Not only is there an app for everything, there is also a technology-based solution for just about every business problem. On some days, it can feel like a tsunami of technology is coming at us.
Have we lost our people focus?
Yet every part of your business – whether you’re running a large corporation or a small, not-for-profit organisation – boils down to people. Even for those organisations that have technology at the forefront of what they do, employees remain the VIPs behind the scenes.
The book ‘The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us’, by Daniel Pink, a New York Times bestseller, identifies that even with the emergence of smarter technologies, cognitive skills and human talents not only remain important, but in fact are more important than ever.
By understanding the importance of human characteristics, organisations can:
- Lead and operate more effectively,
- Build brand awareness and loyalty,
- Increase sales/revenue and customer/member engagement, and
- Achieve their KPIs.
What is needed to leverage the unique people aspect and drive peak performance?
Maybe the following one simple question can give us a sense of just how well we know our people.
Do you know if your staff feel connected to their peers, their leaders, and their place of work?
A telling sign is usually whether your purpose and core values have been reflected in the culture of your organisation – ‘the way we do things around here’.
When the cultural norms of your organisation have people feeling that they work with an organisation that has a clear sense of purpose, and that they contribute effectively to their team and add value, then they are more likely to stay. It should not be a surprise that these mean more to most people than a slightly bigger pay.
Secondly, are you aware of the real capability gaps across your organisation? And have you captured those specific aspects where your organisation could do better to be consistently leading edge in your sector?
While this may be a brave question to ask, it is one that needs to be continually asked.
Employee skills are closely related to your organisation’s demonstrated resilience and ability to adapt in the face of ongoing challenges. A resilient workforce provides a plethora of lasting benefits, not least of all by making people:
- more motivated,
- capable of dealing with change, and
- less susceptible to burnout.
Aiming to have only employees in your team who are personally willing and committed to grow, will in turn push your whole organisation to grow. For existing employees, their performance can be enabled to improve by the simple steps of linking their individual goals to your organisation’s goals, provided it is done in a meaningful way.
So, when you take the time to better understand your employees and get to also know what makes them tick, you can better provide the tools to ensure their success.
Why this matters now
People are not only experiencing an emerging change in their world of work, they are in fact practically living in a new world of work!
This has meant for many, whether consciously or otherwise, that they have, or are, also re-thinking about the relationship that they have with work. It is likely to be more than one thing that has led them to this position. It may be due to ‘burnout’, a mental health reason, the global impacts of the Ukraine/Russia war, supply chain disruptions, rising inflation or so much more. It is likely to be a combination of factors, all leading to a fairly widely held conclusion.
We should not underestimate how all these new experiences are taking a toll on people’s well being and their ability to bring their best efforts to your organisation.
In today’s highly competitive workforce environment, every part of an organisation is exposed to the important people factor. Investing the time to understand what makes them tick and fostering a culture where they can build meaningful relationships with their work colleagues, stakeholders, and those they impact, is not some luxury. It is now non-negotiable as a leader in all organisations.
Getting it right, just about guarantees that you will lead your organisation to enjoy increased profitability, brand loyalty, a highly engaged workforce, and sustainability.
As Sir Richard Branson has said many times, “If you look after your staff, they will look after your customers. It’s that simple.”
Why not explore with us how we can facilitate the right outcome for your organisation?
Enterprise Care works collaboratively, whether in the areas of culture or staff engagement or governance more broadly, to ensure your organisation’s success. Our flexible approach includes Board member and staff interviews, diagnostic insights and reporting, and conducting facilitation sessions with your key people to agree meaningful and practical actions that deliver high positive organisational impact.
If all you do is achieve greater understanding of your organisation’s purpose, and shared values and beliefs, you are already on your way to achieving peak organisational performance.
Contact us today to receive a personalised proposal.
