Salmon & Berries - It’s Time to Nourish Your Team
For decades, we’ve been obsessed with the idea of organizations being “lean.” This word has always nagged at me. If you think of the animal world, “lean” is the equivalent of hungry, which is just one step up from starving. Hunger is distracting; starving causes trauma. Neither supports anyone doing their best work. Plus, being lean also means you’re ill-prepared to weather setbacks when they come, which they always will.
The leaders I work with who thrived during the pandemic don’t have cultures that prize being “lean”–their cultures value the people who do the work. These leaders tend to their bottom line through their people, because they know that healthy, happy, and whole team members work harder, exhibit more loyalty, provide a better customer experience, and create a more vital company.
To envision this a little better, let’s turn back to nature. Bears weather impossibly harsh winter conditions every year by hibernating–they’ve adapted to the reality of unavoidable adversity. How do they prepare for the inevitable hardship? Salmon & Berries. Bears know that lean times are coming, so they nourish themselves by eating all the salmon and berries they can find.
How does this apply to you as a leader? Obviously, sending your employees off to hibernate any time there is a crisis is not an option. But, like bears, we must assume that there will be hard times ahead, and as leaders we need to create reserves of energy and good will in our organizations. We need to nourish our employees. We can do this best by placing a tangible value on their humanity, not just their output.
Here are 4 ways you can provide the ‘salmon and berries’ your team needs:
1. Invest in your people. Find the resources (time and money) to invest in creating an optimally supportive environment for your staff. Do it now. Consider coaching, or team retreats aimed at solving persistent problems. Perhaps contract with a company that provides emergency childcare.
Ask yourself: “What is my team struggling with, and how can I help ease their struggle?”
2. Intentionally create the new normal. There’s no chance we’re going back to the way things were, so let it go. Remote work, virtual meetings, and flexible schedules are here to stay. Obviously, some jobs will always require bodies in the building, but institute flexibility wherever you can.
Ask yourself: “What rules can I rewrite, overturn, and evolve in a way that takes my organization to the next level?”
3. Prioritize culture instead of catering to “talent”. Hiring the wrong person is like serving up poison berries! While it’s slower, taking the time to hire someone who is a good cultural fit will save you tons of time and heartache down the road.
Ask yourself: “Do I know what my organizational values are, and have I ensured there is alignment before I onboard someone who is a great tactician, but a bad cultural fit?”
4. Treat your people like adults. That’s what great leaders, like ringmasters, do. They know that everyone has a role to play in making the show go on. Make sure your staff is recognized for their roles, understand each other’s contributions, and highlight their interdependence. Be honest and transparent about the issues you’re facing and invite your staff to participate in the solution. Reframing problems as something to tackle together, instead of causing division, will let them know that they and their ideas are valued.
Ask yourself: “Have I prepared us for inevitable change so that together we can devise the best path forward?”
When I’m not daydreaming about the parallels between leadership and nature, my organization–Ringmaster–works with leaders and their teams through individual coaching, teambuilding, and leadership peer groups called Synergy Circles. In each of these settings, culture is a frequent topic of discussion. Lucky for me it’s one of my favorite subjects since it’s unique to each organization and affects everyone involved… A puzzle with a payoff — the Ringmaster’s delight!
Learn more about Ringmaster at www.RingmasterConsulting.com