INNOKO’s operations are based on a few fundamental premises on how the challenges in work places should be approached:
During workweek we spend half of our waking hours and a third of all hours at work. Hence, work forms a central part of our lives and most of us want to do a good job. It would be important to have the possibility for it. Furthermore, one needs to feel well in order to do well at work. For an individual it would be even better if one could feel that one’s work – irrespective of what it is – is worthwhile and important. Few jobs are challenging and fun all the time but almost any job can be experienced as worthy and meaningful if our social surroundings give us the right kind of support. When we have a sense of importance for what we do, we tend to do it with vigor and enthusiasm, and have the resilience to overcome setbacks and challenges. Not only do we feel well, but this tends to translate into better productivity and quality of work.
Irrespective of industry, whether a stable industrial operation, a municipality striving to renew its operations, or an IT service provider, the success of an organization depends on its people. Usually any success is a result of knowledgeable, determined, engaged, highly motivated individuals giving their best. Hence, it is reasonable to suggest that an organization that invests in the well-being and motivation of its workforce serves the interests of both individul employees as well as the organization as a whole.
It makes sense to invest in principles that withstand time and changes in the external environment. What would such sustainable principles be? INNOKO proposes that it makes sense to focus on actions that align well with what we know of human behavior and its underlying conditions. When organizational practices and culture are developed with these in mind, the basis is probably as sound as it can get.
What do we know then? The best knowledge – or the best available knowledge – is that which is based on or deduced from research. Even this knowledge is imperfect and oftentimes debated, and there is quite a bit that is rather scantly researched, or not at all. Hence, it makes most sense to rely on well established universal theories of human behavior and motivation, when supported widely by research, but even this critically. Examples of such approaches include self-regulation, self-determination, and various expectancy-value theories and related research, as well as reseach into work engagement and job crafting. As everyday work calls for concrete action, it makes practical sense to source ideas that align well with research also from experience-based knowledge and best practices. The most applicable ideas to a specific work organization can be obtained by conducting a study on it.
Health and work ability as well as physical fitness are important underlying conditions for well-being at work. Work well-being for us, however, refers to an individual feeling and being well when at work, in his or her work place. Our approach is based on positive psychology which focuses on the strengths and potentials embedded in human beings, and hence stresses the need to support and develop the work context such that employees can thrive. With measures to increase work well-being are meant actions and arrangements that enable individuals to experience their work as important and purposeful, and their social environment as safe and meaningful. This involves high quality people management but it is also important that the individual employees are able to organize their work such that they can handle the multitude of challenges without burning out and with their motivation intact. Work well-being is in other words not merely about stress management and keeping ill-being at bay but ideally it is about investing in ways of working and work conditions that enable individuals to do their best and flourish.
It is obviously important to be able to recognize negative developments, but deteriorating health and sickness (such as burnout and depression) belong to the territory of medical doctors and other health care professionals, and are usually cared for outside of work.
Sometimes people understand measures to improve work well-being as some forms of recreational activities that take place outside of work, such as trips, non-work events, parties, outings etc. They are important. They give employees breathers in their work challenges and opportunities to improve social relations and establish new contacts. While they are obviously important, they should be distinguished from actions that are geared to improve the everyday well-being at work.
The speed of change in work organizations is often perplexing and the ability of a workforce to adjust, and individuals’ ability to cope, is often put to test. The reality where business is conducted today is tough. What makes this even harder is that the whole world is present in our everyday work in real-time through various media. The pressure to stay informed on all kinds of news and developments is considerable.
In a similar vein, new buzzwords and ideas to organizational development keep emerging, much faster than supporting research evidence. This and that is introduced without much added value for clients. It is sometimes difficult for even researchers in the field to know whether a new concept is genuinely new, or simply old wine in new bottles. We propose that those developing work organizations should be able to spend their time developing organizations with a long-term view and sustainable principles (of human behavior), instead of spending it updating themselves on the most recent fads.
Based on the above, INNOKO has outlined some premises for itself: avoid superfluous jargon, and fashionable buzzwords. Focus resources on understanding the everyday concerns of work organizations, and keep abreast broadly on the most relevant research in the field.