Employees leave their jobs because they are missing a connection to both personal and professional purpose. #ReslienceReady
It’s Monday. You walk into work, yet again, uncertain about what the day or week will bring. In ever-changing times like we’re experiencing now, customer needs and how they need your organization often shift. Recalibrating purpose and priorities and realigning your resources required to meet those needs is not just an organizational necessity but a crucial step towards transforming the chaos into a resilient workplace.
Communication forms the cornerstone of this transformation, acting as the bridge between often-distant leaders and employees. It’s about more than just conveying changes; it’s about co-creating the narrative of purpose with every stakeholder.
These 3 tips will guide you in achieving the alignment you need for success in 2024.
1. Communicate with Transparency
Passion and purpose are intertwined, and when the trajectory of purpose shifts during a challenge, employees can feel confused about the direction of the organization. Open and transparent communication becomes paramount. Engaging employees in understanding the reasons behind adjustments fosters a sense of shared responsibility. Crafting a communication plan for all stakeholders, clarifying their roles in fulfilling the renewed purpose, transforms a challenge into an opportunity for collective growth and renewed passion.
2. Make a Personal Connection
The impersonal nature of large organizations can sometimes dilute the connection between individuals and the overarching purpose. Making purpose personal is a crucial strategy for both employee satisfaction, wellbeing, and organizational success. Employees need to see how their personal goals align with the company’s purpose. This necessitates one-on-one discussions focused on discovering individual purpose, values, and aspirations. Utilize the findings from the WHY Discovery I shared earlier to inform these conversations. When employees resonate with the organization’s purpose on a personal level, they become champions of the cause. Your workforce demands that their work matters.
Consider This: When was the last time you had a conversation with your team about their commitment and experience working with your organization? With high rates of turnover, don’t wait until an exit interview to find out how your team is feeling. Try these questions to facilitate the conversation:
- When you think about your work, what is most important to you? What are you passionate about? What would make you most proud?
- Why did you decide to work for us?
- What has been rewarding about your work here so far? What has been frustrating?
- What are some of your skills that you consider strengths? Which of your skills do you feel are not being fully utilized?
3. Realign Talent to Shifting Needs
Over time as you drive your car or if you hit a pothole in the road, your tires get out of alignment. That has to be addressed. As organizational purpose evolves in this dynamic landscape, the specific skills and capabilities required within your workforce have likely evolved. That has to be addressed.
A first step toward getting realigned is to assess the existing talent pool and identify the gaps. Where do you need to invest in upskilling and reskilling? While transitioning to meet changing customer demands might require the creation of specialized teams, core business functions should not be neglected. Adequate resourcing, financial backing, and clear goals ensure each team contributes effectively to the overall purpose.
Tough Decisions, Humanely Executed
In an uncertain and shifting climate, organizations often turn to layoffs. While these actions might appear inevitable, they should be approached with both fairness and empathy. Objective criteria, free from biases, must govern these decisions. Leaders should ensure that every possible avenue for supporting employees through these challenges has been explored. The communication around such actions should be transparent, compassionate, and considerate of the emotional toll on the entire workforce.
Purposeful Realignment Reaps Rewards
Engage employees in helping to realign your purpose based on re-examining how the world has changed and how it needs you going forward. Aligning resources with purpose involves not just strategic maneuvers, but also compassionate leadership. It’s about transforming challenges into opportunities, fostering personal connections to the organizational purpose, and, above all, leading with humanity in every decision. This approach not only builds a resilient organization, but also a committed and engaged workforce ready to face any challenge head-on.
Resources:
Rapid Start Activity: Check out “Inspiring Team Resilience- Purpose Discussion Questions.” Try it with your team in 2024!
And be sure to check out my new podcast episode of “Better Leaders, Better Workplaces”. I’m joined by Michael Davis, a Principal with Mind Share Partners, a national nonprofit organization that is changing the culture of workplace mental health and wellbeing.
