What is Work For?
What is work for?
💰 The simple answer is “a paycheck.” 👇
And of course, that is true to a point for almost all of us: we need to make money to support ourselves and our families, to feel valued, to generate status and recognition. And yet how many people still leave work frustrated, bored, discouraged, disengaged, or burned out and dissatisfied with the whole experience, paycheck and all?
When I work with clients who are going through or considering a career transition, simple sounding, but complex questions like “what is work for?” take center stage for them personally.
Today, I’d like you to consider another aspect of this question.
As a leader, do you know how each of your reports would answer that question? Are you curious about how anyone on the team might respond?
💡 Let me explain how this knowledge will benefit you and the organization.
Most managers focus on how team members will satisfy the business needs of the organization. After all, that’s why the business pays employees: to do the work the business needs done. A good manager will know their team members’ skills and match those skills to the tasks at hand. The person with the best skills for the task gets assigned the task – what more could you want to assure good performance?
A lot, actually.
To get true engagement from team members and to build a developmental culture in the team, as a leader I want to know what the team members are hoping to get out of their work. What gives them satisfaction? What challenges are they looking for? How do the work experiences on this job fit into their larger career ambitions?
We won’t know unless we ask.
Sounds simple, and still when clients bring team engagement or performance challenges into a coaching session my question of “what does she want?” often is met with “actually I don’t know.” Some leaders are afraid of disappointing employees, so they don’t ask. Some employees are afraid to say what they want because they don’t know what the real business needs and are afraid of seeming irrelevant or uninterested in the work. Some might have learned that the only acceptable answer is “whatever you need me to do.”
As a leader here are some steps to take to align business goals with individual work goals for members of the team:
✅ Know your direct reports’ answer to the question “what is work for?” and encourage them to do the same in their organizations
✅ Clearly communicate business goals, especially related to changes, new initiatives, etc.
✅ Be clear when you are making decisions that align business goals to individual work goals and give support to help make the effort a success
✅ Normalize conversations where everyone can express their work goals without judgment
✅ Reward employee development at the individual and team level because development is a type of performance
Connect with me here or at John@aconnectedcoach.com to explore this and related topics further.