“We came to realize what is perhaps the biggest problem of all with the idea of culture: it doesn’t help us understand what to do more of, less of, or differently. For that, we must take you to where the experience lives: to your team, and network of teams, and their leaders. That’s what matters most,” Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall in 9 Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World.
Two decades worth of research about why and how people perform well at work has culminated in this book. I am convinced about the research and the impact it can have on companies that are struggling to recruit and retain the best workers because Marcus Buckingham is not only an expert in this space, the research mirrors what we have been studying for the last 7 years from our goMonti data sets.
The main conclusion that the research in 9 Lies About Work demonstrates is good news. It states that “what people care most about at work is within your team leader’s control.” As they state, a team leader can’t always set corporate policies, but what they can do is:
- Set clear expectations for their team members
- Position each person to play to his or her strengths every day
- Praise the team for excellent work
- Help people grow their careers
- Build trust with the people on the team that they serve
The focus should be on helping grow the abilities of team leaders to:
1. Give their team member’s a sense of universality – all of us together
2. Recognize each team member’s uniqueness
In other words, magnify what we all share and to lift up what is special about each of us.
How can you measure how your teams are doing within your organization and determine future sustained or increased performance and retention? There are 8 statements that should be asking and gauging responses for regularly (once a month or at least once a quarter) to measure what matters the most to measure the aspects that drive performance, voluntary turnover, lost work days, accidents on the job, and customer satisfaction.
The 8 statements are grouped into two themes. The first is the team member’s communal or “we” share experience at work or rather the “Best of We,” and they are:
- I am really enthusiastic about the mission of my company.
- In my team, I am surrounded by people who share my values.
- My teammates have my back.
- I have great confidence in my company’s future.
The second set of statements are themed as the individual’s experience at work or rather, “Best of Me”. They cover a team member’s internal questions like, “What is unique about me? What is valuable about me? Do I feel challenged to grow? And they are:
5. At work, I clearly understand what is expected of me.
6. I have the chance to use my strengths every day at work.
7. I know I will be recognized for excellent work.
8. In my work, I am always challenged to grow.
From Chapter One of 9 Lies at Work, the first lie at work is that people come to work for companies. The research is sound on this, and that statement is not true for most people. What is true is that people care which team they’re on and which company they join.
Need help executing these concepts?
Find out how your team members would score on the 8 statements.
Wondering how your team members would score on these 8 statements?
goMonti is currently conducting local research and can issue this employee engagement and team performance survey at no charge for current clients. If you are an existing client, contact us for more information at [email protected].
If you are not a current Cortex client, one or more of your teams may qualify to have us issue the survey at no charge. Click here to find out more. To receive information about our new Employee Engagement Surveys and how they can transform your teams, contact [email protected].
Watch this short video from Coffee with a Coach, A Cup of Confidence, about the 8 statements and how team leaders can use them to gain powerful insights.
Dig Deeper into Chapter One By Attending a unique LIVE, Small Group, Virtual Session
Learning how this research can affect your ability to lead your team or how you can use it to develop your team leaders is the topic of our next unique virtual, small group, session.
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
from 8am-9am
for an interactive discussion around best practices and practical tools, you can use to build your team leader’s, or your own, skills in creating the best of “me” and “we” experiences at work.
REGISTER here.
A “We” Experience That Is Proven to Work
A Proven Method to Improve Communication on Your Team
A 4-hour experience can have an immediate, positive impact on your team’s ability to effectively communicate, build trust, and increase engagement. The DISC workshop that Allen Foster facilitates is proven to deliver a team bonding and building experience. Find out more here and book now .
