Five Satisfaction Solutions | 3M company | USAA | San Antonio

To do this, companies can create policies and tools that feed personal satisfaction (see "Five Satisfaction Solutions," page 59, for specifics). For example, a 3M company policy required employees to spend a percentage of their time on personal business interests (Crupi credits this policy with the creation of Post-it Notes). USAA, the San Antonio-based financial services company, funds any graduate or undergraduate degree from an accredited academic institution, regardless of whether it directly applies to the person's job. "The theory is that any continuing education will provide fresh perspectives on any work they might be doing, as well as making the person more rounded," Crupi says.

In 10 years, Holmes believes talk of personal purpose in the workplace will be mainstream. And past team-building programs where employees left the office, divided into groups, and tried to assemble an ark or cheerlead themselves into a frenzy will be passé. Instead, companies will implement approaches that create avenues for people to pursue themselves and what matters most to them.
FIVE SATISFACTION SOLUTIONS
Looking to foster a few personal pursuits among the cubicles in your workplace? Here are a few suggestions from the experts.

MANAGERS

Reward people when they make a difference in other people's lives. Create a reward that recognizes this contribution and ensure it is values-based, not tied to productivity.

Recognize that every employee will score "10 out of 10" for his unique abilities. If you have performance issues with an employee, he probably is in the wrong job and using his skills in the wrong way. Put people in jobs that align with their interests, talents, and beliefs.

Bring in speakers and trainers whose underlying message is spiritually based, even though their topic may be leadership or ethics.