integrity from Middle French and Latin integer untouched, entire + -ity (quality, state, degree)
1. a) an unimpaired or unmarred condition
b) an uncompromising adherence to a code of moral, artistic, or other values
2. the quality or state of being complete or undivided
[from Webster's Third New International Dictionary, 1981]
Workplace: properties of a community of practice
The work in creating a holistic community of practice includes 1) mutual engagement, 2) a joint enterprise, and 3) a shared repertoire.
- Mutual engagement. Sustaining of interpersonal relationships through the inevitable tensions and conflicts in dynamic workplaces. Disagreements and challenges can be forged into forms of participation that yield greater commitment rather than breakdown or passive conformity.
- Joint enterprise. A workplace that is real and livable can be created by recognizing and continually coordinating the interconnections between individuals and with the organization in a way that honors respective aspirations.
- Shared repertoire. A shared way of doing things can be developed that both reflects the organizational history of the way of doing things and remains open to changing conditions, revisiting goals, and improving processes.
[from Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity by Etienne Wenger]
Why integrity in the workplace matters
An early industrial model employed workers as mere assistants to the machine: comply and get a paycheck. A later and slightly more evolved industrial model for employees was the Organization Man: leave your personal life at home, this is work. Both models fracture the individual self. Neither foster a culture of employee growth and personal mastery.
For most adults, the workplace is one of the most significant contributors to their sense of well-being (or lack of it). Not only is work better, but life is better when we can connect with the people we work with. The Gallup Poll researcher Tom Rath (in Vital Friends) has found that people who had a best friend at work were seven times more likely to be engaged with their jobs; those with three close friends at work were 96% more likely to be extremely satisfied with their lives (not just their work).
Deliberate action can transform a workplace and improve employees’ lives. Tom Rath found that when managers discuss friendships with employees on a regular basis, it nearly triples the chances of employees having a “best friend at work.”