Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about the various ways that you can support yourself during these uncertain times by adding some predictable patterns to your days, treating yourself and others with kindness, and connecting regularly with people who you delight in and who delight in you.
Today, we’d like to focus a bit more on what support for others could look like.
“An organization is only as good as the people it employs; those organizations that want to survive and thrive in 2022 will need to respond to the new power dynamic in kind. Look beyond financial goals to consider the needs of all their people. Treat employees as human beings, not parts of a machine. Break down silos and overcome remote working challenges to ensure people feel connected to the company purpose and vision and each other. Embrace the possibilities of the future and make work, work for everyone.”
We recently came across this quote from an article by Korn Ferry, an international consulting firm, that mirrored what we’re hearing from our clients. Their article, Future of Work Trends in 2022: The new era of humanity, discusses seven work trends that organizations should be aware of as they look to recruit and retain great talent.
Today, we’re highlighting three of the seven trends outlined in the article that we’ve also been discussing with our clients: employee well-being, work/life balance, and the power of “we”.
What do these three trends have in common? You guessed it, the people stuff.
- Employee well-being: It’s important to demonstrate that you care about your employees as human beings and that you’re there to support their success.
- Work/life balance: As leaders, you need to learn what works for your employees, their schedules, and their project preferences.
- The power of “we”: Find ways to create a collaborative virtual/hybrid environment to support your employees in feeling a sense that they’re part of something bigger and can affect change, together.
You may be saying to yourself, “but everyone is different, how can I know what they want?” One easy thing you can do is to simply get curious.
Curiosity begins with conversations and asking questions such as,
- What does success look like for you?
- What would support from me look like?
- What types of projects motivate you?
- When do you experience yourself disconnecting from the work?
- Who are you collaborating with most often and who should you be collaborating with more?
And then listen. Really listen.
By starting conversations like these with your employees, you begin to create a sense of psychological safety where people believe they belong.
Remember though, this isn’t a one-and-done exercise. You’re creating your culture. One where people feel comfortable talking about their successes, their challenges, and their ideas for creating success.
When people are valued for their contributions,
cared about as humans,
and respected for their diverse thinking and backgrounds,
they’re much more likely
to be fully engaged in their work.
Take some time this week to get curious about your employees’ experiences around the people stuff. Listen for common themes and individual preferences and then engage your team in creating new and better ways of working together.
We know you can do it. Reach out if we can be helpful.
If you’d like support
with the people stuff,
contact us today.