Thank God it’s Monday – utopian?

“Finally Monday again!”

Actually everyone would love to be able to say that and even economically it would pay itself off for companies. Nevertheless, we do not dare.

The beauty is: it is reasonable and it is a social necessity in the present time and for sure in future.

«Thank God it’s Monday» – What does it mean?

When we speak of “Thank God it’s Monday” (“TGIM“), we speak of work and a work environment that employees are looking forward to, in which employees are treated respectfully as human beings and in which basic neurobiological needs are met. We speak of a culture in which meaning/purpose, trust and empowerment are of high importance. In such a culture, human beings engage with full heart and love to contribute as it makes sense to them.

Why a meaningful necessity?

Progressive digitalization and automation will, on the one hand, make many human activities in business life – and ultimately professions – disappear. On the other hand, many new professions and roles will arise at the same time. The future of work will be characterized by the skills that distinguish people from the machine: emotional intelligence, creativity, passion and the ability to critically question things. A “TGIM” culture will invite people to work going forward – given that new definition!

Today, we call for the performance of our employees, in the future it needs their full potential.

Maximum likelihood to gain employees full potential into the workplace and their full engagement is if work and leadership are based on meeting the basic neurobiological needs of human beings, according to the approach of neuroleadership by Karsten Draht. It is about creating a framework that meet these needs:

– Affiliation / Belonging
– Fairness / Appropriateness
– Growth / Development
– Autonomy / Self-efficacy

The fulfillment of these needs stimulates the reward center of the brain and triggers feelings of well-being. In a nutshell: People feel accepted, stimulated and seen – work has meaning for them and they want to contribute with their full energy. The likelihood that people will bring their full commitment, creativity and engagement is greatly increased. This leads to more innovation, higher level of identification and more excellence.

No banality – neither for employees nor for HR

This sounds not too complicated right? However it is not a habit in most companies today. Quit the contrast. TGIF (Thank God it`s Friday) is the norm today if we take recent studies on the low average engagement scores seriously.

Changing current TGIF frameworks into TGIM frameworks would be like leaving the norm or the comfort zone. Leaving the norm is associated with uncertainty and anxiety. Our habits of thinking and unconscious prejudice make us stagnate in the mode of “survival” and remain in the habit. To create change and new patterns of behavior is a stressful and time-consuming task for our brains. And our brain is programmed for “energy-saving mode”. Moreover, attitudes cannot be conveyed cognitively, but only through emotional experience.

What make it even more risky to change those company patterns is that human beings are complex. We can not predict or calculate their reactions.

So if it is economically meaningful and necessary, but not banal, it takes courage! Everything begins with a decision and one’s own action. Getting out of the role of a victim and purely into that of a shaper.

What does this mean for HR and its role in transformation?

HR cannot sell the idea as a theoretical model. To be trustworthy, HR has to be the role model. And this begins with the individual. Defining, experiencing and living TGIM for yourself is a precondition to act credibly as a cultural architect in the company. HR (individuals and as a department) should become the prototype for a TGIM culture.

Conclusion

The time was never riper and the need never more obvious for brave TGIM role models. The decision is yours. You cannot not decide!

(Text was published in German language in HR Today, Switzerland, Co-author: Imelda Breitenmoser, fourpointzero Ltd)