“I want something that I can put to work today. I don’t have time for the ‘soft’ stuff. We only have so much money to spend. There’s a lot on our plates so we don’t have time for ‘fluff.’ Give me something with a tool that helps us solve some pressing, immediate problems.” It is hard to argue with that kind of compelling logic. The economy is still slow. Businesses are skittish about experimenting or investing in programs or “feel good” workshops that may or may not produce visible, short-term results. We also hear, “I’m not interested in theory. Give me something practical.” But, the kinds of skills that most leaders need may seem “theoretical” on the surface but, in reality, are the most practical of all. If we understand the true nature of an organization, it becomes clear that the simplest, most useful, and quickest path to productivity is the one that helps the organizations’ leaders learn how to build solid, adult, professional relationships among the team members. At its most basic, an organization is a group of people with a function to perform in various relationships with one another. The organization will perform its function or not to the degree that those relationships work or don’t work.
The leader’s job is to create the conditions in which that is most likely to happen. Without that foundation, the clearest vision, the cleverest business strategy, the most aggressive sales effort, the biggest incentives, or the most fearful threats will do little to get you where you need to be. That is not to say that clear vision, good business planning and the like are not useful. They are. But, only if the team members are willing to support the plan. The latest buzzword is “employee engagement.” Employee engagement gets talked about as if it is a form of medicine or therapy that can turn your business into some sort of idealized workplace of the future. We certainly want “engaged” employees but the programs that promote the idea seldom give you much to go on when it comes to actually making that happen.
There are a lot of misconceptions about what employee engagement or teamwork or any of the ideas that we associate with “soft” skills. Building practical organizational relationships is not about making everyone like one another. It is not about making everyone happy. It is not about turning the workplace into a therapeutic environment. It is certainly not about motivating people. It is about being more productive. It is about getting the job done. In organizations where solid, adult, professional relationships dominate, more work gets done. Quality is better. Customer service improves. Grievances decrease. It is also true that people also frequently feel better, like each other more, and are happier.
It is important, however, to understand that the objective is to get the job done. In more than 30 years, I have never found anything more satisfying for employees than to be a part of something successful. I have also never seen a “motivational” program or an “employee of the month” program or an “incentive” program produce anything more than a short spurt of activity. These approaches simply don’t address the fundamental (most practical) issues of organizational performance.
I am most productive when:
• I trust my leaders and the people I work with. If I know that my boss levels with me about the good and bad news, my coworkers answer my e-mails, provide credible, reliable information, and no one is trying to stab me in the back, I work harder.
• I understand the roles and responsibilities of everyone in the organization. I am more powerful then. If I know who to go to when I need something or when I am trying to solve a problem, I produce higher quality work in a shorter amount of time. It is a whale of a lot easier to find and use information when I have good relationships with my co-workers.
• I am expected to do good work. If I think no one cares, why bother? If I am part of a group in which good performance is the expectation, is considered normal, I am a lot more likely to do thorough, useful work and avoid making unnecessary errors. It is harder to find people who are willing to listen to me complain and waste time grieving about how awful management is.
• I get regular, useful feedback. I learn more, produce more, and work more effectively if I receive quick, clear, feedback about what I am doing that is helpful and what is not helpful. It is hard to do the right things when I am not sure what those things are.
• I am expected to solve problems. I get better at problem solving when the responsibility for solving those problems is mine. In an organization where I must always ask for permission or one in which someone else is always telling me what to do or doing it for me, it takes longer to learn how to solve problems on my own.
• If I do have a problem I can’t seem to solve on my own, I am confident that my leaders and colleagues will listen to me and help me explore possible approaches to finding a solution. But, they don’t hand me a solution unless I ask for it and I have made a real effort to handle it myself.
• I feel safe. I don’t believe that my situation is constantly being undermined or that every assignment is a test to see if “they” can get rid of me. If there is a true business crisis and people will have to be laid off, I can trust that the leaders will tell me the truth and give me a chance to prepare.
• We are committed to resolving conflicts. When our needs are in conflict, my leaders and colleagues do their very best to find workable solutions where no one has to feel that they were treated unfairly.
There is certainly nothing “impractical” about achieving an organizational culture where these conditions are prevalent. Sure, it is a lot of hard work but it is an achievable outcome. This is not rocket science. Leaders who basically have good intentions can learn the skills needed to create such an environment. It may take more than one workshop. But, the technology to teach these skills has been available for quite a long time. Building the skills needed to become a good listener, clear communicator, giver of direct, constructive feedback, conflict resolver, and relationship builder is possible. What is not possible is to make all the problems go away with a new program, new software system, new leader, or bigger incentive. If the foundation is built, the team members will work with you rather than against you to create a high performance organization.
What could be more practical than that?