Building a sense of community in your organisation is the key to collaboration, innovation and sustainable success and what better time to do it than Ramadan?
The month of Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a time of fasting, spiritual cleansing, and worship. However, late nights spent feasting, socializing, and worshipping, combined with early mornings without coffee, can significantly impact the performance of employees.
When it comes to work, Ramadan slows things down—so this is a great opportunity for managers and leaders to slow down, as well, and reflect upon ways to build a better organization. After all, the usual stressors of the workplace hardly inspire thoughtful action.
TREATING EMPLOYEES UNFAIRLY—AND OVERCOMPENSATING AND OVEREMPHASIZING TOP LEADERSHIP—SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH PRACTICES THAT PROMOTE TRUST, ENGAGEMENT, AND COLLABORATION.
Managers and leaders can utilize the month of giving to build a sense of community in their workplace while giving their employees a sense of belonging to (and caring for) something larger than themselves. This inspires performance, increases collaborative behavior, and engages employees with the company’s vision and mission. Unfortunately, today, this sense of community has been lost in many organizations, with the focus shifting to individual gain rather than shared success.
The first step to rebuilding community in the workplace is to stop the practices that destabilize it. Treating employees unfairly—and overcompensating and overemphasizing top leadership—should be replaced with practices that promote trust, engagement, and collaboration.
IN PARTICIPATORY LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY LEADERS SEE THEMSELVES AS BEING IN THE CENTER, REACHING OUT RATHER THAN DOWN.
The key to creating a culture of community is participatory leadership. A robust workplace community requires a form of leadership that differs from models that drive transformation from the top. In participatory leadership, community leaders see themselves as being in the center, reaching out rather than down. They facilitate positive change, recognizing that much of it is driven by employees from every level in the corporate hierarchy. As such, they are able to maximize the full spectrum of their employees’ talents in order to get things done.
Take time out this Ramadan to connect with your employees, and instill a sense of community that will inspire passion, encourage creativity and innovation, and win you the long-term loyalty of a happier, more productive employee population.