When we refer to People Success at Microsoft Viva, we’re talking about enabling people to bring their best selves to work—in order to do their best work. That kind of atmosphere looks different from one organization to another. But our experience tells us there’s both a universal definition of People Success as well as six core elements that organizations can use to build their own thriving People Success culture.
What is People Success?
People Success—is it a journey? A destination? A feeling? We’d say yes to all three. People Success happens when people bring their best selves to work to do their best work.
So how do organizations get to People Success, then? It starts with leaders putting people at the center of everything they do. When that happens, we can understand the needs of individuals and help empower employees to take joint ownership of their happiness, development, and prosperity.
A People Success culture also depends on managers, who have the potential to create the best experiences for their teams when they are equipped with insights about what’s important to employees to learn, grow, and feel supported. Even more broadly, when all levels of an organization build simple, repeatable habits, employees get closer to feeling happiness and success at work. The habits we’ve seen be most successful include:
• Understanding people’s needs through direct and indirect signals
• Analyzing data to uncover key insights
• Acting to drive positive change
• Measuring progress and iterating
The People Success Elements
The People Success Elements are the true north to focus organizational efforts on what the science of motivation tells us about helping people be their best selves. When organizations concentrate on these elements, they can harness what matters most to people to build effective cultures, develop people-centric leaders, and create engaged employees. From the employee’s point of view, the People Success Elements are:
• Wellbeing: You feel physically and psychologically safe at work. You feel uniquely valued, and are treated with dignity, fairness, and equity.
• Connection: You feel a sense of belonging as a trusted, integral member of a diverse community of people you like and respect. You have high-quality relationships with your colleagues.
• Clarity: You know what success looks like and what to prioritize. You know when you are on track, and you get feedback that helps you change course as needed.
• Empowerment: You have access to the information, people, tools, and resources you need to work effectively. You are trusted with freedom and flexibility to own your work, and make decisions about how to best direct your talent and effort.
• Growth: You are maximizing your strengths, learning new skills, diversifying your experience, and making progress.
• Purpose: You see how you are part of something bigger than yourself — how the work you do serves others and has a meaningful impact.
How People Success benefits organizations
When organizations orient themselves around People Success, the result is an engaged workforce ready to meet the dynamic challenges of today’s world. Organizations that adopt a People Success approach create a more unified, meaningful experience for employees. In turn, employees feel supported and able to contribute to business success.
And in even simpler terms, it’s the smart business play. High employee engagement correlates with higher average revenue growth, net profit margin, customer satisfaction, and earnings per share.
Learn more about Viva Glint today.