For far too long, the mantra in business has been primarily about numbers and getting results. People have simply been expendable items, driven hard to get those results. The resulting “numbers-driven” culture isn’t sustainable.
Paradoxically when you switch things round and put people first, in my experience you are far more likely to achieve your Big Bold Goals. I’ve noticed that the teams who create incredible results against the odds, teams who create lasting sustainable businesses are the ones who truly understand that it’s people and not the numbers that drive results.
The analogy is much closer to the family model rather than the typical sporting model which is often used in business. It starts with building trust and really listening to your team – both to what they are saying and what they aren’t saying. It’s about finding the right roles for each person in the team. It’s about genuinely caring about each team member and as a leader doing what you can to help each person to thrive.
Covid19 has provided a stark reminder of this. As work and home lives have merged together, more than ever, we need to be mindful of the unique experience that each and every team member will be having.
The approach is straightforward. It’s called Be more Human. In any given situation what would a human being do? What would you do if your team member was your family member?
Wouldn’t you find out where they are thriving and flourishing and encourage them to do more of that. Maybe you would be curious and find out what drains and saps their energy and figure out who else is better suited to those types of work. You’d truly listen and understand both is what is being said and what isn’t and then act upon that information.
Our fixation on the numbers and to win at all costs has created a culture where people come second. This new approach doesn’t mean being a soft touch and tolerating substandard performance – the tough conversations are essential to continuous improvement. However, those tough conversations happen in an environment where you putting people first. When people flourish and thrive in work that they feel is meaningful, then stellar results will follow as a consequence.
The article is written by “The High-Performance Teamwork Specialist” Caspar Craven. He brings a wealth of experience from his time as an entrepreneur building and selling businesses, as an executive in large companies, and also from having sailing twice around the world. Caspar’s talks take you on a journey where you can turn the impossible into the possible, leaving your team inspired and fired up for the times ahead.