As we are preparing for our Irresistible conference (where I will be launching my new book), I’ve been looking back on all the things we’ve been through in the past five years. It’s an awful lot.
We’ve been through the epidemic, political instability, global climate crisis, and conflict. People are tired, stress levels are at an all-time high, and businesses are having a hard time hiring. What do we do as HR and business leaders understand all of this?
I’d suggest there is “one big thing” that is important. One factor you may not have thought about as a factor in business success is what success is all about.
Every one of us would like to achieve more. We all get up each day wanting to have a good day. We wish for our children and families to be successful. And we’d like to discover a place in the world that allows us to be successful.
For many people, it may mean attending college, finding an excellent job, and then moving towards the top of the pyramid. For others, it’s becoming an adoring parent or a friend. It could mean being a scientist, creating something, or discovering something brand new for some. And for some, lives are all about creativity, art, and innovation, and we strive to create better and more beautiful.
They are the fundamental insatiable elements of the human condition. Everyone wants to “become something” in our lives. However awful as they may appear, even dictators try to “become something” in their peculiar and perverse ways.
I believe that the role we play in the business world, as leaders and HR specialists, is to aid our organizations to achieve this goal to benefit people. Since when we help our companies allow individuals to “reveal and reach their potential,” the business and the company will flourish.
What is this implying for our businesses? This means we need to do a few things to accomplish.
The first thing we must do is treat people with respect. We must respect every person and provide them with a fair salary and take note of their complaints. We should appreciate and value their uniqueness and not attempt to transform them into something they’re not. This means creating a secure workplace, providing individuals the help they require, and treating them like the owners. (We refer to this as The Healthy Organization.)
Be aware you’re employees part of your company. They do not “work for you,” you, in a way, “work for them.” In the past, I’ve learned an important fact: People do not “join a company” – they “make a company.” Therefore, if you hire and take care of your employees and treat them well, your business will become stronger.
We must also aid people to grow. This doesn’t mean providing them with education and training. It’s about enabling individuals to “find their best self.” It is essential to allow individuals to explore with, learn, make mistakes, and flourish. This includes thinking about management as a coach and keeping an eye on the development of employees throughout the day.
My boss from the past as an Admiral in the past in Navy and told me a quote I’ll never forget. “In the military, we perform two things: fight or train. If we’re not fighting, we’re in training.” I’d recommend that in the business world, it’s more so. It is essential to be constantly learning each day. That means learning about your work, your clients, and your personal needs.
Third, we need to build trust as the Employee Experience research has shown that trust is the top source of satisfaction for employees. That means that employees should be able to go to work knowing that their work will be run well and fair, and our leadership will listen. They’ll also take action when they notice something isn’t right since everything is required to be improved.
This means making a decision. If we set the tone for goals and values within our organizations, employees want to be a part of the team. They view themselves within our organizations, and when they do, they contribute, feel the energy, and can perform.
In the end, we must aid people to become the person they desire to be. When I was a teenager and worked for IBM, I remember having discussions with my boss, where he would keep giving me “alternative futures” for my life. What if I wanted to go into sales? Marketing? Leadership? Consulting? Do you have any children? He was an IBM-style old-school person, but he knew that only when I could figure out my needs would he (and IBM) meet my requirements in my role as an employer.
This means that people can be themselves and live their desires within the context of their job.
As I said, there are many important tasks in HR. We must focus on employee satisfaction, management of performance as well as succession, pay equity as well as diversity and inclusiveness, job growth and skills, and so much more. I suggest wrapping all of it up in a huge bow and then asking, are we helping individuals fully realize their human potential?
As Chevron describes it, they’re on the task of “creating human energy.” If you can figure out how to achieve this for your business, I’m sure you’ll be invincible, as we prefer to call it, irresistible.
We invite you to join us from May 23-26 from Los Angeles at our Irresistible Conference. We’ll spend three days discussing the implications of this. Also, you’ll learn about what the top companies in the world are doing to unlock the human potential in their teams.
Thank you for reading this piece. At the moment, everything seems chaotic. I believe we have to concentrate on the essentials. This will lead us to a higher level.