3 big takeaways from Workhuman

I just returned from the Workhuman conference, which is unsurprisingly about making work more human. There were numerous impactful speakers and learnings - a few of which will stick with me longer than others. 

​How can we help employees grow? How can we increase engagement? How can we ensure employees are happy? These were a few of the big questions Workhuman sought to address at this year's event. See below for a few of my biggest takeaways from the sessions I attended:

Have the difficult conversations 
According to Brené Brown, opting out of difficult conversations because they make you uncomfortable is the definition of privilege. Difficult conversations amongst team members are necessary for team success. Avoiding them for the sake of being “nice” or not wanting to feel discomfort leads to diminished engagement, trust and increased problematic behaviors - such as passive-aggression, gossiping and backchannel communications. 

Hold yourself accountable
Ultimately, all you are able to control is your own work and way of looking at things. If you are unhappy in your current position or project, you have the ability to fix your own world. It’s easy to think “I can’t change everything, so I won’t change anything,” but that is counterproductive. You should plug and play and do what you can to create your own success. 

Be vulnerable
No matter how hard you try, you won’t find success without vulnerability. Vulnerability comes from the same place as shame, fear and anxiety - but it also comes from the same place as courage, trust, empathy, adaptability, inclusion, and resilience - shall I go on? Vulnerability is not a weakness, and can lead to great work. 

Anyone else attend Workhuman this week? We’d love to hear other’s biggest learnings!