By John Rampton, founder of Palo Alto, California-based Calendar, a company helping your calendar be much more productive.
Values seem to get a considerable amount of airtime these days. But companies just paying lip service to them are no longer doing enough. Employees gravitate toward companies that not only have values that align with their own but that also put their values into practice.
Some team leaders assume that connection is enough, but if you’re expecting employees to deliver their best performance for your business, you’re going to have to pay attention to their individual values as well. That’s where I see some team leaders falter.
Not that this is surprising. Every employee has different values, and I’ve certainly never had an employee hand me a list of what theirs are. So it will take some work to figure out what’s important to each of your team members. Once you do, though, you can take steps to support them in ways that will resonate.
Figure Out What Flips Their Switch
The diversity of team members is both a strength and a challenge. Even if you think you’ve assembled a team whose values are in sync, you need to know why. For example, maybe everyone values embracing responsibility for team success. But do you know why each person does?
Ayesha might value it because she believes it takes a village to create a stellar product. But Joe might value it because he’s afraid he’ll lose his job if he doesn’t step up. One team member has vision, while the other operates from a position of fear.
To figure out the best way to support the values of each of your team members, you need a little psychological insight. Although you learn the values of some employees by having open, honest two-way conversations with them, other employees will be unable to articulate what their values are.
Many companies use personality tests in the recruitment process to uncover an applicant’s work style: What motivates them and—yes—what their values are. If your team members have already taken these tests, use them to figure out how you can best work with them. If they haven’t, ask them to take one.
Myers-Briggs might be the standard go-to, but tests like the Enneagram may provide deeper insight into issues like your employees’ fear factor. If you want to know how to cultivate a great team member, you’ll need to do a little digging for their roots.
Confirm The Work-Life Balance They Need
Work-life balance is a hot-button issue in every workplace these days. A global health scare, the rise of younger generations in the workforce and the accompanying changing values are three reasons why. I have found it to be a bit of a reckoning for myself and members of the teams I work with.
Of course, not every person’s scale will be tilted to an identical degree. For some, a job is more important than other activities in their life, at least at certain times during their career. For others, parenting, friendships and leisure take precedence.
Some contend that work-life balance is a myth because work, like it or not, is a major part of a person’s life and constitutes a huge chunk of their identity. While it may be impossible to fully separate “life” from “work,” your job as a leader is to understand where individual team members are drawing those boundaries—and to show that you’re respecting them.
I confess that, as a serial entrepreneur, my brain sticks pretty close to work mode much of the time. But when I choose to focus on something else, I value that time and don’t want to be interrupted. Your team members are likely the same, even if their proportion of work mode to personal mode differs.
If you support the work-life balance your team members need, they will be more present and productive when they are on the job. Resist the temptation to impose on their private time just because it’s convenient for you. Check their calendars before you go knocking.
Celebrate What’s Important To Them
Everyone likes recognition. Maybe you’ve already figured out ways to commend team members for job performance wins. There’s a bonus for someone who landed that new account or a happy hour when your team completes a project on time and under budget. But what about celebrating employees for their values, especially those separate from the company’s?
Consider a few examples. Say a team member who champions social justice issues is named to the board of a racial justice nonprofit. Another is elected to the school board. Others sell their cars to reduce their carbon footprint, serve food regularly at a local homeless shelter or take their parents to their doctor’s appointments.
Your team may offer dozens of examples of putting values into action. You have an opportunity to support their efforts by recognizing them in the workplace, giving them time off to volunteer and providing resources and monetary donations. Just avoid making any support more about your company’s image than the employee’s interests.
Broaden Your Employee Value Proposition
An employee value proposition (EVP) is a constellation of things—from salary and benefits to professional development and flexible scheduling—that an employer provides to attract and retain employees. An EVP can motivate your team members, but it’s as much about your brand as it is about them.
When you support the values of the members of your team, you turn the spotlight on each of them as well as the brand. That’s an EVP that can increase job satisfaction and retention within your team.
Overall, great leadership should always exceed employee expectations. By supporting and respecting the things that are valuable to your team members, you’ll be able to successfully create the type of workplace culture that resonates well with employees.
