Give Me Your Soul

Loyal - "unswerving in allegiance"

Then
There was a time when employees were thankful to have a good job, working for a good company, one that would 'take care' of them for the duration of their career. It seems to me however, there was an imbalance between the organization and the employees who worked hard for those companies to grow and prosper.

It's as if the popular mindset of employers as all-powerful beings that controlled one's entire future was real. Did those loyal employees actually feel that way; or, was it some sort of cultural power play that tricked employees into believing they had to feel loyal or some grave outcome would surely befall them?

While I have tremendous respect for those individuals who feel so deeply connected to the mission of their organizations that they couldn't imagine leaving, that is not what I see playing out in the contemporary world of work.

Now
I think we've had our view of the employer / employee relationship completely backwards for years. 

Yes, bold leadership is absolutely essential if an organization is going to be successful. 

However, the burden on leadership is not only to be provide effective decision-making, but also to be equally as focused on their relationship with the people on the team.

When leadership believes they are always the smartest people in the room, that organization has begun a death spiral. 

Arrogance never plays well.

Never.
Ever.
Ever.

How About You
When we ask our employees to give us their souls, we sure as hell better be prepared to give them everything we have in return. That does not mean imparting our wisdom as if it is some sort of divine message.

Rather, it is a mandate that we stay connected, listen, respect, support and by all means ensure that our team feels valued. Absent that, we will be just another organization that had great potential, but the leadership team screwed it up.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Loyal?

Loyal. What a fine word. It brings to mind legions of employees, lined up cheering when new memos are released via email blast, right?

Oh, wait. I mean... 

Loyal. It brings to mind employees sacrificing until it hurts so a company can make draconian changes that punish all but a precious few.

Um, no. Just a second...

Loyal. Dogs are loyal. There, nailed it.

Actually, People Are Loyal Too

I have been blessed to work in some terrific organizations, but none more full of truly loyal employees than this one. Corporate cultures are all different, but I've found after several decades in the healthcare industry, that many employees are "loyal" to their organizations because of the jobs they have serving patients. 

Think about that for a second. They are loyal, to the work, not necessarily the organization. Hmmm. I'm guessing that's not the employee engagement survey spin that gets pushed to the team?

But, Why?

I believe there is a far more simple solution to moving employees from 'committed to their job' (which in healthcare means they can have the same job at nearly every organization in your community) than what most organizations are willing to admit.

"When leaders are awkward in their communication...when they focus so exclusively on a numeric result and abandon the reality that people achieve results...and assume an air of elitism that because of their more senior title they suddenly know how to do everyone's job better...their exists no opportunity for loyalty."

How About You

Have you taken a long hard look into the mirror and admitted that you, too have fallen into the leadership trap? Get over yourself, start acting like a normal human being, and leverage the immense brain power, experience, and creativity of your teams. 

You might find a few loyal employees just waiting for the chance to show you how they really feel.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Squads and Loyalty

Many of us have jobs. Some of those jobs are pretty good...some are brand new because we're new to the world of work...others are at an in-between-stop along the journey...

...and a select few have something completely different.

Your Squad
Success is often achieved through hustle, grinding, and hard work. This is true! There are no shortcuts. However, success is never achieved in a vacuum. The people you trust and allow to be part of your inner circle will define your future.

Think about that for a second...the people you trust will dictate whether you are successful or not.

Your squad means everything. I may be the luckiest person working today, because the team at work combined with my squad has opened up my world in ways I could never have imagined.

Loyalty
The result of recognizing the support you have behind you is the ultimate prize every employee engagement guru strives for...

Loyalty.

"How many of you are actually loyal to the organization your work for? What does that look like? How do you talk about, defend and promote your company?"

How About You
One of the often overlooked benefits of loyalty is the confidence you feel to do your job. When we know our organization has our back, and the team around us is helping us do good work we break through to a new level of performance.

So...who's on your squad, and what does that mean to you?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Sworn to Believe

It's campaign season again. That can only mean one thing...people calling each other names on television! One of my favorite criticisms is that someone flip-flopped on an issue.

Wait a second. We're now attacking people because they learned something new and changed their mind?

What? Don't we spend countless hours reading, learning, growing, and evolving as leaders? If I change my mind on an issue at work is my boss going to accuse me of flip-flopping? Am I supposed to lock in my opinions for my entire life and never expand my world view? 

Messaging 
What if we built this philosophy into our leadership  development programs? It would probably sound something like this... 

"Good afternoon everyone. Today I need you to commit to all of your opinions on every issue and never change your mind again, despite what you may learn throughout your life. Here at Company XYZ we call that leadership." 

 
Risk 
There is another side of commitment, and that has to do with loyalty. I am a huge believer in being loyal to the brand you represent. Brands are a reputation, are culture, are people, brands mean so many things.

However, loyalty to a person is something very different. The cult of personality that comes with pledging loyalty to an individual feels awkward in the modern world of work. 

I don't think I'm supposed to be loyal to a individual exclusively, am I?

I would certainly follow a dynamic leader to another organization; but I wouldn't follow them to a company I didn't believe in. See the difference? Respecting someone and enjoying the work you do with them is very different than pledging loyalty.

How About You
Do you consider yourself a loyal employee? Is so, are you loyal to your organization or to an individual? 

This may seem like a simple issue; yet for those that focus exclusively on "the face of the franchise" the real work of leadership quickly gets lost in all the noise.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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I’ve Got Your (My Own) Back

“I’m very loyal to my company. I’ve always been a team player and make decisions based on what’s best for the team. If we don’t work together, we’ll never make real progress.”

Sure. We all totally believe that….and have said it…and probably meant it some of the time too.

Loyal To Who?

The concept of being loyal to an employer is an intriguing one, particularly for those employees that are highly motivated to advance. What happens when several high performers are competing for a limited number of promotional opportunities? What if they’re all part of a project team? How does that work? Do they kick off each session with an “all for one and one for all cheer?" Or, do they reach for their favorite back stabbing implement instead?

Hard to say.

But I Thought the Team Was All About Me

Working on a high performing team, whether at work or on a sports team involves the appropriate balance of individual impact and coordination with others. This can be a very delicate balance, primarily because what one person perceives as going the extra mile may be interpreted as trying to outshine the others. So who is supposed to not only recognize these subtleties, but also intervene and manage the potential conflicts appropriately?

You, that’s who.

How About You

How do you handle the common misperceptions that arise when a great team is working hard? We’ve all seen good people struggle to work together. If we’re wondering why they’re having problems the answer is simple. We’re still wondering why, instead of doing something about it.

When your people feel threatened by others do you resign yourself (and your respect) to the fact that they’re adults and should figure out their problems on their own? Or, do you guide, coach, and lead the way?

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.


pics courtesy of nikhilsworld and impact-learning

Do Milestones Matter?

Don't be this guy...


"Welcome everyone.  Thank you for coming to the 1,000th annual awards banquet for surviving another year here at You-Are-Expendable, Inc.  I just want to say how proud I am of each and every one of you for the....uh...stuff that you do in your jobs.  You are really something.  Now I'm going to call each of you up by name to receive your certificate of longevity here at Expendable.  Forgive me if I can't pronounce any of your names correctly.  Let's begin..." 


Milestones Represent More Than A Date
One of the phrases that drives me crazy is when an employee is characterized negatively because "they've been here forever."  Are you kidding me?  The employees that have been with your company "forever" are the ones that have been through thick and thin.  They've experienced so many changes you couldn't begin to count them.  They've managed through changing leadership, staff that come and go, and technology that was only a  dream when they first came on board. They are the company.  

Be Sincere, Or Be Gone
The next time you are standing in front of a group of employees, whether it's 5 or 500, make sure they know how truly important it is to you that they have remained loyal for so long.  By the way, it's not just the employees that have been loyal.  Their spouses, kids, partners, and friends have all put up with last minute schedule changes, overtime, emergencies, and new projects that needed extra time.  Make sure they know that you know about them too.


How About You
Do milestones matter?  You bet your life they do. What are you going to do the next time someone criticizes someone for being a "lifer?"  I'm hoping you get in their face and let them know that the "lifers" are the loyal ones that helped make your organization what it is today.

I'd love to hear from you.


No Excuses.




pic courtesy of CT