Workplace Intelligence: Why Your Organisation Needs It
While most business leaders understand the importance of Emotional Intelligence, the term “Workplace Intelligence” is less known. Understanding Workplace Intelligence, however, could mean the difference between creating the type of culture and climate that defines a great place to work versus having an unremarkable organisation that is dogged by low morale and high attrition rates.
“In its basic form, Workplace Intelligence (WQ) is to work teams and companies what Emotional Intelligence is to a key employee,” according to Shawn Murphy, founder and CEO of WorqIQ.
“Just as we strive to hire employees with high EQ, we work to build teams that collectively show a high level of WQ,” says Murphy, who is the author of “The Optimistic Workplace: Creating an Environment that Energizes Everyone.”
Murphy has 26 years of experience helping leaders design, implement and measure change, and he says that in companies where leaders have successfully created a high WQ environment, work is both performance-driven and fulfilling.”
“That’s why we often refer to Workplace Intelligence as the art of creating a better experience of work that drives tangible business results.”
So, what kind of results can Workplace Intelligence help companies achieve? Murphy lists five outcomes:
business and people growth
increased creativity and innovation
stronger execution of key initiatives
optimistic work environments and exceptional online experiences
a positive workplace culture, which often leads to a revered status as a preferred employer
Workplace Intelligence helps companies balance organisational growth and employee growth.
“Through our work, we find that if the organisation is growing, but employees' growth is sacrificed, the workplace becomes an unwelcoming place to be—or worse,” Murphy explains.
On the other hand, he says it’s possible for employees to develop even if the company doesn’t follow suit.
“If employees grow, but the organisation stagnates, the workplace takes on a country club feel— and results take a back seat to a pleasant but unproductive culture.”
So, how does Workplace Intelligence help companies to be successful?
“In businesses across all industries, every CEO is strategising ways to outmaneuver the competition,” says Mark Babbitt, president and senior partner of WorqIQ, and co-author of “A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive.”
“If the company doesn't nurture human potential, the race to release new technology, products or services is a race to the bottom.” Babbitt explains, “Even when surrounded by technology, it is human potential that is limitless; it is humans that fuel any company's drive to remain not just relevant, but to also be recognised as innovative.”
He believes the best way to tap into human potential is to help leaders understand Workplace Intelligence.
“After all, the more leaders focus on the critical elements of WQ, the more timely and effective the solutions they and their highly-functional work teams create,” Babbitt says.
Workplace Intelligence emphasises leading from the human side of business.
“For example, this includes the creation of high-trust work environments and policies, and an intentional focus on high-quality relationships,” Babbitt explains. “Another major factor is co-creating high-performance expectations, then leading robust celebrations when those expectations are met or exceeded.” In addition, he says that giving good people a reason to care causes good things to happen.
“In other words, in equal parts, Workplace Intelligence is about focusing on positive business outcomes and results—and caring about the people who drive and create them,” Babbitt says.
Seven critical WQ focus areas
Murphy and Babbitt identify seven critical Workplace Intelligence focus areas. Here, they briefly define three of the focus areas and expound on the remaining four areas.
1) Culture and Workplace Climate: how the work gets done at the company and how it feels to work in a team and at that company
2) Transformational Leadership: leaders who not only understand their influence and impact on people, they inspire peak performance by tapping into their strengths, purpose and values
3) Purpose-driven Performance: results driven by resounding clarity, radical candor and employees whose personal purpose is closely aligned with the mission of the company
4) Employee Engagement (Reimagined): provides leaders a more nuanced insight into what it takes to help employees feel and demonstrate full engagement at work
“Despite our best efforts over the last 30 years, we’ve learned people don't become engaged because of a great manager—and they certainly don’t [become engaged] just because that manager was prompted by the dozens of platforms out there that claim to increase employee engagement,” Babbitt says. “Instead, employees experience engagement.”
Murphy notes that the difference is subtle, but critical.
“We define ‘work engagement’ as: 1) a stable, cognitive state that is characterised by immersion in work, 2) the presence of positive emotions towards work and because of the work and 3) finding the energy to invest in doing great work.”
Murphy says it’s not necessary, however, for each of the characteristics to be fully experienced at all times, and actually might be too much for an individual to sustain.
“Instead, reimagine how to incrementally shape the work environment in order to make sustainable, perhaps even organic, improvement in employee engagement,” he explains.
5) Creating an Optimistic Workplace is about creating a positive, energising work environment.
“Climate is one of the focus areas completely within a leader's control,” Babbitt says. “Since 70% of an employee's experience of work is based on his or her manager's leadership style, a strong WQ means a leader understands how to apply their styles to shape the climate to be optimistic.”
Within this type of working environment, Babbitt says that employees believe their hard work will pay off. They see the possibilities and they are keenly focused on solutions.
6) Social Intelligence is the ability to co-create and maintain an online reputation that authentically represents the brand while reducing some of the risks associated with being vulnerable on social and digital media.
“One rogue tweet or post can seriously dent your brand’s reputation,” Murphy warns. “As a result, many old-school organisations do what comes naturally to them: build higher walls around their castle, deepen the moats.”
When something goes wrong, however, Murphy doesn’t think that strategy will be effective against social lynch mobs.
“Instead, the world’s best companies excel at creating an online presence strategy that helps demonstrate their organisation’s Social Intelligence.” As the company’s brand gains traction and the leaders are viewed in a positive light, Murphy says the organisation will experience a variety of positives such as “increased levels of trust, loyalty and accountability, with customers feeling more valued and employees becoming more engaged.”
7) Community Building is especially important to a company that wants to thrive in the Social Age.
“It is how we improve customer loyalty, credibility and trust, and it is also how we turn customers and employees into brand ambassadors,” Babbitt explains.
“Perhaps that’s why Starbucks, Harley-Davidson and Proctor & Gamble have invested significantly in building brand-based communities.” Babbitt believes that these organisations, and even companies that don’t have as many resources, have used online communities to create relationships.
“They’ve added value to the customer experience while improving many aspects of customer service,” Babbitt says. “And they’ve created brand loyalty so deep that members of their respective communities are reluctant to switch allegiance to a competitive brand.”