wellbeing Archives | Meaning-Centered Leadership

How to Rise Above Workplace Toxicity

March 26, 2023

In our book Meaning-Centered Leadership: Skills and Strategies for Increased Employee Well-Being and Organizational Success, we share research to help organizations build meaning and purpose. By developing engagement, empowerment, and expertise, organizations are able to support the human need for meaningful work. An important question often comes up: How do employees respond when their workplace is toxic? How do they find the elusive markers of meaning when overwhelmed by dysfunctional workplace practices? The following three-step plan provides a framework for…

One Simple Step to Reduce Burnout

March 4, 2022

Ed Jackson, Ed.D.

In our book, Meaning-Centered Leadership: Skills and Strategies for Increased Employee Well-Being and Organizational Success we describe how leaders can activate multiple pathways to meaning. When employees find their work meaningful they are happier, healthier, more productive, and three times as likely to stay in their organizations. Unfortunately, recent survey data suggest much work is needed. Survey research suggests over 90% of employees report burnout. The respondents describe having unmanageable stress and frustration. In fact, they report that high levels…

The Strongest Predictor of Employee Disengagement May Surprise You

February 10, 2022

Ed Jackson, Ed.D.

A slew of articles and research attempting to explain the Great Resignation may be causing confusion. Employers are responding in a variety of ways, from raising wages to offering flexible schedules and focusing on work-life balance. These are all positive steps for employees, but is it enough? Recent research has uncovered that a toxic work environment is 10.4 times stronger at predicting company retention than wages*. This data suggests that employees are looking for more than just a wage increase.…

Quality Coaching for Engagement and Retention

January 20, 2022

Ed Jackson, Ed.D.

The “Great Resignation” has led to a plethora of offered solutions. Everything from flexibility to shared leadership has been suggested, but what do people really want? Research points not to workplace conditions, hours, or wages, but instead points to the need for meaningful work. Workplace meaning is substantially governed by relatedness, autonomy, and competence, or as we state in our book, Engagement, Empowerment, and Expertise. What people want from work is meaning. Meaning-Making begins with establishing trusting relationships with your…

Employee Well-Being for Increased Performance & Health

January 13, 2022

Ed Jackson, Ed.D.

In our book: Meaning-Centered Leadership: Skills and Strategies for Employee Well-Being and Organizational Success, we focus on describing the importance of Meaning-Centered Leadership as a way to improve physical and psychological well-being. The direct connection between employee well-being and organizational success is central. Recent research affirms our position that well-being and performance are connected. A study published in Management Research Review found evidence that promoting and sustaining employee well-being is essential because it acts as a significant predictor of performance…

Experts Call For Meaning at All Levels of Education

December 10, 2021

Ed Jackson, Ed.D.

A Meaning-Centered approach is needed throughout the education system. Educational researcher Michael Fullan states, “New meaning must be evident at every level of the system, but if it is not done at the level of the student, for the vast majority of students, all is lost.” (The New Meaning of Educational Change, 5th ed.) He claims that the future depends on deep engagement at the teacher and student levels. Unfortunately, Gallup research reports teacher disengagement levels at nearly 70%, and…

The HR / Leadership Intersection

September 8, 2021

Ed Jackson, Ed.D.

Coherent HR strategies and engaging leadership create a positive environment where workplace meaning can flourish.

Trusting Teams Versus “The Great Resignation”

August 3, 2021

Ed Jackson, Ed.D.

The number of people who voluntarily left their organizations during the months of April (4 million) and May (3.6 million) has been referred to as “The Great Resignation”. Reporting on this topic highlight surveys that suggest upwards of 40% of the workforce is considering resigning. Burnout and lack of growth are often cited as the biggest reasons people voluntarily leave their organizations. As reported in our book, businesses in the United States are losing a trillion dollars a year due…

A Meaning-Centered Approach for the Post-Pandemic School

July 13, 2021

Ed Jackson, Ed.D.

Educators and communities across the country are preparing to return students to fulltime in-person learning. This is a positive direction and yet the way ahead is clouded with imperatives to assess and remediate learning loss. Many schools are supporting student learning with summertime remediation and credit recovery. This is necessary and supports students’ academic needs. The bigger question is, what do students need as they return to school?