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The current business and public health environment have forced many of us to grow in ways we would have never imagined. As you move forward, the key is to intentionally sustain that growth.
Healthy growth is a choice. When you help others grow, you grow… and growing people fuel growing organizations. Something is healthy when it is in its optimal state of physical, mental, social, occupational and financial wellbeing. When anything is healthy, it is in its best possible state.
Expansive research by Gallup clearly shows that today’s worker is more purpose-driven, conversational, focused on strengths, and development-oriented. Work and life have evolved from being separate, to searching for work-life balance, to finding work-life integration. Today, it is just LIFE.
These shifts in worker focus were visible for several years, and like any crisis, COVID-19 accelerated trends and made the needs of today’s worker crystal clear.
So, here are six actions you can take to inspire healthy growth for yourself, your team and your business:
- Start with self. Build awareness and intentional use of your thoughts, words and actions to have a positive impact on others. Continuously seek new learnings and insights from inside and outside of your organization. Acknowledge your own vulnerabilities and mistakes because today’s worker sees you more as a person than a boss.
- Inspire purposeful work. Create a compelling purpose and plan, then align around your plan to realize that purpose. Build a bridge between today’s tasks and a brighter tomorrow since today’s worker is looking for a company that is purposeful and work that is purposeful.
- Champion the culture. Champion a positive culture so employees can be seen, heard, grow and contribute. Boldly align organizational systems (e.g., rewards, selection, decision-making) with desired behaviors you want in your culture. This will create a great place to work and grow. The best organizations to work for typically have two times the number of job applicants and half the turnover rate.
- Coach daily. Maintain a positive coaching mindset and practice positive coaching habits. See employees’ potential and build upon their strengths. This will build winning results and relationships. Compelling research has demonstrated that strength-based coaching yields a 36% performance improvement whereas weakness-based coaching yields a 26% performance decrease.
- Engage minds and hearts. You must see and understand the human behind the employee. Fulfill employee emotional needs (achievement, autonomy, and mastery) and intellectual needs (purpose, affiliation, and appreciation) so they realize their potential. This will also ignite ownership behavior and discretionary effort, something every success CEO needs.
- Facilitate excellent execution. Drive focus and accountability for delivering results. Ensure collaboration and innovation. Consistent execution creates predictable and scalable company performance, and that’s appealing to any investor.
Ultimately, healthy growth is positive, strong, sustained, and serves all parties.
Take this complimentary, 2-minute Healthy Growth Check-up to help start your journey.