Three tips for leaders to achieve great result in the work place.
Leaders must recognize what truly motivates their staff. I watched, with sadness, over the past few years as many of the best people have left one of my client companies. I believe primarily because the CEO refuses to recognize that a very toxic workplace culture was allowed, and in some cases even encouraged. If management is the primary reason for employees to feel they are not important to the organization, then the company and the companies success are not going to be important to the employees. So what’s a leader to do? Very simple: start by doing the following three things.
1. Recognize what motivates your people. Get curious, ask. Be willing to hear things that differ from what’s motivating you, or from what you think ought to be motivating them. Talk to your people, find out what is most meaningful to them, and how you can incorporate that into your reward system. Set up a great reward and accountability system through your HR Department. Ensure they are allowing the employee’s voices to be heard. Talk to your HR people regularly, make sure they are the right team for your organization and they show respect to all employees. If they are not, then why are they part of your team?
2. Support key HR initiatives by examples, not just talk. Model the things you expect from others. Period. Here’s what may happen when you don’t follow through: Let’s say you’ve just put in place a new performance management system, and you introduce it with great enthusiasm – but then never review your own direct reports, or promote and reward them based on your own whims, in lieu of the criteria you’ve established for the rest of the organization. You’re
communicating,
- This may be good enough for you people – but “I” get to live by a different set of rules.. or,
- This system (and all of you) are not important enough to me.