The workforce of today is dramatically changing from our workforce of yesteryear. Organizations are looking for ways to navigate the new challenges of work from home, find balance for our employees, and meet our customer’s needs. It is hard to let go of the past and be responsive to the constant change.
As individuals, in the workforce and at home, we are often confused about how to balance the impacts of society with our daily work and life. How do we find the energy and initiative to make change, and be inspired?
Environmental challenges and global warming have put a huge focus on economies and organizations to think more about their impact and make changes for the future. These challenges have led many organizations to look deeply into re-defining their purpose, and to make bold moves towards positive change.
With so much going on around you, how can you keep your teams focused on what matters to them? How can you make people feel fulfilled at work, provide the right balance and get to the heart of what matters?
Through this pandemic, people have changed and our views have changed. In the past eighteen months, everyone has become a Millennial! Your grandparents and parents now get a grade of “B” in technology and how to use it. They order online, create Tik Tok videos and FaceTime with their friends and family. As people, we now seem to expect more of each other, and expect even better of ourselves.
These times, and the times to come, are going to impact us as individuals more and more. It will force organizations to make changes that are not comfortable, and these changes will go against the working models of old. Trust and collaboration will be put to their toughest test yet.
Looking to the times ahead, there are foundational pieces that will help you support and aid your employees (and yourself) as we head off on this journey:
Values – Your values are the things that you believe are important to the way you work and live. These values, when clear, aid in your decision-making process and guide you through life’s journey.
- Find your own values – take the time to reflect and, using a large list of values, find the 3 core values that mean the most to you. Values are not a one and done thing. As we change, our lives change, and so do our values. Make it a regular cadence to review your values and realign as your world changes.
- Help others to find theirs – as leaders the best thing we can do is help to guide and inspire others. By discussing values we, as individuals, start to understand more what motivates us and why we struggle so much with decisions or changes being made. It helps in opening up your capability for understanding and learning. Keep each other accountable to the values that are core to you and that guide you. This will bring you happiness and fulfillment.
- Practice your values and live by those values, don’t compromise.
Purpose – Is an aspirational reason for being that is about making life better now, and in the future.
- Find your purpose – This can be a deeper and intense conversation with yourself, about more than values. Yes, values are important and will definitely help support you in identifying purpose, as they are the foundational blocks for you. In the journey to finding your purpose, keep in mind it is both an introspective exercise and a reflection on the external view. It shouldn’t be what you do for you, but what you do for others, why you do it, and how it influences, inspires or enables positive change in them. This provides you a deeper sense of meaning, as with those that always had great purpose (Ghandi, Dali Lama, and Nelson Mandela). Not all those who wander are lost.
- Help your employees find theirs – The exercise and support is more of enlightenment then of dictating. Like finding your own – what makes you happy and brings you joy. This shows, like your purpose, you do acts for others, to inspire others and show a sense of belonging with each other.
- Live by your purpose and reflect regularly on whether you are truly living it.
We need to find deeper meaning to derive the “why” behind what we do, and determine if it aligns with who we are. Societal, racial, and diverse issues are coming at us, and our teams, all the time. When we were together in a room, or building, we could see each other, have a conversation and observe when someone was troubled or needed to talk. As we move to this hybrid, or remote work model, those times are going to be harder to come by. People will lose their way and also lose connection to each other and the why. Through regular conversations and a deeper pursuit of values and purpose, we can at least connect with each other, and ourselves, in our journey to understanding.
With over 25 years of leadership experience, Martin has led a variety of teams across multiple geographies and programs. In addition to driving top SLA and KPI performance he has also been intently focused on building highly engaged and dynamic cultures within organizations. This speaks to his purpose of encouraging, supporting and guiding others to elevate their ability to achieve more. Today, he leads a fantastic team within BCLC in their pursuit of being the leader in Employee and Customer Experiences.
