Do your people have Purpose?

I believe that when we get down to the core of what makes our people happy, is that we give them purpose. Most people go through their lives looking and seeking that which gives them purpose. How can we, as leaders, ensure that our people have purpose?

First we must recognize that everyone has a role to play. Whether it be the custodian, mail room staff, administrative assistant or IT department. Everyone has to know their part and the importance of what they do. How it adds value and purpose to the overall vision of our company.  I've learned many times in my career just how valuable someone is when they are unexpectedly gone or leave. Everyone is scrabbling and asking, "Who normally does this?"

This is when we really value someone, is when they are gone. This is when we realize that they did play a role in making our department or company go. Don't wait until then to decide to acknowledge their purpose. Do it today. Here's some of the ways we can instill a sense of purpose in our people:

• Tell them: Yes, it's that simple, tell them of the value they bring to the department or company. You can do this during performance reviews or anytime really. Tell them specifically what they bring to the table and why that is valuable to the work process.

• Know your people: If your a regular reader of this blog you know that I have touched on this many times before. I'll say it once again, get to know your people and what motivates them to perform. Some want to be challenged, some coached, some want to be work on projects independently. Point is, everyone is different. Get to know them.  

• Listen: Another really simple thing to do, yet we tend to want to know what they want fixed. Listen to what they tell you, their frustrations, their victories and even what is blocking them from being more productive.

• Show them how to progress and the benefits not only to them, but the company. When you lay out to people how they can grow and progress in their work, they now have a path to follow. A lot of times, people haven't thought of all of the different ways they can grow and improve. Giving them a "road map" is an invaluable tool for them to use.

After all is said and done, people want to know that they have a purpose and their work is fulfilling a real need. Get to know your people, talk to them, most importantly listen to them. You might be surprised at what they will tell you.

What are some other ways you can instill a sense of purpose in your people?

10%

Following up on my article from the other day, I want to talk about the top 10% of your employees. You know,  The Go-getters, "Golden Boy/girl", top performers and your future leaders. I know that I talked about patience and mentoring of your people and not to have the same expectations for them that you have of yourself. There are exceptions to every rule.

3 Words

 #cb3words This was the Hashtag that I saw on Twitter this morning. So, I looked it up and saw that a lot of people where posting links to their posts about the 3 words that they were embracing for the New Year and why. I didn't have time this morning to post this. So, here it goes

Putting the lid on Creative Juice

Mclelun

I got inspiration for this post from  Seth Godin's post. His post was short and sweet, to the point, just like most of his thought provoking content. That's probably why so many people follow him. Here's my expanded thoughts on it.

Serving in the Military for over 20 years I've encountered, "That's not how we do things here" comment more then once. It always left me feeling like my opinion or expertise was not wanted nor desired. On a few occasions, the statement was actually backed up by real reasons or data that supported why it wasn't a good idea. Usually, it was stated because people and organizations do not like change. It's uncomfortable, it knocks people and processes out of rhythm and at first, looks like it's not going to work due to the awkwardness that is associated with change. Let' examine ways we can say, "That's not how we do things here" less and avoid turning off our people's creative juices.

Let them Shine!

Photoexpress

“Sometimes creativity just means the daily work of helping others to see a problem in a different way.” ~ Joseph Badaracco.

I've mentioned empowering our people and the fact that creativity has become one of the most sought after skills in the business world. How can we unleash our people's creativity and therefore empower them to achieve new heights of success?

Are your employees in the Lobster tank?

I had the opportunity to go out to eat at Red Lobster today. As I was waiting to be seated I was sitting in front of the lobster tank. As I peered into the tank I couldn't help but thinking that we have many employees under us that feel just like those lobsters do with their claws taped together. Restricted, uninformed and waiting to be cooked.

“There's a basic philosophy here that by empowering...workers you'll make their jobs far more interesting, and they'll be able to work at a higher level than they would have without all that information just a few clicks away.” ~ Bill Gates