3 things your people need in their work

People look for three key things in their work. The first is something to believe in which is the vision of the organisation. The second is someone to believe in which is the business leader, owner or manager. And the third element that’s critical is someone to believe in them which is their self-worth.

As the war on talent accelerates, business leaders and owners need strategies they can implement to attract and retain key people.  And when we don’t, the stress and the costs in our businesses increase.  When we don’t have the right people in our business, not only does growth become challenging, even surviving becomes a struggle.

 Something to believe in 

Every business needs to create a compelling vision. Your vision needs to be easy to remember and it must inspire others into action. A parable was shared with me a long time ago on this topic and I’ve never forgotten it. A line of stone workers were each carving small stones and when a bystander asked one worker what he was doing, he replied “As you can see the conditions are hot and dusty. I am carving a stone so that I can feed my family.’’ When the bystander asked the same question to another worker along the line who had a smile on his face, he replied “I am building a cathedral!’’. Both workers were working on a similar rock but the second worker could see that what he was working on fitted into a bigger vision.  He could see what he was contributing to. Business leaders need to communicate this vision at every opportunity so their people can link their work into the bigger picture and remember why they’re showing up each day. 

 Someone to believe in

We all need someone to believe in. When leaders and owners make an attempt to understand their people and their passions, people are drawn to stay in that business. Despite what people tell you in their job interview, they will always be motivated and work towards what they are passionate about, not the passions of the business. 

 At an interview, most of the questioning is largely ineffective. Imagine going to an interview and being asked ‘Tell us about your passions using our passion model. Could you take a minute to rate your passions based on how you spend your time and energy? We are not expecting work to be number one. In fact, many of our people that work here, do not have work as their number one priority. We are interested in you as a person”.

Business leaders and owners that have conversations like this are open and vulnerable and don’t pretend to know everything. They are genuinely interested in what makes their people tick.  Businesses that are also incentivising according to people’s passions may get better retention. In my business I have implemented this strategy and have always tried to individualise perks and rewards based on my team’s passions. For example, if a person is passionate about their physical health, a gym membership might be more favourably received than a generic gift card or monetary bonus. Take the time to get to know your people and what they’re passionate about and reward them based on this.

 Someone to believe in them

Many people still don’t believe that they are ‘enough’. The list may include not smart enough, not assertive enough, not qualified enough, not career minded enough and so it goes. If we can improve the self-worth of our people, the benefits are numerous

 One strategy to implement here is a culture of feedback.  When people are in a culture where they receive positive feedback consistently, they feel that someone believes in them. It empowers them to make better decisions which builds trust.  When they receive regular, constructive feedback they’re more likely to have an open mind to receive that feedback. Compare this to a team member who doesn’t receive the opportunity for regular positive feedback, and it can be confronting and daunting. Think of feedback like a bank balance. You need to deposit money in the bank before you make a withdrawal and ideally in a 4:1 ratio - four parts positive feedback to one-part constructive feedback.

 If people have something to believe in, someone to believe in and someone to believe in them, attracting and retaining key talent becomes easier.  Having the wrong people or the right people leaving is a stressful and expensive exercise for any business. If you can implement any of these simple strategies today, it’s sure to have a huge impact on your people and your self-worth too!

Shivani Gupta, author of Getting Your People to Step Up (Wiley $32.95), is a sought-after speaker, coach and facilitator. Shivani has owned and scaled several businesses with exit valuations of $5million+, and has worked with over 250 companies to help them nurture their most valuable asset: their people. Find out more at www.askshivani.com

Shivani is offering a huge 81% off her ‘Getting Your People To Step Up Course’ which is specifically designed for business leaders and owners who are committed to fostering a thriving workplace culture. See here for more.