Recently during a strategy workshop, I asked the team what the word ‘Inspire’ meant to them. There were some interesting results. I won’t share the results here, but you might like to think for a moment what it means to you.
In my upcoming book 10% Better: Taking Ordinary Organisations to Excellence, I explore the idea that it is important for leaders to inspire and be inspired.
In August 2021 McKinsey ran a Global Survey which resulted in 40% of employees stating that they are at least somewhat likely to leave their current job in the next 3–6 months. Well six months have passed since that survey, and we’ve seen a shift, and it appears that shift is still ongoing.
WHAT ARE EMPLOYEES LOOKING FOR?
It’s probably useful to look at the following list which the study listed as important factors to employees:
- Valued by organization
- Valued by manager
- Sense of belonging
- Having caring and trusting teammates
- Potential for advancement
- Flexible work schedule
GOOD FEEDBACK CULTURE IS IMPORTANT, BUT NOT ENOUGH
Let’s take a deeper look at the top 3. How does one know if they’re valued and how do they gain a sense of belonging? A few thoughts come to mind. Having a good feedback culture can assist with feeling valued, but I don’t think that is enough. It requires an alignment of values and purpose, clarity of role and responsibility and the opportunity to contribute.
In the diagram below I have used the words reason, direction and contribution.
When an employee understands where the company is going, how they fit into that journey, and when they have some autonomy or input into delivering on the company goals, that is when they become inspired.