Dive Brief:
- Leadership coach Paul Batz notes in The Business Journals that busy businesses – especially those facing massive change due to mergers, acquisitions, etc. – can get so caught up in their work that they can forget to properly value their employees.
- This behavior leads to company leaders “barking orders, insufficiently demonstrating their own commitment and expecting others to blindly follow,” which can upset employees and, in worst cases, push them out.
- In Batz’s example, the CEO at fault saw his mistake after driving out a potential successor and created an “open 360-review” process where he and other leaders shared what they expected from one another. That company also developed an “employee covenant” to improve connections with employees.
Dive Insight:
Batz outlines four ways companies can improve connections with employees and ensure their loyalty through rough spots.
One: Organizations don’t make decisions. People make decisions. Treat people like “assets” and that’s when you start to lose, Batz says.
Two: Lead with the head. During times of change in particular, employees need a thoughtful answer to “Why are we doing this?”
Three: Hook with the heart. As Batz puts it: “Employees need to believe their best days are ahead of them or they will check out without you knowing it.”
And four: Deploy the hands. Know that times of change will never result in “business as usual,” Batz says. Empower employees by getting them working on something new.
“Good leaders recognize how their words and examples can significantly elevate or deflate those around them. And they go out of their way to recognize and reward the people important to their success,” Batz writes.
