The Modern Leadership Issue - 34

Deliberate recognition
Addressing power
As reported by Workhuman and Gallup, recognition is one of the most effective and
affordable ways to improve well-being and advance DE&I outcomes. Their research
shows that receiving various forms of recognition supports employees' sense of
belonging while also contributing to key measures of financial success-including
increased productivity, decreased safety incidents, and lower absenteeism2
.
* Consider what gratitude or positives have gone unsaid about an employee's
performance. Narrowly recognizing high performers excludes employees still
adding value (i.e., performing their duties).
* Examine which employees receive recognition regularly due to their high visibility,
then challenge yourself to seek out ways to recognize less visible yet impactful
contributors. (Congratulations, you are confronting bias!)
* Identify moments that matter to employees within the flow of work so that you
can observe and provide recognition specific to their focus areas (such as stretch
assignments or new challenges).
2 From " Thank You " to Thriving, Gallup and Workhuman, 2023
Collective decision-making
People often associate " physical well-being " with working out and eating right. Going
beyond these associations, consider what new agreements can be created with the
team to have a more balanced and accessible workflow, whether in person or remotely3
.
* Encourage connections in nature (i.e., outdoor walks during breaks or 1:1 meetings).
* Be intentional about how extended team meetings are structured, such as half-day
planning or multi-day coworking sessions. Include time for breaks for people to move
about the space and recharge on their own.
* Encourage employees to block off their calendar for daily " no meeting " times and honor
them. Model good working boundaries for employees by honoring their calendar status.
* Recognize employees when you see them caring for themselves.
3 For further learning, check out the work of Dr. Kibibi Springs, I-O psychology
researcher and practitioner in rest, recovery cycles, and employee well-being.
imbalances
A sense of belonging makes team members comfortable enough
to provide feedback, share ideas, and confront tension. By
examining and correcting power imbalances, leaders can work
toward creating a culture where power is shared among team
members who openly address power struggles through
transparent communication.
* Ensure there are opportunities for everyone to participate in
meetings, decision-making processes, and career
progression opportunities. One method won't work for all
work styles, so provide a variety of ways for employees to
participate and engage.
* Explore how you consider the voices of early-career
employees. Often their voices are disregarded
unconsciously due to lack of experience or age. Similar
discrimination happens to people of color, women, LGBTQIA+
people, and English as Second Language speakers.
* Create spaces allowing individuals to share stories about
their experiences to connect and understand.

https://www.gallup.com/analytics/472658/workplace-recognition-research.aspx https://www.gallup.com/analytics/472658/workplace-recognition-research.aspx

The Modern Leadership Issue

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