Self Knowledge Improves Productivity

The more ’self-connected’ employees are – more resistant to stress, dare to use their intuition in decision-making, accept the unpredictability of modern business life, are emotionally stable and sincere, with good old-fashioned integrity – the better their performance, shows the latest Krauthammer study.  Employees want their organisations to be more focused on people and social implications, less on shareholders, money and tangible success, the study reveals.

‘This research is shouting a message we fail to take seriously enough; we urgently need to reach consensus on a currency that does not measure the wealth but the health of businesses; a currency that is strong enough to compete with money’, says Ronald Meijers, Co-chairman of the Board of Krauthammer.

‘The relentless pressure for quantitative results is wearing employees out. Like Sisyphus from the Greek mythology, we drag our boulder to the top of a mountain day in, day out and many of us no longer see the point. It is time to stop isolating human beings from performance’, adds Daniel Eppling, Managing Partner of Krauthammer.

‘The results clearly show that the more self-connected people are, the better their performance and wellbeing’, concludes Dr. Fabienne Fortanier, Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam Business School, who conducted the statistical analysis for the study.

The study confirms that employees believe that ’self-connectedness’ is important and demonstrates its potential for sustainable health of organisations. It reveals the crucial nature of the managerial role in creating the conditions for self-connectedness – and weaknesses in managerial performance. It points out, once again, an often-repeated message for managers and human resources responsibles – people want to be treated as individuals. People need help to identify and use their specific talents.

The survey shows that:

- 64% of employees follow their intuition often, or very often, in the workplace
- 66% agree they need to connect with themselves to fulfill their potential
- 33% are not confident they know themselves
- Around 50% do not generally feel self-connected at work
- 18% agree that all dimensions of their potential are fulfilled in the workplace
- 50% believe that their boss will be sympathetic if they admit that they are feeling mentally unwell.

The study proposes ways for managers to foster self-connectivity among their employees and nourish the sustainability of their organisation. For example:

  • Check to what extent your organisation is really taking care of people and social implications (how well are reassuring boardroom messages translating into day-to-day management practice?).
  • Include in appraisals formal evaluations about the extent to which people’s potential is fulfilled and their talents identified and used.
  • Help people to do things with intent; in day-to-day project management maximise your and your team’s ability to take distance and keep focus on the big picture.
  • Encourage intuition: acknowledge its value in fostering innovation, insights and decision-making.

KRAUTHAMMER | London, 28-Oct-2008