If we went by medieval Latin, we'd be in a sorry state. According to France's National Centre for Textual and Lexical Resources, the word travail (work) is said to come from trepalium, meaning “instrument of torture” (from 573, Council of Auxerre, in Blaise Latin. Med. Aev.)
Well, it turns out that's one root among many others, and not the most certain option. But this etymology has above all the merit of being in perfect contradiction with the idea that work might be a means of fulfilling yourself, of fully expressing your potential.
According to a study by Oresys, a consultancy specialising in transformation projects, 94% of employees working in high-performing companies feel they operate in an environment that fosters initiative. 85% of them consider that being able to put their ideas into practice makes them more fulfilled, which translates into better results.
Marie Barbier (Morning's HR Director) also believes that giving every member of staff responsibility makes the organisation more effective. Since the Morning adventure began, she has been trying to put innovative practices in place so that every talent finds expression within the team. She shares a few lines of thinking with us here.
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“Let everyone do what they want, the way they want.”
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This could be Marie's mantra – up to a point. When she talks about the company as a playground for expressing your potential, she's only talking about the lucky few who are in a position to choose their job – and even then, only a fraction of them. Because plenty of them, in the end, reckon that being well paid is all that matters. “And if that suits them, that's absolutely fine,” says Marie. It's up to the company to bring in, in whatever proportion it wishes, these profiles who ask for no responsibility beyond their original area of expertise.
In the case that interests us here, Marie is talking about the other profiles, those who are after something other than their salary. “Off the top of my head, I'd say we're talking about 25% of the lucky ones, though it remains hard to quantify.” So what are they after, that lot? What is this “something other”?
Well, in her view, these people want to use work to fully express their potential, and to develop other sides of themselves too. In that case, the company has to be that playground where everyone can do what they want, the way they want. Not simple.
At Morning, Marie tries to put things in place along these lines, which we share with you below. These are only particular sources of inspiration; everyone will of course have their own way of doing things.
Tip no. 1:
Assume that everyone has surprising resources.
Not everyone is capable of doing everything, but each person has resources that are often unsuspected. Most of the time, team members don't even consider doing anything else. At least not spontaneously, because it's sometimes quite comfortable to keep the same job. HR must therefore stir the potential that lies dormant. By offering training, “A day in my shoes” sessions, or peer-to-peer training days. Here, we call it the Morning School.
Tip no. 2:
Free up speech (and appetite).
By putting continuous feedback in place, or by communicating the right to make mistakes, you create a supportive, liberated environment. Staff are no longer on their guard – quite the opposite. Within the team, tongues loosen and boldness is set free. “Why not?” almost becomes the norm.
Tip no. 3:
Avoid collective injunctions.
For everyone to be captain of their own ship, the company must favour a flexible culture. It's best to avoid cardinal values to be followed at all costs.
No obligation to be anyone you're not, going against your nature, just to fit a mould. The idea is that everyone feels like themselves so they can do things as they see fit. That said, it doesn't rule out putting a few shared practices in place that work precisely towards everyone's fulfilment.
Tip no. 4:
Promote horizontal development.
In a horizontal organisation, potential will find it easier to come through. Top-down processes will box in decisions and hamper everyone's ideas. In this kind of organisation, the desirable career path won't be to manage more people, but to add new strings to your bow.
That said, with project-based working, everyone will find themselves a leader and will have to run a team for the duration of their projects.
Tip no. 5:
Cultivate leading by example and transparency.
Say what you do, do what you say. It sounds trite, but putting it into practice isn't quite so simple. Leading by example is fundamental to avoiding corridor gossip and underhand office politics.
It concerns everyone: project coordinators, team leaders, all members of staff. Here, for instance, Clément (the company's founder) tells us when he's dashing off to a tennis court. He needs it for his balance and everyone knows about it. And given the hours he puts in, I hope he pushes his ranking up.
Joking aside, and beyond leisure, you have to share your wishes, your weaknesses, your off days. That too is leading by example. This kind of openness takes the weight off everyone.
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You now know pretty much everything about the processes in place at Morning to allow everyone to fully express their potential. If you have ideas to add to the topic, do feel free to share them with us in the comments field below!
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