Great Staff Culture is Easier Than You Think
Most know of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in relation to his writings on “A Theory of Human Motivation” (See Image 1). But how can this hierarchy teach us about the needs of human motivation as it relates to the workplace? And why would we care?
[Image 1: Source]
So much focus is on recruitment and rightfully so. There are more positions open than people to fill them. But good leaders are asking other questions in addition to “how do we find more talent?” They are asking questions like:
“Why would someone want to work here?”
“What do we bring to the table that other organizations don’t?”
“What do I need to know that I don’t know?”
“How do we retain and engage the talent we have?”
Here is a simple cultural needs analysis that you can do today to measure the motivational state of your employees. And it's not rocket-science. Culture is not just some “feel good” concept. Jenni Catron from 4Sight Group explains it this way:
“The entire point of culture is the stewardship of people in pursuit of our mission. That’s your responsibility as a leader. Culture isn’t fluffy stuff or a “nice to” perk that you’ll get to if you have time. It’s the very linchpin that ties your purpose and strategy together. You can’t achieve your purpose without a team of people to make it happen.”
Culture, just like Maslow’s needs, really comes down to identifying those needs and then meeting them. (See Image 2)
[Image 2] (c) 2022 . Lead With Impact, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
We all have needs. Our fulfillment, or engagement, then, is really an equation of those needs being known and met. Here I will break down each quadrant with actionable steps to build a thriving staff culture.
Survival Mode - I’ve been on the receiving end of many exit interviews where the employee finally “lets it all out” and airs their grievances. What’s unfortunate is that in most cases, there were unmet needs that were never known and likely easily remedied with actionable insight.
Action Steps: Leaders must engage the quiet ones and create a safe space for them to share unmet needs. Not all needs can be met by the organization, but the first step in healthy dialogue is to be heard.
One Foot Out– Toxic culture starts here. These are employees that want to be engaged, but don’t feel heard. Some of them spoke these needs quietly, others may have shouted them from the mountaintops. Either way, they are dissatisfied. This is where top performers leave, or others get disgruntled. Unresolved needs then lead to gossip, griping, blaming, you name it. And once it starts, it’s like a cancer to any culture. The mistake I see many leaders make here is to go on the defensive, take corrective action against “said” employee, or make their experience as difficult as possible so they voluntarily quit. Likely it didn’t need to get to this point because somewhere down the line the employee shared a need, and it wasn’t received or resolved.
Action Steps: Identify where things went sideways with this employee. Can the relationship be rectified? Be humble and receive the feedback. Learn and pivot where you can to meet their need(s). Tread cautiously but swiftly because prolonged angst will spread among your team if not dealt with quickly.
Good for Now – Employees here are at a critical moment. Their current needs are met without the need to speak up. But with change comes uncertainty. Today’s met need could be tomorrow’s new problem (enter global pandemic). Knowing the culture and being clear about the vision, mission, objectives and your employee’s role in achieving something greater than themselves will lay the foundation for healthy dialogue in the future.
Action Steps: Proactively meet with your direct reports each week, one-to-one. Relationships and trust take time to develop. Do this now, and not out of necessity. In these meetings, keep it simple. These two repeatable questions keep you informed and keep your employees resourced to do their job well: 1. “What are your near-term future work objectives?” And 2. “How can I help?” Listen and meet the need.
Engaged – This is the goal of every healthy culture – employees that thrive on knowing and fulfilling their purpose. We all have different currency that matters in the workplace. For some it’s development of new skills, others it’s having our opinions valued, or better work/life balance, greater autonomy, pay for performance, etc. Good leaders know the strengths and opportunities of their staff, and proactively work with their directs to help them achieve company goals and professional goals alike.
Action Steps: Be mindful to reward top performers with needs that matter to them and not just you. The golden rule is to treat others how you want to be treated. But perhaps your top performer doesn’t want a day off for great performance as much as the opportunity to share their ideas and influence initiatives. Reward them not as “you” would want to be rewarded, but as “they” want to be rewarded.
When organizations get culture right, they will be among the few that aren’t realizing the effects of the “great resignation” because their employees have found enjoyment and fulfillment in their work.
Having an amazing culture is not some far-fetched idea. It really is possible and totally under your control as a leader to shape and guide. Life is just better with a great team, whether that’s at home, in relationships, or at work.
What kind of culture are you creating? Which area of need is of greatest importance right now?
I am passionate about helping leaders build great teams. If this blog was helpful and you’d like to discuss ways to build your dream team, contact me at christin@leadimpactllc.com.
