The Modern Leadership Issue - 29

PERFORMANCE MATTERS / PG 29
We recommend gathering insight into six key questions that correspond to the
six needs of healthy, high-performing teams and organizations: purpose, potential,
safety, capability, resources, and connection. We help leaders explore the following
questions through employee surveys and interviews, culture measurement, leader
assessments, and more.
Leaders can foster holistic growth and potential by observing external market
trends and shifting dynamics, and then creating enthusiasm among employees
about the associated opportunities. Similarly, we can articulate a shared vision
that rallies and inspires the workforce to explore what might be possible (while
also providing space for them to envision and dream big).
01
DO EMPLOYEES BELIEVE THEY'RE
DOING MEANINGFUL WORK?
Research has shown that a strong organizational mission and sense of collective
purpose contributes to several important outcomes-including increased financial
performance, employee engagement, retention, and a sense of fulfillment
among employees.1
Leaders can foster a collective sense of purpose by providing consistent articulation
and reinforcement of the organization's mission to employees. We also can foster
this sense of purpose through conversation. This can look like leaders listening to
employees when they say they don't feel like they're doing meaningful work; inviting
them to reflect on their sense of purpose at work; or asking employees if they
understand the organization's mission and how their work contributes to it.
If assessment reveals that employees are struggling to find meaning or connect their
work to the organization's mission or purpose, leaders can take action. First, show
appreciation and provide feedback to help employees understand that their work
matters- " connect the dots " to how their work makes an impact on customers,
products or services, or their colleagues. Where possible, help employees adjust
their role to create a greater sense of meaning and fulfillment.
02
DO EMPLOYEES FEEL A SENSE
OF PROMISE AND POTENTIAL?
When organizations have a collective sense of hope and optimism about the future,
their employees tend to innovate, embrace challenges, and persevere in the face
of setbacks and adversity. Yet these growth-oriented mindsets and behaviors can
either be stifled or bolstered based on how leaders show up for their people.
1 A Corporate Purpose as an Antecedent to Employee
Motivation and Work Engagement, van Tuin et al., 2020
CONTINUED on next page
At the team or individual level, leaders can foster potential by giving employees
the space and grace to stretch and grow outside their comfort zone (or the
organization's comfort zone). This looks like:
Encouraging, recognizing, and rewarding employees'
novel ideas, innovation, and experimentation.
Identifying factors that might limit growth, while creating
equitable growth and development opportunities for
all employees.
Celebrating " failure " and acknowledging the
learning that stems from trying something new
(even if it isn't ultimately " successful " ).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7537473/
The Modern Leadership Issue

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