Professional paradise: oxymoron or business imperative?

Vicki Hess is not only my professional colleague, but also a good friend.  She’s an employee engagement expert and I was thrilled when she agreed to guest on the Turning Managers Into Leaders blog because I know that her expertise will be of great value to many of you.

Professional Paradise. A lot of leaders I talk to say it must be an oxymoron. But even those who readily believe it is in fact possible to achieve a constant state of “paradise” or “bliss” at work might think that finding or creating Professional Paradise in today’s climate of rapid change is ludicrous. In fact, in today’s business and economic climate, helping employees find their own Professional Paradise is no longer an option for leaders – it’s a requirement.   So what is Professional Paradise?

When you’re in Professional Paradise you are satisfied, energized and productive. You work to your strengths, routinely perform at your peak and produce positive results. Your interactions with coworkers and customers are helpful and productive. In other words, you are engaged at work.  Perhaps you’re thinking that Professional Paradise comes from working for a particular organization or having a certain job. This is most definitely not true. Professional Paradise is a state of being – a state of mind backed up with intentional action. As a leader, you have the ability to create an environment where staff members can connect to this state of mind. Employees want to be the CPO – Chief Paradise Officer – of their job and need your help to get there.  So you may be asking, “If paradise is a personal matter, what can I do as a leader?” Here are five powerful recommendations for leaders who want to provide their staff the tools to get to and stay in Professional Paradise. They aren’t complex and you may already be doing a few of them. The key to success is consistency and execution. Continue reading →