Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER June 12, 2017 16 EXECUTIVE SERIES Fulfi llment: Is it about me or the company? Few of us would say we do not want to be ful- fi lled. However, as individuals, the defi ni- tion of fulfi llment varies widely. But what does this have to do with a corporation? Below are some questions to prompt thinking on what fulfi llment means for corporations. What is fulfi llment? Bill Schie- mann defines life fulfillment as "achieving one's dreams and creating a lifestyle that brings ex- ceptional happiness." It is an ideal that prompts people to grow and achieve. is implies a restless search for "exceptional" happi- ness. Is this drawn from the U.S. concept of "pursuit of happiness"? Can there be happiness or fulfi ll- ment with just contentment and being? Schiemann also proposes that individuals feel fulfi lled "when they are living and working in alignment with their values and those of their friends, family, colleagues and employers; using skills and interests both on and off the job that represent their high- est capabilities and fully engaged in the signifi cance and purpose of their work, family and life overall." is statement puts living, friends and family on equal footing with work, colleagues and employers. is assumption may not be true for many. Who is being fulfi lled? Fulfi ll- ment and happiness, even con- tentment, imply an emotional state. So, fi rst of all, we are dealing with people, not business entities. A life plan is not just a career plan and it is not a business plan. ere may be tools that help individuals work through rational choices to improve their situations but, even so, highly successful individuals who have made all of the "right" career choices may be discontent- ed and disillusioned by the lack of satisfaction with their seeming success. Individuals need to make choices that are best for them in both the short-term to refl ect cur- rent circumstances and the long- term to build overall satisfaction with their life journey. How do corporations confuse fulfillment with their needs? Corporations, while entities un- der the law, are not human. ey may have a corporate culture, but they do not have intellect, person- ality or emotions. ey may look to fulfi ll their respective mandates in terms of promises to customer, fi nancial sustainability, compli- ance with legal statures, and social responsibly, but they can- not experience fulfi lment. Since corporations rely on people to be successful, they strive to fi nd ways to secure the most cost-eff ective, talented and competitive work- force possible. Corporations, recognizing the important emotional compo- nent of their workforce, develop programs and practices such as recruitment screening for com- patibility, satisfaction surveys, career paths and development, and engagement and motivation programs. While these may be helpful to employees, the underlying theme is about the corporation not in- dividuals. If corporations want to truly focus on fulfi llment as a workforce strategy, they need to look at work from the perspective of their many very human and dif- ferent employees. Corporate work and our lifespan — what is different? Existing social trends may impact employee views on the world of work. Millennials have expe- rienced delays in entering the workforce both by extending their education and in an inability to get stable work. Older workers have stayed on the job well beyond age 65 due to legislative changes, fi - nancial need, jobs with less physi- cal labour or dependence on their work for identity. Both young and old workers may be engaged in part-time or contingent work. Lifetime em- ployment is becoming rare. Work over a lifespan may vary widely, and may begin or end on terms most suitable for the worker's short- or long-term interests. e current environment is more like- ly to reinforce a view that people work for money and are respon- sible for their own fulfi llment. What can corporations do to support personal fulfi llment? • Recognize workers are human beings with all their variety and complexity. Design "programs" to come at issues from an individual human perspective as much as a corporate perspective. • Some people may live to work. Help them fi nd accomplishment, but not on the backs of others or by pushing them beyond their maturity or capability level. Help them earn the respect of others working in the organization — up, down or across. • Some people work to live. Others have a strong passion or need to focus outside the work environ- ment. Be clear on what is a good job, 100 per cent, and do not pun- ish them for doing just that and nothing more. ey are keeping their end of the deal. Celebrate the good employee. Be fl exible and support their outside pas- sion or interests where possible. • Loyalty, outside ideology, is a person-to-person connection. Managers need to treat employ- ees as respected individuals and meet their needs and interests, even if they are not directly tied to work output. • Corporate brand may create in- dividual pride from affi liation. Pride could be generated by what the company does as a business or the character or reputation of the company. • Do no harm. Examine policies and practices for those that are overly restrictive or one-size- fi ts-all solutions that limit the ability of managers to support individual employee fulfi llment, either on the job or in other pur- suits. We attribute human qualities to computers, pets, plants and cartoon characters to give them dimension, relatability, individu- ality, respect and emotional con- nection. It is time to recognize that fulfi llment, satisfaction, en- gagement and commitment are about people, not the corporation. Karen Gorsline is SCNetwork's lead commentator on strategic capability and leads HR Initiatives, a consult- ing practice focused on facilitation and tailored HR initiatives. Toronto- based, she has taught human HR planning, held senior roles in strategy and policy, managed a large decen- tralized HR function and directed a small business. She can be reached at gorslin@pathcom.com. Karen Gorsline STRATEGIC CAPABILITY

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