What are we talking about…
For years we heard about “engagement” surveys, then “work passion” came in, and now “vitality” or “vigour” join the conversation, but “thriving” seems to be winning the game. Of course, we would have preferred “Zest” to win the game 😉, but we do understand why “thriving” wins. In scientific terms, Zest belongs more to personality whereas Thriving is a dynamic state (that can change more rapidly).
Let’s explore in more details how to define the word “thriving” and most importantly, what HR and Occupational Health professionals can learn from recent research about the conditions that lead to thriving at work.
Thriving is one of numerous constructs related to personal energy at work. Some companies, like Microsoft, came up with their own definition of thriving: “to be energized and empowered to do meaningful work.”
In Academic research, the concept of thriving is clarified by Spreitzer et al. (2005) as being
“the psychological state in which individuals experience both a sense of vitality and a sense of learning at work”
Good news for L&D Department, Spreitzer et al. established a hard link between learning & development and thriving: “people CANNOT thrive without learning and development”!
Thriving is seen as a dynamic state, a sense of progress or forward movement in the employee’s self-development. With a dynamic state, it means that employees can experience higher or lower states at any point in time.
Similarities can be found between the concept of vigour and thriving. Both concepts refer to experiencing a sense of vitality, feeling energetic, and feeling alert.
