Consulting – Creating Authentic Workplaces Through Culture Transformation

Coen consults with organisations in the area of employee engagement.

Through his“Creating Authentic Workplaces” projects, he helps organisations create systems and processes that engage and empower employees so that they bring their best to work.He uses a mixture of tools, from Appreciative Inquiry, Values Assessment Tools, theEnneagram Personality Profiling System and Coaching to help his clients.

He works closely with mentor and partner Avi Liran and his team to deliver delight to employees of organisations so they can in turn delight their customers.

The Case for Authentic Workplaces

We spend most of our lives at work. Our intellectual, emotional and physical energy are diverted to the work that we do. To be able to perform well at work, we adjust our appearance, language, demeanour, and identity in order to get along with coworkers and blend with the culture of the workplace. As such, we have learnt to develop two separate identities: our work identity and our non-work or “true” identity. This “separate identities”approach to work is from the industrial age, where most work is mostly manual labor, and work and personal life have a clear geographic demarcation.

However, in today’s work of knowledge and digital economy, where the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the move to working from home, the line between work and personal life is blurred. Individuals now have to realise the importance of bringing their authentic self to work. The era of “boss knows best”, “it’s not personal, it’s just business” or “leave your personal feelings at the door” is over. Individuals at all levels, from senior leaders to entry-level frontline workers must be empowered to express themselves and to pursue their own ideas.

We now consider individuality, creativity, mastery, intelligence, and agile thinking as valuable assets in human capital. To gain competitive advantage, employers now value the individual’s experiences, beliefs, and expertise. It is companies that encourage authenticity and freedom among employees, particularly in the expression of talents and ideas, that will provide the best employee experiences and win the war for talent.

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