Redefining Leadership. Slipping Through the Cracks. February 18, 2022 by Belinda EganOver the past year, a massive movement of workers who have made up their minds about their worth, their work, and their future have exiled themselves from their jobs to start their own businesses, do freelance work, or sometimes simply choose unemployment over continuing to suffer in a system that doesn’t pay a living wage or support their good health. Dubbed “The Great Resignation,” this movement doesn’t show any signs of going away. If you’re a leader at any organization, you’re probably painfully aware of it. Or, if you’re not yet, you’ve heard whispers, and you can guarantee that it will affect your organization at some point in the future. This, of course, should go without saying, workers need to feel valued, fulfilled, and fairly compensated for their positions. A study done by Deloitte for Fortune magazine shows that 35% of surveyed CEOs of Fortune 1000 companies increased employee benefits in 2021 to increase employee retention – a step in the right direction, to be sure. But a failure of leaders to step up and guide, support, and encourage employees during arguably one of the most tumultuous periods of our lifetime (the COVID-19 pandemic) has been made evident by a recent survey by Capgemini Research Institute. As detailed in my last article, this study shed light on employees’ impression of leaders during the shift to remote work, and it wasn’t a pretty picture. It’s time to redefine leadership. The current model isn’t working anymore. My previous article on Redefining Leadership in 2022 covered the importance of People-Centricity in leadership: bringing the focus from profits and the bottom line back to the people of our organizations. People-centric leadership encourages employees to use their gifts and talents in their positions, which increases their sense of fulfillment. Suppose your organization has struggled with employee retention in the past two years. In that case, the chances are that either the compensation for the job wasn’t adequate or fair, or your team members have been suffering from a lack of support from their leaders. Today’s article covers ways leaders can support their team members based on what they’re saying matters most to them in 2022. What Equity & Fairness Look Like In 2022 It’s often the overlooked aspects of fairness and equity where vital employees get lost in the mix. For example, your organization might have recently increased new hire premium pay to entice new talent – but has your organization also fairly compensated your established employees in the same way? Or maybe your organization has loosened up scheduling standards to allow more flexibility for team members with kids – how about for single employees without children? A truly fair and equitable workplace is one where every employee feels equally valued and compensated. As a leader, you’re highly focused on the top-priority tasks, as well as the cohesion and progress of your team towards their goals. There are likely areas where your team members feel they’re being undermined, undervalued, and treated unfairly. The best way to find out is to ask! Talk to HR, talk to your employees, talk to fellow leaders in your field, and find out where your blind spot is – because you have at least one. And this blind spot is where you’re losing the respect and loyalty of your employees. Social Connectivity Is Vital in the WFH Era If your organization has switched to a hybrid or fully remote work environment, it’s almost guaranteed that your team members are suffering from a lack of social connectivity. Switching to remote work is a trade-up for most. While it provides more flexibility and can increase the quality of life in terms of extra time at home and less wear and tear on vehicles, it also immediately takes away from a crucial aspect of one’s life satisfaction: having the daily comfort of a social group. At this point in remote work, most of your team members are frankly burnt out on forced “Zoom Happy Hours,” and team bonding exercises through a screen. What can be done? Once again…ask your employees! Find out how they’ve adapted their social life outside of work to stay connected with friends and family. So much cool new technology and innovation has been developed over the last two years to mitigate social isolation. If there’s room in the budget to adapt some of these new technologies, why not try them out? Many countries are also slowly releasing the pressure valve on mandates, which means there may be more opportunities for in-person events to take place. Ask employees how comfortable they feel with in-person socializing, and go from there – you may be able to get your team together in person before too long! Finally, be sure that you’re offering your team members many ways to interact with one another outside of meetings. Slack channels dedicated to book clubs, recipe swapping, or just a “boss-free” area where employees can rant and rave about their lives is a practical way to encourage team members to interact freely. Start an honest, productive, and open discussion with team members about social isolation in the workplace and see where it goes! You might learn something new that will change the landscape of socializing within your organization forever. The Great Resignation isn’t going away. The workforce is shifting. Employees wake up, shake their heads loose of old beliefs about work, and look for meaningful work that fulfills their life purpose. You can choose to be a leader who maintains the status quo and contributes to the problem, or you can be a transformative, courageous leader that shows your team members that they matter and reminds them why the work they do matters as well. Download your free copy of “Unlocking the Power of Courageous Leadership” here to get started on your transformation into the type of leader that’s needed to ride this wave of change! -Belinda