Impulses for organisations – Part 3

As a social media user, I come across numerous impulses from professionals addressing different topics within organisations or discussing aspects of the work. Since many of these impulses are ” transient” on social media and difficult to find after a short time, I would like to put individual contributions “in the shop window” here on the t2informatik Blog. After the first two parts were about value pricing, effort estimates in software development, developer skills of Agile Coaches, different working hours, communication about agility and a role for employee retention, part 3 is about the superficial support of a community, about cooperation instead of opposition and the prescribed return to company offices.

Let’s go!

Tobias Mache¹:

Rainbow washing

“Rainbow logo just for show? Why many companies don’t take Pride Month seriously”
👇🏼

Basically, it’s great to see companies colouring their logos in rainbow colours to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community.

It’s a step in the right direction and I don’t want to diminish the importance of this gesture at all.

What’s not so great is the fact that this only happens when it doesn’t have a negative impact on business.

Because if we look at most big companies, one thing stands out quite quickly: In the regions where people with a sexual orientation that deviates from the “norm” are persecuted, punished, imprisoned or even killed, the rainbow flag is missing from the logo.

Dear companies, if you are not fully behind inclusion, please don’t do it at all, the “rainbow-washing” is really unbearable anymore.

In my opinion, it is important that companies that are committed to diversity and inclusion do so not only symbolically and territorially delineated, but also actively take action to demonstrate their support.

This means including LGBTQ+ employees, empowering their voices and ensuring that they are treated equally in all aspects of company life.

Because Pride Month is a time to realise that real change requires more than just a colourful logo.

It is about creating an inclusive culture where all people – regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity – are respected and valued.

Anna Zinsser²:

Fair and unfair

• “Unfair is when the playing field is not level and you cannot win the game for that reason alone.”
• “Unfair is when you can buy advantages.”
• “Unfair is when you cheat.”

In our workshop at the 2023 Education Festival in Essen, we not only talked to pupils about what fair and unfair means (in relation to games), but in ultra-short time, playable prototypes for particularly fair or unfair games were created.

I had the opportunity to accompany the team of young game designers who developed “Crazy Stories” – a picture card game in which crazy stories are told. It was important to the team to develop a fair game that is not about winning, but about shared experience and creativity. To achieve this, everyone in the team contributed unique picture cards. In the end, we played it with testers and, lo and behold, others also had fun with “Crazy Stories”. A real goosebump moment!

I was particularly impressed by the “Crazy Stories” team because they always encouraged each other’s ideas and of course it was clear that in the end we would have a game that was really cool. Not once did I hear a “that’s not possible…” or “sounds quite good, but…”.

You can really take a leaf out of their book! 💪

Dessi Popova³:

The prescribed return to corporate offices

Finally! Here is REAL proof of the truth about office returns and the REAL impact offices have on people ➤ backed by science.

“Elon Musk says working from home is “morally” wrong – but it turns out there’s more to the story than your boss is telling you.”

Big media needs to pay close attention to this article and get back to doing its job, showing news, not narratives.

Special thanks to Ph.D. Libby Sander who dedicated such extensive time to study how our physical environments influence our psychological and physical states. She is 100% focused on the #futureofwork and #science.

“I think the push in some quarters to get everyone back into the office for the majority of the time is being driven by two factors. The first one is concern about commercial property values. The second is a peculiar harking back by some managers to a 1950s Theory X approach. Theory X assumes that all workers are lazy, must be watched at all times, and need to be directed and controlled in order to work.”

Below is a quick summary of the article:

1. Open-plan offices and excessive noise can have detrimental effects on employees’ well-being, stress levels, and productivity. Research shows that distractions and interruptions in such environments hinder concentration and collaboration.
2. The argument for being all in the office often overlooks the diverse needs and preferences of individuals. Different work tasks require different cognitive, emotional, and physical states, and a one-size-fits-all approach to workspace design may not be effective.
3. Workspaces should aim to create optimal work states for employees, focusing on key psychological responses such as cognitive focus, emotional engagement, and a sense of connection and belonging.
4. The design of workspaces significantly influences employees’ psychological and physical states. Spaces that evoke awe, beauty, and complexity have been shown to enhance mood, creativity, and well-being.
5. Rethinking the emphasis on the workplace itself, the focus should shift to creating the desired work states. This may involve providing a variety of work settings, such as libraries for focused work or lively cafes for collaboration, and allowing employees to choose spaces that align with their work requirements.
6. The push for employees to return to the office may be driven by concerns about commercial property values and a traditional managerial mindset that assumes workers need constant monitoring and control.
7. The future of work lies in designing work around desired states and providing diverse spaces that cater to different needs, promoting employee well-being, productivity, and creativity.

Is anyone surprised?

Impulses and questions

Three different topics, three people with different expertise and perceptions, three individual impulses. Is it right or wrong to point out the rights and freedoms of a community only locally? Why must there always be winners or losers when everyone could win together? And why do so many organisations ask staff to return to the office as if the last few years had not happened?

Questions upon questions. Perhaps you also have one or two; great! Then Part 3 of “Impulses for Organisations” has also achieved its goal.

Notes:

If you like the article or want to discuss it, feel free to share it with your network.

[1] Tobias Mache is an Enterprise Architect, Cloud Enthusiast and Podcast Host at GAMBIT Consulting, a company specialising in SAP consulting. Information about Tobias Mache can be found in his LinkedIn profile, the impulse can be found here in the original on LinkedIn.
[2] Anna Zinsser is ungleich anders, creative freelancer, user experience designer and creative coach from Karlsruhe. Information about Anna Zinsser can be found in her LinkedIn profile, the impulse can be found here in the original on LinkedIn.
[3] Dessi Popova is Team Performance & Employee Engagement Advisor for Global, Remote & Hybrid Workplaces at eTeams Consulting Group. She focuses on optimisation of digital collaboration and cultivating healthy communication habits. Information about Dessi Popova can be found in her LinkedIn profile, the impulse can be found here in the original on LinkedIn. Libby Sander’s article can be found at https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/disastrous-experiment-real-reason-behind-hated-return-to-work-push/news-story/6f377ea396388a531de6cedf89936fe5. 

Michael Schenkel has published other articles on the t2informatik Blog, including

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