How Does the Worker Create His Thriving?

Businesses want thriving workers, but does everyone understand what a thriving worker is? It is often like we know it when we see it. Business wants it and the workers want it, but how do they get there together?

One could ask if it’s like the chicken and the egg, which comes first, the worker learning what it is to thrive or the business understanding how to help a worker thrive? Do businesses and workers have the same goal for thriving and do they define it the same?

Every Journey Likes a Destination

Before starting on a journey unless you are a vagabond, it is good to have an idea of the destination. If I want a ski vacation, I could hop in the car and start driving to mountain after mountain to see who had good snow or I could search resorts in advance to determine who had the fresh snow.

Sometimes businesses are adding perks that might have the appearance of encouraging thriving and often the perks are helpful and part of a bigger plan. Sometimes the worker picks out the most urgent issues he wishes to be relieved from and thinks that could lead to thriving They are both partly right.

I would suggest both agree on a valuable end point that better defines the road to the summit was successful. I would like to suggest a simple goal: the worker feels he loves his work and his personal life and prioritizes growth in both. I would like to suggest for business that the thriving worker meets their expectations of a near perfect worker in that he is productive, loyal, and aligned with the Mission.

Some Criteria in Defining the End Point

In a simple conclusion, if the worker prioritizes growth in his work and personal life, he will be increasing his competence, enjoyment, passion, and have more “flow”. There is a very practical reason for prioritizing growth. Growth stimulates the happiness hormones and neurotransmitters Nature has gifted our species to evolve and thrive. The success formula is programmed into our DNA.

When we face challenge and risk which are necessary for growth, we stimulate dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. The behaviors could include learning, creating, contributing, caring, protecting, and exercising. These behaviors are a full plate. They don’t define exactly which behaviors but leave the category to be filled by the individual. If he has challenge in each of these areas, he will be supported by his brain in stimulating happiness.

Time Management is a Key for Everyone to Achieve Thriving

The method for including each behavior in his life will be good time management and this is where the organization might be most helpful. Workers first complaint is overwhelm, followed by not having the responsibility or resources to complete their tasks, and having too many organization required activities that interfere with worker progress.

A second priority is for the worker to create the personal life of thriving by once again including activities that lead to his self-actualization. This will include learning, creating, health, relationships, spiritual pursuits, and passions. Increasing competence, enjoyment, and progress in each of his personal endeavors will lead to continuous stimulus of happiness brain chemicals.

Business and workers should come to an agreement or a grand plan of how the worker will become his best self and how that will integrate with the organization’s Mission. It is far more comprehensive that a hit and miss strategy of slowly responding to single areas of stress. The single areas of stress are important, but not a full plan leading to thriving.

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As a Thriving Worker Consultant, I can engage in conversations with employers on how to begin the process of helping workers thrive and reach peak performance. It begins with a conversation to see how far an organization is willing to go to change the culture for workers.

Great practices for daily living can be learned with the Markap Series of Books. If your organization would like live presentations or Zoom meetings, they can be arranged for small to large groups.

The Markap Books:

Self-Leadership, Gratitude, Happiness, and Start Now

See Books on the Home Page

Contact me at Mark@markap1.com