XM Truth: There are no unicorns; perfect employees are even more rare.

 

Very few people wake up every morning, stretch out their arms, and say, “Today…I am going to suck at work.” The reality is we get a lot of value, meaning, and fulfillment from our vocational ventures. Leaders and organizations who can tap into these natural human desires have found one of the Hidden Treasures in their small businesses.

 

The challenge of uncovering this hidden treasure is that the power and magic are buried inside our humans. The tools you need to dig them out are intangible leadership skills; skills that can be difficult to master. For people to show up at work and perform at their highest level, they need to feel psychologically safe and emotionally connected to the work.

 

SAFE: To be psychologically safe, team members must trust their leaders and their team – trust them so much that they can ask any question, be vulnerable, and make mistakes without harsh retribution. We can create a safe organization by building relationship capital with every individual on the team and by aligning their dreams/desires with the direction of the business. We can then teach them to communicate, have healthy conflict, and resolve complex problems together.

 

CONNECTED: Humans have an intense natural desire to be part of a team with people who share a common PURPOSE; teammates who work shoulder-to-shoulder to deliver RESULTS that matter. It’s the leader’s job to define and communicate the purpose, build camaraderie inside the team, create the VISION, and drive the team to achieve exceptional results.

 

Frequently when teams aren’t performing well, business owners will remark, “My people just don’t care as much about the business as I do.” This is normal, they won’t ever care as much as the owner/founder building their dream. However, they will care as much about the business as you inspire them to care. Are they SAFE and CONNECTED? Do you know how to leverage purpose, vision, connection, and camaraderie to unlock the full potential of your team?

 

This first hidden treasure is already in your building. You are probably closer to your next breakthrough than you imagine. Let us help.