I
remember observing a large group of 9th grade boys ready to head out
on a cycle. They were fit, strong and ready to ride. You could feel the energy
and excitement. This was way better than sitting in a classroom. However, 30
minutes later they were still standing beside their bikes being lectured to by
a teacher on road safety. Things got a bit restless as you can imagine. After
45 minutes the lecture was still going on and the boys were ready to riot. Sure
the safety aspect was important, but so too was getting the kids on bikes and letting
them go
One
of our roles as a leader is to get the most out of our people. To let them jump
on their bikes and fly! Yet, traditionally we position our business to attract
customers (and to retain them of course). Maybe we do a few things on the
fringes that may be attractive to good employees. However, our people are our
most important asset. When I am charged with improving or team or organization,
I fundamentally look at the way people are treated and how engaged they are. An
engaged employee base matters, says Gallup. Employees who are more engaged “achieve earnings-per-share growth that is more than four times that of
their competitors.” Furthermore, higher engagement accounts for better
retention, higher profitability, better health and greater levels of innovation
and creativity. Teams function better as trust is higher.
When
nearly 30% of the workforce is in transition, how do you position your business
to attract and retain the best people beyond benefits, perks and ping pong
tables that have been shown to have limited long term effects?
1.
Grow your managers. Gallup research shows
that “70% of the variance in team engagement is explained by the quality of the
manager or team leader”. I have seen that an intentional, middle management
leadership program is key and is one of the first things I look to implement in
organizations that want to improve. Train managers to have frequent conversations
with employees that are regarded as meaningful and supportive, and employees are
more engaged and less likely to leave. When managers talk about what matters to
employees around hopes and dreams, employees stay. And, when managers have
strengths-based conversations, employees work more effectively and stay.
2.
As a manager, say ‘yes, and’ more often. The worst thing you can
do as a manager is to hire bright people and then restrict them. Leaders need
to develop an ‘art of allowing’. This is a key part of being an authentic
leader where you honestly allow people the opportunity to grow and thrive.
There is an element of risk taking and letting go but it is well worth it. You
build self worth, self confidence and most importantly trust. These are the
foundations for more willingness to innovate and build the organization.
3.
Allow people to work on projects that may not be completely
aligned with their position description. That’s okay! It may have to be “under
the radar”, if the company culture is not quite ready for such an approach. I
saw huge benefits of this tactic when I led professional and organizational
learning at a global financial services firm. I saw how bright, creative minds
love to work on multiple projects and have a keen sense of growing their
portfolio. Locking these people into their position description restricts their
growth, limits trust, and stifles what they could potentially be offering to
the business. And we saw some exceptional outcomes. (Beware, these people tend
to leave if they feel stifled).
4.
In some industries, encourage your people to speak at conferences,
publish white papers and educate your market. Many of the brightest love to
learn and to be seen as experts in their industry. In most organizations I have
worked for this has been a stretch for most employees. However, once they get a
taste of the joy of sharing their expertise, the personal and organizational
growth is rapid. Remember, in the post-knowledge era, an organization that does
not learn, dwindles away.
We
need to attract people who can cycle fast, creatively and intelligently, and
then we need to let them get on their bikes and pedal to their heart’s content!
By Dr.
Peter Dry, 2020.
