The last 18 months have come with a number of new challenges, scenarios and uncertainties for organisations and pretty safe to say that for many, their people coped with change and the unknowns better than expected.
Similar to the Global Financial Crisis, people were more likely to adopt and adapt. Partly because they had to. However, in organisations with good leaders, people also chose to. My suggestion is that these latter organisations have more sustained successful futures ahead.
Currently, based on what clients and industry bodies are saying, it is an “employees market” and many are reporting difficulty in finding people to fill roles especially where there is growth or change. Pay/Salary has moved up the list of importance on employees considerations for decisions to stay or go - but don’t be fooled by the media coverage that this is the sole driver. As humans, we have underlying needs to feel safe, valued and heard. How much one is paid represents a part of the feeling valued picture.
The main contributor to all three elements is the way people are led and managed and it is not uncommon for people to take pay cuts/remain where they are to work in environments formed by good people with good leaders and managers. There is an irony that organisations might now be prepared to accept or tolerate certain behaviours/values (due to the shortage in some industries and sectors) at the expense of their good people i.e. filling a space with a person is seen as better than nothing/nobody.
I am not in your shoes and can’t comprehend what issues or challenges your team, division or organisation may be facing, but I am certain the below are worth considering:
- Has our organisation stopped to thank our people recently for their ongoing adaption and efforts – of have we assumed they know we value this from last year? Have we explained what and why it is of value?
- Do we actually agree at the leadership level on what good looks like? The skills, knowledge and behaviours as a whole.
- How good is our organisation at retaining our good people – especially in the way they feel valued, safe and heard? Do we know what this might mean to each individual?
- Are we doing enough to develop our “ok” people into good people?
- Is it time to refresh our thinking on what we are prepared to accept vs what we are not prepared to accept - especially in terms of behaviours?
As a wise colleague of mine often says, “your most valuable resource is not just people, it's good people”.
Tim Marsh
Tim is a personal leadership expert and is widely lauded for his workshop and program facilitation, working with executives to enhance their leadership capacity. At GMS he also plays a critical role in business development and project accountability.
