Hello Resource – we want to measure your input, output, and productivity
Hello Talent – we want to plug your skill sets into our processes and corporate goals
Hello Capital – we want your productivity to improve our bottom line, while we keep costs down
Does this sound like the reality in today’s workplace? Our words – human resources, talent, human capital – and our behavior – measuring, analyzing, counting units – is taking a toll on our human connections. Charles Handy; management guru and philosopher, tells us, ‘Words do matter. They change behavior. They shape our thinking because of the implicit messages they send; then our thoughts shape our actions. Call someone a human resource and it is only one step further to assume that he or she can be treated like other things, be oiled and fueled, perhaps, but also controlled and even dispensed with when surplus to requirements.” As a human resource professional, I couldn’t agree more. I have always focused on the “human” part of the title, but the organizations have been more interested in the resources, talent or capital of the equation.
Mr. Handy also reminds us that “Humans are not meant to be machines.” Organizations, however, find it easier to hide behind the numbers than to engage in the messy business of human interaction, so we have continued to build bigger and better ways to measure “productivity” without considering that the source of all productivity is real people, with real lives. If people are viewed in the same category as “things,” it is not surprising that we’re a bit disengaged. We don’t really feel like bringing our unique talents to work, our human contributions of creativity, energy, commitment, and loyalty. You may argue that we’ve been working on engagement for a long time. We have new employee engagement plans, revised performance evaluations, more focus on growth and development. That’s true, and many of those things are making some difference. However, despite our good intentions, the percentage of engaged employees has remained relatively constant over time at around 30%. What we haven’t worked on is our mindset about the people in our organization. We survey, analyze and “motivate” them, but they remain resources, talent and/or capital, not human beings.
I remember one of my clients who felt differently. The business was going through a tough time; we struggled to make payroll. In one of our intense conversations about what we could do, he said to me, “We have 40 lives in our hands. We will find a way to ensure they are all okay.” Notice that he didn’t go right to layoffs, cutting hours, or outsourcing to save money. Yes, sometimes hard decisions in business must be made; but, by starting from the perspective of the “lives” we have at work, our strategies can move in different, more creative ways.
Let’s return to Charles Handy. He uses a village as the model of what the workplace should be. In the Age of Unreason he says, “Villages are small and personal, and their inhabitants have names, characters, and personalities. What more appropriate concept on which to base our institutions of the future than the ancient organic social unit whose flexibility and strength sustained human society through millennia?” He goes on to say, “A company ought to be a community, a community that you belong to, like a village. Nobody owns a village. You are a member and you have rights.” Sound farfetched? Think about the Millennial generation. The relationships with co-workers and managers are primary for them. They want to know how they connect and contribute to the organization. Work and life are fully integrated. There is a desire to be part of something bigger than themselves. In our efforts to find and keep this generation in our companies, we are being nudged, or perhaps pushed, into creating a “village” that relies on people, instead of a data-driven machine. Life at work is, and really has always been, personal. In 1995, Mr. Handy was right on point when he told Joel Kurtzman at Strategy & Business that ‘he does not see business as removed from society. He views it as an integral element in the life of humanity.’ We can’t wait any longer to take this good advice.
It’s time for a leadership mindset change
Where do we start? As leaders, managers and team members, we need to start by asking ourselves:
- How do we interact with people in our organization?
- Do we know the people we work with or do we remain on superficial levels and choose email over conversations?
- Do we embrace our mutual humanity or stay focused on the numbers and spreadsheets?
And then we need to be open to changing our behavior; be willing to be human and vulnerable in our communication; and humble about the role we play and the value those around us bring. In his Forbes article, “Four Radical Leadership Practices That Will Dramatically Increase Engagement,” Ron Carucci interviews Mark Crowley, author of Lead from the Heart, who talks about the changing role of leadership and offers four keys to bringing humanity into the workplace.
- Invest deeply – Personally invest in the success of others. Walk the walk of caring about people – not resources, talent or capital.
- Connect personally – If you know only the work side of someone, you have only one dimension. To lead you must understand the whole person and their aspirations.
- Hire for heart – If you hire for numbers, you’ll get numbers. To hire for leadership, ask for examples of how candidates personally invested in developing someone else and the outcome.
- Love well – People need to feel that they, and their work, matter. Genuine personal appreciation is essential. “Love your people.”
Down to the basics
If you’re like me, you’d be saying, “I’m in – of course, I want this kind of leadership!” To actually get there, to make the small and big changes, it takes discipline and focus. In her book, Bring Your Human to Work, Erica Keswin gives us some great starting points and real-world examples of how other companies are taking care of their people. Here are some ideas from her to get you started.
- Say thank you. It’s easy and has a high impact if it is genuinely given.
- Get invested in the community with your people. Working together for a larger purpose can generate powerful bonds and relationships.
- Use technology for “administrivia” and time management, not for talking with each other.
- Be healthy – Lead by example by taking time off, disconnecting, going home and having dinner with family or friends. Make it okay for everyone to do the same.
- Respect and honor people’s time when planning and running meetings.
What else can you do that shows respect for the people you work with? Start a conversation with everyone in the organization to find out what matters to them. You may be surprised at what you discover.
Change on the horizon
Changing our mindset about people in the workplace can take time and is most successful when it is embraced and modeled at the top. The catalyst we need for this change may be on the horizon. The Business Roundtable just released a statement about corporate governance, signed by 181 CEOs of major US companies. In the past, a corporation’s primary objective has been to make a profit and enhance shareholder value. The new statement of purpose brings a very different perspective. “Americans deserve an economy that allows each person to succeed through hard work and creativity and to lead a life of meaning and dignity. We believe the free-market system is the best means of generating good jobs, a strong and sustainable economy, innovation, a healthy environment and economic opportunity for all.”
The members of the Business Roundtable commit to:
- Delivering value to customers
- Investing in employees, including fair compensation and benefits and training and education to meet the needs of the future. “We foster diversity and inclusion, dignity and respect.”
- Dealing fairly and ethically with suppliers
- Supporting communities in which they work
- Generating long-term value for shareholders
Jamie Dimon, Chairman, and CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Chairman of Business Roundtables said, “These modernized principles reflect the business community’s unwavering commitment to continue to push for an economy that serves all Americans.” Talk about change starting from the top!
It’s all about people
Hopefully, this is a game-changer, because it’s time to be humans at work. Take time now to have conversations with the people around you. How are they doing? What do they need to be successful? What do they aspire to? People in all their glorious diversity, experience and knowledge can produce extraordinary results. As Richard Branson says, “Take care of your employees and they will take care of your business. It’s as simple as that.”