{"id":4138,"date":"2020-12-15T09:04:21","date_gmt":"2020-12-15T07:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vertia.fi\/?p=4138"},"modified":"2020-12-15T10:12:56","modified_gmt":"2020-12-15T08:12:56","slug":"kuinka-rakennetaan-tutkitusti-hyvinvoiva-tyoyhteiso","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vertia.fi\/en\/blogi\/kuinka-rakennetaan-tutkitusti-hyvinvoiva-tyoyhteiso\/","title":{"rendered":"How can we build a workplace community that promotes well-being, based on research?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have been participating in the University of Tampere\u2019s TEOT project, which investigates well-being at work in organizations without supervisors. According to preliminary results, work engagement, satisfaction, and commitment are at exceptionally high levels in self-directed organizations. Vertia\u2019s results were very high on both the self-management and well-being at work metrics, and were also consistently higher than the average results obtained in the study. In this blog post, I\u2019ll explore why Vertia performs so well, and I hope these insights will be useful to other workplaces as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where does workplace well-being come from, anyway?<\/span><\/h1>\n

There are undoubtedly countless factors that influence well-being at work. Personally, however, I believe that once certain fundamentals are in place, other aspects tend to fall into place more easily. So I decided to examine this issue through the lens of the self-determination theory developed by Richard Ryan and Edward Deci.<\/span><\/p>\n

Autonomy theory is a theory of human motivation, well-being, and basic psychological needs<\/span><\/h1>\n

According to research, most of the life satisfaction and positive emotions people experience can be explained by three basic psychological needs. Meeting these needs is a prerequisite for well-being and optimal development.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to self-determination theory, the three basic human needs are:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Self-motivation<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Capability<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Community spirit<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Autonomy means that a person is free to decide what to do, and the motivation to act comes from within, not from external pressures or rewards. Competence, on the other hand, is the feeling that one is capable of doing one\u2019s job, overcoming challenges, and getting things done. A sense of community refers to a person\u2019s fundamental need to connect with others. People are caring by nature and also want to feel that others care about them.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How are people\u2019s basic psychological needs met at Vertia?<\/span><\/h1>\n

    I would almost go so far as to say that Vertia\u2019s operating model and culture are actually built on these three pillars. I\u2019ll try to explain our operations through these needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Self-motivation<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Vertia operates on a self-directed model, the core of which is that the staff essentially decides everything themselves\u2014from their own work to the company\u2019s strategy and salaries. The premise is that we have mature adults working here whom we can trust to take responsibility and make sensible choices. So we don\u2019t need managers to make decisions on people\u2019s behalf or to look over their shoulders.<\/span><\/p>\n

    One of the first thoughts we had about our work culture was: why do people need to ask their manager for permission to take time off, for example? Why couldn\u2019t we trust that people are capable of assessing for themselves when it\u2019s appropriate to take a vacation or time off\u2014and when it isn\u2019t? This also led to the question: Could people decide their own work hours, as long as they could align their schedule with the client\u2019s? And couldn\u2019t they work a shorter week if they wanted to, if it supports their personal life situation? And why do people have to come to the workplace in the morning to pick up a car\u2014couldn\u2019t they keep the car in their own yard and drive it straight to the job site, saving everyone time? And finally, do people even need a supervisor at all if they don\u2019t see them all day and decide their own work hours and vacations\u2014couldn\u2019t they also decide on the rest of the matters?<\/span><\/p>\n

    Based on these ideas, our operating model began to evolve toward the self-directed approach it is today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The guiding principle of our operating model is that everyone has the right to make any decision, as long as they follow the agreed-upon decision-making process. When making decisions, we must always consult those who will be affected by the decision, as well as those with more experience or expertise in the matter. So, if you\u2019re making a decision that only concerns your own work, you can do so without asking others, as long as it doesn\u2019t affect anyone else. Similarly, a team (we call them \u201ccells\u201d) can make a decision among themselves as long as the matter only affects that particular cell. If the matter affects a wider group, people must be given the opportunity to have their say, and this perspective must be taken into account when making the decision. However, this does not mean that decisions require everyone\u2019s approval, as that would lead to endless haggling over even minor issues and drag decisions out into exhaustingly long processes. What matters is that different perspectives are taken into account. The decision-maker can make the final decision based on their best judgment.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In our model, people therefore have the opportunity to act with a high degree of autonomy and influence not only their own work but, in fact, the entire company\u2019s operations. If something needs improvement, everyone has the right\u2014and even the obligation\u2014to improve it, as long as they follow the decision-making process. We have thus bid farewell to those age-old issues that require improvement but simply cannot get the boss\u2019s attention or approval.<\/span><\/p>\n

    For many, however, the biggest advantage is surely the freedom to do things the way they see fit. It makes life easier when you can make arrangements directly with clients or colleagues without needing your boss\u2019s approval\u2014or even any involvement at all\u2014for every little thing. After all, there are no bosses here.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Capability<\/span><\/h2>\n

    A few years ago, there was a situation where a new employee, upon joining the company, received only a brief orientation and was quickly assigned to work independently due to a staff shortage. People managed just fine, but without proper orientation, starting the job was stressful, and of course, some gaps in their skills were noticed later on. A couple of years ago, we made a major effort and developed a comprehensive onboarding model that provides thorough, time-intensive training not only on the work itself but also on Vertia\u2019s culture and operating model. We have learned that this is extremely important not only for maintaining a high standard of quality but also for the well-being and satisfaction of our staff, and we no longer cut corners in this area, no matter how busy we are. Today, we are also able to say no to jobs if we do not have enough skilled staff to handle them properly.<\/span><\/p>\n

    At Vertia, job descriptions aren\u2019t set in stone; instead, each person\u2019s role evolves to suit them. When someone joins Vertia, they naturally start by learning the core job they were hired for and focus on that for a while. However, typically after 1\u20132 years, they begin taking on other tasks based on their own interests and aptitudes, as well as the company\u2019s needs, of course. Some people do have a significant number of roles, but almost everyone also does something else in addition to their main job. Of course, it\u2019s also possible to focus on one thing and become really good at it.<\/span><\/p>\n

    We have used the so-called Hedgehog Concept to help determine which tasks might be suitable for each person. According to the Hedgehog Concept, a good role combines the following elements:<\/span><\/p>\n