To start, here’s Joseph’s note: "Being heard. I don’t need my managers to adopt every idea I have, but when they hear me out with open minds, it makes me feel as if my insights and experience are valued. I am fortunate to have that where I work now."
It’s really the foundation – to feel like you’re not wasting your breath if you speak up, have ideas, see things that are happening. I have been on both sides of the equation on this one and agree completely. From a manager perspective, it’s critical that people do speak up. From a team member’s perspective, if you feel like you’re speaking up and being ignored, it really stinks and keeps you from participating overall.
Jim also wrote in – "Knowing the vision for where things are going. It makes it much easier to pull in the same direction and be more helpful in getting there. I’ve had bosses that were silent on the overall direction, and I have had bosses that are much more talkative about it. I prefer the latter."
These two really do go together – being heard and knowing where things are going. I think it all wraps up into a team approach, rather than an edict oriented approach. While there are clearly times when *someone* has to make the call, choose a direction, etc., I think as you execute going forward doing so as a team is probably one of my personal hot-buttons. There’s just too much good that comes from genuinely working as a team.
Anything else you would add to the mix? What would you consider key to having a great work environment?
I’d add "access to new technology and new techniques," but that may just be me.