People 1st culture

“May the odds be ever in your favor.”  In today’s hyper-competitive environment, this is not the catchphrase most leaders are experiencing.  It takes more than good luck to lead today.  It takes choices that focus on leading people well.  The odds, or stats, are stacked against most leadership teams.  In a study published by Robert Half earlier this year, 46% of professionals are currently looking for a new job. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2023 Report stated that 47% of US workers are actively seeking new employment.  The same report shared that 52% were “Quiet Quitting,” or putting in the minimum effort to do their job and feel disconnected from their employer.  17% in that same report were actively disengaged or “Loud Quitting;” these employees are taking actions that can directly harm the organization.

The Gallup report asked what “Quiet quitting” employees would change about their workplace.  Gallup broke out 85% of the responses: 41% said they would change the engagement and culture, 28% said pay and benefits, and 16% said well-being or work/life balance.

Choices of the leadership team are now, more than ever in the last twenty years, critical in addressing the culture foundation at many companies. I like to say it’s time to lead or get left – bottom line. How do you create a culture that puts your people first? Or, stated differently, how do you win the war on talent?  I like the term war because it conjures up the thought of fighting.  Fighting means it will take focus, some “moves” or processes, and discipline to be successful. HBR uses a model with four quadrants to describe how to win this war.

continue reading »