On Working Well
On Working Well
A few thoughts on what it means to be a good employee and the implications for employers in 2020
I have had the privilege of working consistently since I was old enough to get a work permit. Before that, I was an avid babysitter. Simply put, I like to work. I am fulfilled in accomplishing tangible goals and making meaningful contributions in the lives of organizations and individuals. In that twenty-six years of working I have learned a few things about what makes a positive work environment; in other words, what makes a workplace work. So I’d love to take a minute to reflect on those things that are timely lessons on working as we head into 2020 and what those lessons mean for us as employees or volunteers and the implications for leaders and bosses as well.
1. Our desire to belong should not override our purpose.
In his book, Good to Great, author Jim Collins talks about the importance of organizations having the right people on the bus, and having them in the right seat. Often, our desire to belong will lead us to accept any old seat on the bus we want to be on. It’s fine to be in a position where you have to work your way to the spot you ultimately are designed for but that process can’t be indefinite. As leaders of organizations, we would do well to have clear paths of growth for our employees and volunteers. And as employees or volunteers we will serve with great impact if we know who we are designed to be. So first, take the time to figure out who you are and what you care about. There are lots of tools to do this. Once you can describe what you are about, if you find yourself on a bus in the wrong seat, find a way to speak up! Give the organization, especially if it is one you care about, a chance to make a change. And if they can’t -or won’t- move you to a seat that is more suited to your giftings and passions, it might be time to look for a new bus.
On the other hand,
2. It’s OK if everything you do is not closely tied to your gifting and call.
People want what they do to matter to them, but it is unrealistic to expect every aspect of a job or role you volunteer for to be 100% in your wheelhouse. I like to use the 80/20 rule. 80% of your job’s basic responsibility should be within your passion and purpose, and it is reasonable to expect that 20% of it will not be. You might even find for a season that in order to help an organization grow your split might be more 50/50 or even completely inversed with 80% of your basic responsibilities being things that are important but not necessarily within your passion. But there’s got to be a plan in place and intentional conversations had to transition that into the 80/20 balance. Again, if that’s not realistic, maybe it’s time to get off that particular bus.
Conversely, if you are a leader, manager or boss, one of the fastest ways to burn your folks out is by frequently asking them to work and serve in places outside their passion and calling. When your people communicate that they aren’t in a place that is fulfilling, it’s time to take stock. If they are the type of person you want to keep around, then you need to do everything in power to get them to or near the ratio where there are doing 80% of what they are passionate about. If that’s not possible, give them a very specific timeline on how much longer you need them to continue on the current course. If you can’t or aren’t willing to make those adjustments you are communicating that they are not a team member worth investing in. This is OK, but be prepared for them to move-on where they can do more of what matters to them.
3. Know your why. Know your yes. And perhaps most importantly, know your no.
As we have already explored, it is super important to know who you are and what you are about. But just as importantly, maybe more importantly, it is good to know your no. What is your deal breaker, your line in the sand?
I’m a history teacher by day and in US History we of course spend a lot of time on the Declaration of Independence. In the preamble Thomas Jefferson (or TJ as I commonly refer to him) writes about our human nature to avoid change. He states, “all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.” In other words, we often put up with a lot of junk because of the time invested and familiarity of the organization we are with.
If we don’t know our no, we will continue to suffer personally and professionally. For me, my “no” is a lack of respect for my work ethic and what I bring to the table (hello, enneagram 8). When an organization or leader questions my integrity, and can’t see or respect what I am capable of and only what they need done, I have to walk away. I am not suggesting that at the first slight in a relationship or organization you turn and run for the hills. As TJ reminds us organizations we have invested in should not be “changed for light and transient causes.” Identifying your “no” makes sure that when you walk away, you do so for the right reasons, not simply because you are temporarily annoyed.
What does this all mean for leaders, bosses and employers? Know your people! You need to be aware of who they are personally and professionally. Some folks, like myself (hello, enneagram 8) have few problems advocating for themselves and telling you where they are at and what they can and cannot tolerate. When they do, you better listen! Others, most others in fact, won’t be so bold. This is where to be the best leader, you need to know your people and ask the questions to help them discover what their nos are. If you aren’t proactive in discovering the non-negotiables for your team, you may not find out until you get that unexpected resignation letter left on the desk they already cleared out.
4. Make work challenging, not frustrating.
I’ve already briefly explored the ways employees who are working outside their sweet spots are more prone to stress in a previous blog here: http://bit.ly/RGTYouDoYou. The truth is, no job or volunteer role will be 100% free of frustration. Overall your goal as a leader should be that your students, employees and volunteers experience challenge as a means of growth and not frustration. Challenging work will lead your high flyers to lean-in and frustrating work will leave them looking for an exit ramp. Now if your team doesn’t seem to need this kind of challenging environment, its likely you have surrounded yourself with folks who are not overly ambitious and driven. These kinds of workers are great for maintaining the status quo, but if you are all about growth your team needs to be all about growth and that requires challenging, meaningful work!
Like purpose, what indicates a challenge versus a frustration is highly individualized. In addition to understanding the passions, talents and nos of our employees and volunteers, we as leaders can create challenges for our charges fairly easily. Here are just a few ways to foster challenges over frustration:
give authority alongside responsibility
increase autonomous decision making as a sign of trust
avoid unnecessary rules or regulations that serve as roadblocks to growth (in general, if you can’t explain why a rule exists, succinctly, you should consider getting rid of it).
All of these could easily be a blog post unto themselves (and maybe one day they will be) but for now, if you want to keep your high-flyers and go-getters around, give them a challenging task and then get out of their way!
5. Ambition is not a dirty word.
Recently, someone expressed their surprise that I was “that ambitious.” They were confused as to why I was looking to make a bigger commitment and investment because to them, my life seemed pretty desirable. To be clear, my life is a charmed one, and I am beyond content and grateful for it. But, I know I am capable of doing more, of making a bigger impact, of growing as a person and a leader into the best version of who God has made me to be, and so for that reason, yes I am pretty ambitious. Ambition means you are not satisfied with the status quo and you are willing to use your blood, sweat, and tears to do something about it.
Sometimes people will have crazy big goals and ambitions that’s beyond our understanding as leaders. But let’s remember, ambition is not a dirty word. Perhaps blind ambition is detrimental to humility and all sorts of positive traits, but wanting to live out your calling completely in the fullness of your gifting is ambition with 20/20 vision. We as leaders should cultivate and encourage that kind of growth, not attempt to discourage it.
Working is a part of our human existence. Whether you work for yourself, inside a home or have a job work is a part of who we are. May your 2020 be full of meaningful work that is fulfilling and challenging giving you a sense of belonging and purpose!
If you are interested in knowing more about the enneagram, I highly recommend the work of Ian Morgan Cron. Here is his website - https://ianmorgancron.com/
More about Jim Collins and his research based principles of building an organization can be found here: https://www.jimcollins.com/
If you’d like to have me come share with your group more about this topic or about leadership, strategic planning or living out your authentic vision or calling, check out my website https://www.rebeccaguerrerotalks.com or email me at rebeccaguerrerotalks@gmail.com
