3 TIPS TO SHOW YOUR EMPLOYEES YOU LOVE THEM
So much of the work I am doing within organizations is centered around building Strengths-Based cultures.
With the war on talent at a record high, it is critical for organizations to get out of the box and build on practices that will increase retention and engagement. The effort cannot simply be based on attracting star talent. It is crucial to have a strategy in place to maintain the employees that have completed the onboarding process.
Six years ago, I was active in my past professional role as an executive recruiter for a global staffing firm. It was there I noticed how my clients would hire top talent that my teams found for them, yet they struggled to keep that star talent.
It was around the same time that I invested in going through a Serving Leader Cohort program to develop my own leadership skills so I could be able to attract better talent within my department and learn how to retain that talent.
Donald Clifton, the Founding Father of the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment, shared the following powerful thought,
“What if we start focusing on what is right with people instead of fixating on what is wrong with people?”
I found that to be such a powerful statement of love and respect for people who work with you. It made me reflect on the many times in my corporate career that I spent focusing on how to help my employees in their “areas of improvement”.
When I invested in myself to become a Certified StrengthsFinder Coach with The Gallup Organization, I learned so much about myself as well as how to apply this to my own teams.
Here are three tips that have helped me to become a leader who focuses on what is right with people, instead of picking out what is wrong with them:
Focus on developing their areas of “giftedness”: Nothing says you care as a boss as when you make time for meaningful conversations around what your employees do best and how you can continue to align them in their jobs so they are developing their innate talents on a daily basis. As an employee, we feel valued when we know our leader truly understands the strengths we bring to the organization. It also demonstrates that a leader is genuinely invested in developing you in those areas.
Tell your employees how much you love their strengths: Be specific about how it was used successfully to help the team or the organization. For example, if your employee has a gift in assessing risk and has identified a potential roadblock that could come into play, make time to recognize it. Step through how they pointed out something that no one else thought of and that could save the team time and money on the back end.
Pair your employee up with a complementary partner: Consider this strategy when it comes to their area of weakness. The more you know about the people you serve as a leader, the more you will spot areas of collaboration that will align great employees in their strengths and support each other to limit weaknesses. As an example, if you have someone on your team who is gifted in the area of WOO (“Winning Others Over” and influencing people) but who feels drained when they have to research industry trends, pair them up with someone who is gifted in research to offset that task from them so they can focus in the area they get the most momentum from and leaves them feeling energized.
A critical key to being an effective leader is remembering that the more you know about the employees you serve, the more they will feel valued and heard. Nothing is as frustrating to an employee than when they have a talent, but it is neglected or not noticed because a leader doesn’t seem to care.
If you want to show your employees that you genuinely love them, then show them you understand what they bring to the organization. Show them you know how to get the best out of them.
For information on my Strengths-Based Leadership Program click here
To your growth,
Kelly Merbler
