Discover the Future of Your Business with Agate’s People-Centered Approach

Are you tired of the same old approaches to productivity and workplace management? Do you want to revolutionize the way you run your business? Look no further than Agate’s people-centered approach!

Statistics show that employee engagement and productivity are significant concerns for businesses. In fact, according to a Gallup poll, only 15% of employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs. That’s a staggering number, and it’s clear that the usual approaches to employee engagement and productivity management aren’t sufficient for the post-COVID business world.

Employee engagement metrics aim to gauge employees’ emotional commitment to their job and organization. The logic goes: engaged employees tend to be more invested, motivated, and dedicated to achieving organizational goals, resulting in improved retention rates, reduced absenteeism, and higher job performance and productivity rates. Companies that invest in employee engagement can improve retention rates, reduce absenteeism, and increase job performance, ultimately leading to further success and growth.

So, how do we reevaluate productivity? This question led Corinne Murray, an organizational transformation and workplace strategy expert, to think outside the box. With a career journey that includes working with companies like American Express and We Work, she has a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding company culture and productivity.

Redefining Productivity

Traditional metrics like lines of code or sales figures have considerable limits to measuring productivity in the modern knowledge workforce. Henry Ford leveraged Taylorism, or scientific management, created by mechanical engineer Frederick Taylor, to measure productivity on factory floors over a hundred years ago. We’ve yet to identify a practical way to measure productivity in knowledge work, but the need for these new measurements are more critical than ever.

To redefine productivity, we need to start by eliminating blockers that prevent employees from consistently delivering good work. Blockers are the obstacles and challenges employees face when attempting to work or do work-related activities. Eliminating these blockers involves understanding the root causes of employee pain points, such as too many meetings, insufficient time to focus, being spread too thin, or lack of access to managers. Conducting root cause analyses can help identify and address these issues, increasing productivity and contributing to employee happiness.

Happiness is the Benefit, Not the Goal

While happiness is a byproduct of a productive and supportive work environment, it’s not the endgame. Happiness is essential, but it is a fleeting feeling that is hard to build systems and strategies around. Focusing on fixing the issues preventing employees from doing their best work is essential, naturally leading to happier employees. Ultimately, redefining productivity in knowledge work is about creating an environment where employees feel supported, engaged, and valued and can deliver high-quality work consistently.

Agate’s people-centered approach is like no other. Who cares about output when you can focus on the whole person? Let’s listen to our employees’ needs and desires and incorporate them into the company culture. 

The Importance of the Workplace:

Workplaces play a crucial role in company culture and productivity, and Murray knows it. With workplaces, we stand to preserve one of the last places where people build and sustain relationships over long periods.

In Mark Granovetter’s research on social network analysis, he highlighted the difference between our relationships with strong ties (our family, friends, and loved ones) and those with weak ties (acquaintances, neighbors, and coworkers). Weak ties are essential to work getting done, but these relationships have taken a severe hit through the pandemic. Workplaces are vital for weak tie relationships to sustain. Still, the task at hand is not to force employees back to workplaces and expect them to reset to their 2019 selves but rather design a company operating system that offers flexibility to employees, is resilient and dynamic when faced with radical change, and exists in a paradigm of thoughtful responsiveness, not jarring reactiveness.

A New Era of company culture

Agate’s people-centered approach is part of a more significant movement towards a more human-focused approach to business. It’s about creating a digital and physical workplace where employees feel valued for their work and supported as individuals and where productivity is measured more practically and meaningfully. By embracing this new approach to company culture, businesses can attract and retain top talent, improve productivity, and ultimately create a better future for everyone.

In conclusion, Agate’s people-centered approach is how you can revolutionize your business and improve productivity. By focusing on the whole person and creating a company culture that supports and values its employees, you can make a happier, more engaged, and more productive workforce simply by enabling them to do the work you hired them for in the first place. So why wait? Discover the future of your business with Agate today!