The concept of “inspiration” has an almost magical quality, with the ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, and igniting a spark that can take people beyond what they thought was possible.
In the workplace ‘inspiration’ could be a conversation with a colleague that reshapes how a project is tackled, or an idea from a mentor that leads to an employee innovating with new technologies or processes.
Inspiration often arrives quietly rather than as a lightening strike, having a ripple effect that fosters a culture of innovation and growth. Its business impacts can be transformative from improved staff retention through to greater instances of ‘great work’. But can organisations architect inspiration among their workforce, or is it a sprinkling of magic outside of their control?
The Power of Inspiration
While inspiration may seem elusive, it can in fact be carefully cultivated, and the benefits of doing so are considerable. Employees who feel inspired at work are 14 times more likely to want to stay with the organisation and are six times’ more likely to produce great work and have a strong sense of fulfilment. Therefore, inspiration is a powerful growth and innovation driver.
It must be remembered, however, that inspiration is not the same as engagement or motivation. Inspiration is about igniting fresh thinking or encouraging a new way of solving a problem, rather than continuing along the same path. And this calls for a different approach than one focused solely on improving employee happiness or engagement.
The issue is that inspiration is lacking in many U.K. organisations. Despite 77% of U.K employees wanting their work experience to feel inspiring, just a third feel inspired at work with a mere 19% saying they’re thriving.
So how can more employees feel inspired to innovate and aim higher?
The Inspiration Formula
If employees are to feel inspired, it’s important to cultivate a workplace that fosters enquiring minds, innovative thinking and psychological safety in which colleagues can experiment without fear of reprisal. There are three key steps to achieving this.
Connection
The first step is to connect employees to sources of inspiration. If employees interact with the same small group of colleagues every day, have limited one-to-one time with managers, and aren’t provided with opportunities to meet new people and learn new things, a workforce that feels inspired is highly unlikely.
So, employees must be given opportunities to collaborate, share ideas, learn from others and try new approaches. This means facilitating regular one-to-one meetings with managers, encouraging team get-togethers where collaboration is championed, and providing learning opportunities. These learning opportunities could be in the form of training courses, secondments to other teams, mentorships, providing access to learning resources, or simply creating opportunities for different teams and company offices to come together.
According to O.C. Tanner’s latest research, 64% of employees often think of new ideas or ways of working during conversations with colleagues, and 68% have at least one co-worker who inspires them in their work, highlighting the importance of fostering a culture of collaboration.
Freedom and Permission
The next step is to promote and celebrate experimentation and give employees enough time and freedom to try new things. This is often where cultivating inspiration can fall down, as when employees are given neither the permission nor the freedom to be innovative, they become inhibited and frustrated.
More than anything, leaders and managers must encourage employees to try different approaches and even if they fail, their efforts must be praised, not condemned. Managers must also role-model experimental behaviours and be honest about failures as much as successes so that employees understand that they’re in safe space. The holy grail is when leaders advocate for their employees, encourage collaboration, solicit employee feedback, actively listen, and provide a psychologically safe work environment.
Recognition
The final stage is integrating employee recognition into everyday culture. Employees must feel appreciated and valued on a daily basis, with recognition used to celebrate and reinforce the behaviours that nurture inspiration. So, if employees demonstrate collaboration, they should be called out and praised, and if they show innovative thinking – even if the end result doesn’t work out – they should be shown appreciation, and ideally recognised and rewarded in front of their peers and managers.
By consistently and publicly recognising behaviours that foster inspiration, employees are more likely to emulate them, creating a reinforcing cycle that gradually strengthens an inspirational culture. Plus, the act of giving and receiving recognition is inspiring in its own right, especially when it’s personalised, authentic and meaningful.
Crafting a Culture of Inspiration
While inspiration may feel intangible, it is far from unattainable. Organisations that intentionally cultivate employee connections, allow their people the freedom to experiment, and underpin their efforts with recognition, can create environments where employees are consistently inspired to think differently, take risks, and push boundaries.
In this way, inspiration becomes not a sprinkle of magic, but a repeatable and sustainable part of workplace culture, proving that with the right approach, organisations can indeed architect inspiration.
From luxury retail to professional sport, Robert's background has given him a real passion for creating workplace cultures that help people thrive at work. Robert was a client of O.C. Tanner while at his previous employer during the most successful period in their history and his team worked closely with O.C. Tanner to embed a culture of appreciation throughout the organisation.
Robert has since been with O.C. Tanner for 10 years, most recently in his role as Managing Director for Europe where he has overseen the region’s most successful period of growth, since expanding into the continent over 20 years ago.
Robert holds Chartered Fellowship of the CIPD and has specialised in the field of Human Resources for 24 years.