Meet Kelebogile, a dedicated individual that spends her day tackling budgets, analyzing the bottom line, working on aggressive turnaround strategies and managing a team of go getters, who often reach burn out point sooner than expected. There are no set work hours in Kelebogile’s world; after all we live in a global world, one that’s machine orientated and gives us the flexibility and accessibility to conduct business at a click of a button. Before you know it, its dark outside, but being cooped up in a cubicle, Kelebogile only realizes that it’s probably time to wrap up when she hearsthe last footsteps fading off into complete silence. Once again, she is the last to leave her office but has every intent to finish one or other project at home. After all she should be able to find time between cooking, tidying up, attending to kids’ homework and being the modern, yet, attentive wife. Fact of the matter is, Kelebogile will end up doing all of the above, and a midst it all she’ll be responding to the beeping sound of her smart phone, replying to ‘urgent’ emails, text messages and at times the odd 11pm phone call. Kelebogile is devoted to her company, and tackling all of the above, no matter how obvious her exhaustion, she continues to persevere. She is, after all, themodel employee.
Is this what companies are expecting though?
Globally, restoring humanity in the workplace has become a high priority business agenda item for many prominent companies. One of the most important, largely focused on strategies, is the humanisation strategy. You see the Kelebogile’s out there are slowly changing into confident, influential “I know what I want and I am going to get it”
individuals. These individuals recognise that there is more to life than work and that emotional satisfaction can only be fulfilled though family relations and friendships. Companies are now competing to attract the new Kelebogile’s, because they are happy and this plays an important role in the success of any company. Organisations have recognised that people are not machines, processes or systems. Some companies choose to label employees as assets; but we talking about people, not objects, that is what assets are. People are influencers, the most valuable component in a business. In a tough economic environment, the human touch is more influential than any social post, mail, text message and even phone call. People relate to people, they connect, and that should be a key driver in any business. People influence buying power; employees are the business brand
ambassadors. How they relate and portray the image of the brand reflects extensively. A jovial person exuding excitement when representing the organisation, can make one believe that it is the ideal place to work for, a positive brand, a trusted company and a place where people respect not only the business but each other, an optimistic reflection to any stakeholder. Positive experiences eventually lead to increased profits.
So where does the humanisation strategy begin? It starts with empathy, openness, generosity, trust and courage from both the employee and employer. Humanising is understanding and listening to employees’ needs, desires, aspirations, challenges and their possibilities. It’s about organisations becoming people centric, flexible and benchmarking on the success of fortune 500 companies that have put people at the forefront of their business. Let’s take Google; a company that employs approximately 18500 people in the U.S. , has attracted the most sought after individuals. Google states that they have developed a work culture that encourages innovation and a ‘work hard play hard’ mantra. The secret formula lies in everyone’s ability; respect an individual’s creativity, give them the space to innovative, recognize and reward. Besides being a company that puts their employees at the centre of their business, they have also introduced workplace essentials to motivate and create a positive ambiance and relaxed work environment. Food bars, free commuting shuttles, Friday parties, brain expansion opportunities are only some perks of the job.
For women, the process of humanising cannot come at a better time. Juggling the demands of being a mother, wife and professional bring on many challenges, and striking a balance often seems like a fallacy, which can come at a hefty price. Intense work schedules, meetings, travel and for many women, meeting family demands can be overwhelming. However, getting companies to introduce a humanisation strategy can open doors to balance. Think about telecommuting, how much can be done multitasking and working from home? What about the flexibility to attend to children needs? Gym facilities and day care centres at the work place, healthy food catering services, and convenient health facilities - these are implementable conveniences that any individual can appreciate.
It is without a doubt that progressive, competitive and thriving companies in Botswana, have, or are in the process, of restoring and appreciating the human capability. We are consumed by electronics and machinery, but at the end of the day, it’s the human mind that can innovative, it’s the human emotion intelligence that results in creativity, it’s the human personalisation that makes everything in this technologically driven world seem real, it’s the human interaction that no email, text message, social site or phone call can ever replace.
Komissa Burzlaff is a Strategist by Profession, and working at Botswana Insurance Company Limited as a Strategy Development & Marketing Manager, but writing in her personal capacity.