How to Respond to Employee Activism
Many employees want to do meaningful work and they want their employer to either support or align with their values and identities. When that doesn’t happen, employees generally have three choices: leave the organization, try to bring change within the organization, or just shut up and deal with it. The last option is probably the worst for the employer because it leads to lowered employee engagement. I recommend providing a relief valve that allows for employees to express themselves when they rise up against a decision or organize themselves to advocate for… Read More
Google’s Re-imagining of the Workplace
Most of us have heard about Google’s generous employee benefits…gym memberships, free gourmet food, bowling alleys at work, nap rooms, etc. However, it’s not just all of those perks that have resulted in the company creating one of the best places to work in the world. It’s in Google’s DNA to create work environments that foster freedom, flexibility, and employee voice. Google has taken thrown out many traditional assumptions about management/supervision and HR practices. Rod GithensRod specializes in innovation, design, and strategy through his consulting work and as a professor at University… Read More
Employee-Initiated Organization Development
Organization development and change doesn’t always start with formal organizational leaders. As part of a larger study, I looked at how organizational members can seek change by working together to bring policy changes in their organization. In the case study, I examined a nearly 20-year effort by employees in the University of Illinois System to attain domestic partner benefits. Throughout the effort, the group of employees used different “social organizing strategies.” In other words, they brought people together using different organization methods differing goals, and differing motivations. Rod GithensRod specializes in innovation,… Read More
What the Research Says on LGBT Workplace Issues
Issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in workplaces are common diversity topics today. It is widely accepted in many workplaces that LGBT employees should be made to feel as welcome and included as anyone else. Workplace inclusion, employee affinity groups, and LGBT-specific diversity initiatives are commonly addressed by U.S.-based HR and diversity practitioners. Rod GithensRod specializes in innovation, design, and strategy through his consulting work and as a professor at University of the Pacific. He helps leaders get results through using innovation and creativity processes, strategy development and… Read More