….a student’s sense of belonging, security, and self-confidence in a classroom provides the scaffolding that bolsters the foundation for enriched learning, intrinsic motivation, more effective coping abilities, self-discipline, and caring.

Thus writes Dr Robert Brooks in his latest monthly posting on empowering children, and regular readers will know that I have referred to this gent in the past.

What I find interesting about this quote is that what applies to the classroom (and, dare I mention it, to homework) also applies to the workplace. We look to our superiors to provide an environment that will help us enjoy our workday. In return, we will want to find a way to add our own positive contribution.

Are we solely talking about money here? Sure, a pay rise helps us to smile. But that’s not all. Here’s a short list of other conditions that are also essential to securing a happy employee: –

• Encouraging innovation / initiative
• A manager employing genuine empathy
• Meaningful channels which allow for discussion (and maybe change)
• A reward scheme not just based on money

So, if that is so simple to write down, why do so many employers miss “it”? Think how many times in the past month alone that you have heard from colleagues and friends and family who are desperate for a change by the way their comapny is run?

At the end of his article, Brooks quotes David Brooks (no relation), who notes:

Many of our public policies are proposed by experts who are comfortable only with correlations that can be measured, appropriated and quantified, and ignore everything else.

Replace the phrase “experts” with “senior decision makers”, and maybe we have an answer to my question as to why the workplace is often a disaster spot.