Introduction

We interview Tonille Miller, a prominent organizational psychologist and consultant with expertise in human behavior, high performance, and organizational dynamics, about how to create thriving workplaces. We discuss her recently published book, The Flourishing Effect, a playbook for unlocking employee and organizational thriving and sustainable performance. The book aims to show leaders and changemakers how to create the conditions that engage their people and facilitate high performance in today’s world.

Tonille presents a compelling research-backed argument for why companies should prioritize employee well-being, and explains how they can do this while improving performance and success. She shares insights from her expertise and extensive experience of advising and consulting leading global businesses to provide actionable steps for organizations to create thriving workplaces. 

With over 15 years of experience advising Fortune 500 corporations, top consulting firms, and high-growth start-ups, Tonille Miller has become a respected figure in the business transformation, leadership, and employee experience space. She has been featured on various shows and in media outlets, including the Huffington Post, Nasdaq, TechFunnel, Employee Experience Magazine, and the American Journal of Health Promotion. 

Tonille is author of The Flourishing Effect: Unlocking Employee Thriving and High Performance as Your Competitive Edge (2023), a playbook for unlocking employee and organizational thriving and sustainable performance, aiming to show leaders and changemakers how to create the conditions that engage their people and facilitate high performance in today’s world.

Learn more and subscribe at flourishfmpodcast.com/tonillemiller 

Tonille’s website: tonillemiller.com

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Tonille

00:00:47 - The Flourishing Effect Book Discussion

00:01:02 - The Importance of Employee Well-being for Success

00:02:00 - Toneil Miller's Background and Expertise

00:02:31 - Blind Spots in Organizations

00:03:03 - Linking Employee Thriving to Business Results

00:03:57 - Addressing Organizational Blind Spots

00:05:04 - Human Needs in the Workplace

00:06:41 - The Process of Flourishing

00:07:09 - Embracing Workplace Challenges

00:08:34 - Practical Strategies for Developing Human Needs

00:09:16 - Flourishing and Embracing Difficulty

00:10:09 - Burnout and Its Impact on Work

00:11:10 - Key Areas for Cultivating Intrinsic Motivation

00:11:37 - Meaning and Purpose in Work

00:13:22 - The “Me and We” of Well-being and Performance

00:14:05 - The Role of Individual Agency

00:16:09 - Eudaimonia and Flourishing

00:17:34 - The Utility of Unpleasantness in Flourishing

00:18:07 - Embracing Challenge and Difficulty at Work

00:19:55 - The Five Chapters of Tonille’s Book on Human Needs

00:20:50 - Workaholic Tendencies and Stretching Employees

00:23:08 - The New Social Contract in Work

00:25:45 - Embracing the Difficulty of Work

00:27:24 - The ROI of Employee Well-being

00:29:02 - Work Alumni Programs

00:30:05 - The Changing Nature of Work

00:31:57 - Leading with Numbers to Convince Leaders

00:33:01 - The New Social Contract Explained

00:34:08 - Alumni Programs in Big Consulting Firms

00:36:55 - The Shift in Leverage from Employers to Employees

00:38:08 - Work Alumni Programs in Various Industries

00:39:01 - The Challenge of Changing Certain Ecosystems

00:40:06 - Leading with Numbers for Organizational Change

00:41:55 - The ROI of Employee Well-being and Performance

00:44:19 - Well-being as the Foundation of High Performance