The lifeblood of any successful and competitive organization is its people. People do business with people. People produce the ideas, concepts, products, and services that enable us to do business. People connect with our customers who ultimately allow us to be in business. So it only makes sense that the single most important investment we can make, as organizational leaders, is the one we make in attracting, retaining, inspiring, and motivating top notch people for our organizations.
Unfortunately, most of the mainstream philosophies and approaches to achieving this result are antiquated at best. Many managers, business owners, CEO's, Garmin bluechart and organizational development consultants alike operate from the paradigm that the majority of today's employees are completely loyal to the company they currently work for, and that they actually NEED that particular job. Granted, some of today's employees still operate from that same paradigm, but they are rapidly becoming the minority.
With all of the technology, information, and resources available to the average person that was once only available to large corporations with lots of capital, an individual or small group of individuals can start a company of their own that can successfully compete and thrive in a global marketplace, self-educate and prepare themselves for a better suited career, or launch off on their own as an independent consultant, freelancer, or contract employee. The reality now is that most people don't NEED that job. Many of them just haven't figured that out yet. But they eventually will, and it will only become easier for them to do as time goes by.
So we always need to be mindful of the traits, attitudes, and virtues that constitute a "top notch" employee in the first place. They're hard working, productive, effective, efficient, goal-oriented, organized, ambitious, and many times they're also big thinkers; even visionaries. So it only stands to reason that we won't be able to keep them around if we don't know how to give them what they need the most: challenge, opportunity for growth, and job satisfaction.
So now, this new development in the way people are choosing how and where they want to work leaves companies of all sizes facing a formidable challenge, and at the same time, an unprecedented opportunity...
They can a) create their next big competitor or b), create their next strategic partner.
So how can we attract, inspire, and motivate top notch people, who now have more career opportunities than ever before, to work with us, partner with us, and stay loyal to our cause, our mission, our brand, and our long-term business growth? The answer is quite simple actually, and it comes in a four part solution...
1. As an organization, we need to embrace the goals, aspirations, and vision of the individual.
2. Help the individual tie the fulfillment of those goals, aspirations, and vision into the mission,
purpose, and goals of the organization.
3. Empower the innate gifts, talents, and inclinations of the individual.
4. Empower the big thinkers of your organization.
If you want to attract, retain, inspire, empower, and strategically partner with top notch people in today's workforce/marketplace, a corporate-centric approach to inspiring and motivating the individuals in the organization will no longer work. Corporate trust and loyalty is a thing of the past. People are now, more than ever, increasingly loyal to themselves, their families, and the vision they hold for their future. Their loyalty to a company ends with their next paycheck. Employees have seen (or been a part of) layoffs, corporate scandals of greed, an economy on the brink of depression, and their retirement portfolios sucked nearly dry at the whim of circumstances over which they've had no control. They are no longer simply thinking "how can I keep this job?" They are now thinking "how can I keep this job long enough to find another one and/or create something else that can sustain and provide for my family long-term? More importantly, how can I find meaning, value, and fulfillment in the work I do?"
In all fairness, companies are asking themselves similar questions such as, "how can we cut costs and operate more efficiently so we don't have to lay people off or, even worse, go out of business?" "Uh... 'the Big 3!" Need I say more? So this approach to empowering the individual and partnering with them for long-term business success is actually a win-win. I believe that Dr. Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People would label such a solution as "Interdependence."
If a company is committed to helping the individuals of that company achieve their most cherished professional aspirations, even if it is going into business for themselves, they have a better chance of creating a strategic partnership with that individual as opposed to creating a competitor. What's more is that, the very act of championing the aspirations and goals of the employee, even if they don't initially align with the company's vision, builds trust and a since of loyalty with the individual. Dr. Covey once said, "trust is the highest form of human motivation." Once a company has earned the trust of an individual and come to truly understand what his/her aspiration are, then a partnership can be established to move forward together in a common direction. This is the most effective way to motivate an individual to champion a corporate vision, agenda, purpose, and/or mission.
R. Duane Huff is an author, speaker, musician, and mentor. He's committed to "Maximizing the Quality of Your Professional Experience." To learn more about Duane, or book him for your next event, please visit http://www.rduanehuff.com
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