a family feeling to it, where fun and humor are not just tolerated, but encouraged. Where teams are inspired by their leaders to innovate and work toward a common goal. It’s a place where people want to work, not a corporate playground.

RW: Why is it so important to tame these TOTs? How are they wreaking havoc on the workplace?

LT: When TOTs run the workplace, workers don’t stay around for very long. Motivation, productivity and the company’s reputation drops along with profits. In fact, a survey commissioned by my company Lynn Taylor Consulting found that U.S. employees spend 19.2 hours a week (13 hours during the work week and 6.2 hours on the weekend) worrying about “what a boss says or does.”

The study illustrates the tremendous drain that a manager’s words and actions have on employees. Absenteeism, turnover, retraining and poor word of mouth, are just some of the ramifications. It reduces the opportunity to find and keep the best talent, not to mention the impact on customer acquisition and retention.

Read the whole interview at RespectfulWorkplace.com