Shownotes
“People are not leaving your company because of your strategic plan. They’re leaving because they're not feeling supported, seen, valued, and heard.”
Employees are more than just parts of a company strategy. First and foremost, they’re people.
In this episode, Michele Marquis, Senior Executive Coach at Floyd Consulting, shares three ways leaders can bring more humanity to the workplace and build trusting relationships with their teams. Listen in to learn three questions to ask yourself to become a better leader and grow your team.
In this episode, you’ll learn
- The importance of investing in your people’s growth and development and practicing empathy with your team
- Why you need to be brutally honest about what potential job candidates can expect from your company
- How to get to know your people, and vice versa, to build stronger relationships
Things to listen for:
[2:50] Investing in your team’s growth and development
[5:07] Coaching with empathy
[7:48] Building a dynamic employee experience
[9:35] Setting expectations for job candidates
[16:47] The easiest way to get to know your team
Resources:
Connect with the Guest:
Connect with the Host & Floyd Coaching:
Transcripts
We hope you enjoy this episode.
Hello, Michele. So excited about our conversation today.
[:humanity.
[: [: [:that's another thing that people are really recognizing. Like as a leader, we have to have empathy for our people, especially, today with so many things that have been going on over the past few years. And we have to really get back to that humanity piece of, Hey, people are people.
Yes, we're coming into work to do a role, but we're people. We have dreams, we have things that we want to do. we wanna grow personally, professionally, so it's an interesting topic and one that, you're right, it's not new, but it is important to have these types of conversations because they're not happening.
in every workplace right now.
[:I could go on and on, but those were the top five. So one of the solutions are something to look at. In a bigger way is the level of humanity in the workplace. So I wanna talk about three ways to really add more humanity to the
workplace. The first one would be investing in your employees growth and development.
And I don't just mean more training, all of that, but to start, I would say is with your leaders in exactly what you just said, empathy. So they're actually calling them power skills
now. Empathy is number one. power
skills.
for your
leaders.
[:we need that as human beings. we like the new shiny object. And so the media knows, hey, we've gotta feed these people some, information in a way that they're gonna look at it from a perspective of, oh, this is new and I can, do this.
so I love that. obviously investing in your people, so what are some ways that you feel like right now our leaders can invest in their people, there's so many things happening right now in the workplace there's lots of companies laying people off.
There's lots of people that maybe they don't have huge budgets and they think, well, investing in my people means I have to have a huge budget. so what are some things that anybody can do right now with the resources that they have to enhance their people's growth?
[:Do you have an empathy button? You just press the empathy button and all of a sudden I'm gonna have more empathy. So then there's ways to measure it. What's their eq? There's all kinds of assessments out there now, have been for years. On someone's emotional intelligence, taking a look at that. All the different, skills under interpersonal communications.
Their influence, their ability to influence people starts with the leaders. in terms of investing in employee growth and development, you have to start with your leaders and then they can start to bring that development to people that report to them.
[:It's, when you're coaching them, you're identifying, Hey, when you did this, when you talk to, this person in the meeting, in this way, that was awesome. these are the kinds of things that we need more of, the people need to understand. So you're calling them out on the things that they're doing well so that they know how to grow in those areas in addition to, hey, remember in that meeting when maybe you had that dialogue with that person?
Like, how could you have handled that in a different way? how do you feel that it made that other person feel and now you're just calling them out in a way that they can coach themselves? Hey, where are we going? what is the goal?
if we don't have the goal of the expectation of where we need to be as a leader, then obviously, it's not as easy to, coach that person up because they don't really know where they're trying to go. We have to do that for our people.
It's the expectation.
[:their people,
[:people out on it. Like they need to know when they did a certain activity we need that positive feedback.
[:strategic plan.
[:People want to do good work. And as a coach and as a leader, it is our role to help them, continue to do great work and to support them and to help them grow. We wanna see them win. And I think today a lot of leaders, it almost feels as though there are certain people that work for leaders who almost feels like you're in a competition with them, or it feels as though they're not on your team. they're looking for ways to. criticize you. They're looking for ways to, put you down when that is not what we should be doing as, working in an organization. Everyone on the team should be supporting one another. we're on the same team, guys, we wanna be doing this together.
That is the only way to create a coaching culture.
[:and People are looking for, purpose, growth, and acceptance. So what's one way to get that? that brings me to number two, building a dynamic employee experience. So for years and years, I know that companies have focused on the customer experience, and I bet if you ask any executive, any manager, they all know all the specifics.
Of the customer experience because they've focused on that. And even today, now with all the digital technology and everything else that's happened, they've had to adjust and they've had to transform a lot of their processes you're not coming into a store anymore to buy a product.
You're going online. So that whole customer experience has changed. So now the whole employee experience has changed. Remote workers, the technology that we have access to, people during that pandemic really spent time assessing their life. if I wanna spend time at work eight hours a day, I want it to have purpose and convening.
So how can you bring that same focus and energy that you've brought to the customer experience and the changes that you've had to make into the workplace? So looking at all of those dynamics, the whole employee life cycle. So from the start bringing someone into the organization, how do you onboard them?
Are you doing the best that you can to make them really feel welcome, understand the culture, the values of the organization? Did you do the hiring with rigorous discipline to make sure there was that cultural fit so they're not 60 days in and wondering? Oh my gosh, this is not the right fit for me. so many of those pieces, I feel like that number two is one of those great ways to bring the humanity into
the
workplace.
[:This is who we're not, that's what we expect when somebody is interviewing with us. We expect them to tell us what they can and cannot do. we're actually hiring for the role that they can actually do the work that needs to get done in, the organization.
And the same thing for the organization. Like the leaders, need to be really clear on, hey, this is what you can expect. if you wanna work for some big high tech company that has, all these different perks and sleep pods and all this, like, that might not be your organization and that is okay as long as you're letting that person know.
So that you're starting upfront with a lot of trust. think about how much trust is already lost. The second somebody starts on their first day, if they come in and they're like, wait, what? I was just talking to a friend of mine. She took a role a few months ago and within a week
She left the role that she actually really liked, but she left it because she thought it was this incredible opportunity. Turns out within a week, she was like, it is nothing like they said it was. And she ended up going back to the company that she was working with and fortunately they still had a, role for her.
But can you imagine how often does that happen in the workplace today? Cuz people are just highlighting how amazing they are. But now you're not creating that environment that they think that they're stepping into. it reminds me of that book, by Joey Coleman called Never Lose a Customer Again.
it's an awesome book, highly Recommend. And he talks about how the customer journey, can relate to both sides. So the customer journey of when somebody joins or when someone, Signs that document that says, yep, we're in and I hired you and we're gonna work together, within the first few days.
You need to make that person feel so good about making that decision so that they don't have buyer's remorse. Right? We've all had that buyer'ss remorse where maybe you've invested in a really great coaching program where you invested in something and then all of a sudden it was like they were all on top of you when they were trying to close the deal, but now all of a sudden you're like, where did this person go?
And do
you guys even care that I'm here? and
that is not a good feeling, especially if you're making a big purchase. Now talk about big purchase, you're deciding where you're going to spend all of your days, every day. So we have to think about that in the same regard. When we're, onboarding people in the first, 30, 60, 90 days, making sure this person feel like, wow, I made the right decision.
I'm part of the right team. I am. So excited and so happy that they did have that rigorous hiring process because I know to my core, this is where I'm meant to be and that's what we want to feel We want them to feel that way, and we want ourselves to feel that way as well as leaders.
[:everybody about it. So that's what you want. And one of the big questions that I like to have my clients ask is, would they vote for
you as a best
places to
Ooh, that's a great question.
[:These are some of the things that we talk about in terms of being. Innovative a lot of the people that I'm working with, they already have a good culture. they've already put their leadership team through the culture solution training. They're in on it. They've got the six principles that are, gaining traction.
But what else? Those are the people that are gonna be successful. Constantly asking and pushing yourself. What else, what else, what else? not just from the customer perspective, but the employee perspective, what else would make us the best places to work? So number three, get to know your people at all levels and let them get to know you.
There's a level of vulnerability when I say that,
so what, would be one
thing you would do, Kate?
as you said
[:thought, someone's listening and they're like, wait, whoa, I could feel someone back away like, I wanna get to know my people, but wait a second, I don't want them to get to know me.
[:in that reinforcement log, each one of those people that she has direct report, when's their birthday? When's their work anniversary? Where's their favorite restaurant? What is their favorite food? What do they do for hobbies, So this whole list of really getting to know your people,
And then I said, well, where's your reinforcement log? So I want you to fill that out as well. And then you share it with your team and do it intentionally. Talk about it because if you really wanted to reward an employee that had done something great or above and beyond. Wouldn't it be great to go back to that reinforcement log and be able to send them to their favorite restaurant, or let's just say, their favorite performer is pink and you know that pink is coming to town and you could get tickets.
That's the kind of next level engagement and getting to know your people. They will never forget that, just giving them a $50 bonus or giving them money, but I go back to Maya Angel, my favorite quote of all time. People won't remember what you did or what you said, as much as they will remember how you made them feel, and to just take that little extra
step is
huge.
[:We certify dream managers. So our answer to that question is you start asking your team members about their dreams. And you get to know the people through those dreams. You get to know what's important to them.
And the dreams that people have are so beautiful. things like, hey, they wanna lose some weight. And so if, one of the dreams of your people is losing weight and, you start, having conversations around, health and fitness and, for me, like health and fitness is such a big part of my life.
And so anyone that knows me knows that. And so talking to people, like you guys, sometimes you'll ask me certain questions about fitness or exercise and things, and I'm so happy to share because that's a love and passion that I have. and just like you have other passions that we, get to talk to and.
we kind of learn, about each other through talking about the dreams that we have. And so just recognizing and remembering some of those things, not because you have to, not because you give out the birthday cards every year cuz they're on the Excel spreadsheet and everyone gets their, annual birthday card, but more so like
I can't believe you remembered that conversation that we had about. Me wanting to go hiking in Colorado and then helping me make that happen, or something around that. So that is the easiest thing that you can do today as a leader, is start asking your team members about their dreams.
And you can do it really simply. It could be during a team meeting, and you can let people know before the meeting, cuz some people are, are introverts and they don't love sharing too much about themselves, but let people know, Hey, we're gonna, share, bring one dream that you wanna share with the team.
and it can be as personal. Or not as you want it to be. that's really what creates that, environment where you, do feel like you're supporting each other. You do feel like you're growing together and you do feel like you're getting, to know each other, and getting to know the way people work.
Like you said getting to know people at all levels, it's also fun to. figure out how does somebody think? Like Michelle, you and I work together so well. We are very different in some ways. We are similar in some ways, but, I know how your brain works.
when we get off the call, I will sometimes know Michelle's freaking out. And, because we've gotten to know each other cuz you've let me into your work process. how are you thinking about things? when something happens, I kind of already instinctually know now how you're thinking through something or how you're gonna make that decision.
And so, that helps me help you. And that is what we get to do, as a leader, is to get to know people in all of those different areas. But I find it so fascinating to really discover how your people are thinking and working and how are they approaching a certain project. if they have a project they're working on, you can even ask them like, tell me your thought process.
How did you go about figuring out this way of, doing the project? I would've done it differently. Your way is great. tell me how you did it. I'm so curious. And then you get to know, people's work process, which is really important.
[:Come down into the billing department and he sat down next to a billing clerk. Didn't schedule a meeting, and he said, show me what you do. he did that all the time. He did it and it was genuine, authentic.
He was curious. He just wanted to know, but it was a way for him to get to know people and he became so approachable. What kind of a leader do you think he became and how productive and successful were we? During his time as our leader, it was unimaginable. When he left, people were crying in the
hallways.
you can't train, someone to create that. it has to come from your heart, Someone who really wants to get to know people, show them that you care. People will follow you, lead you. They will want to join you in, making that mission happen. it's incredible and such a little thing, right?
He just walked down, set 15 minutes, didn't spend a ton of time, but the impact was
Amazing.
[:my friend wrote a book called Follow You Anywhere, and it was
about the leader that he worked with. For many years and it was one of his mentors and I was like, what a great title.
Follow you anywhere. I'll go wherever you go. It's like when people leave a role and they go to another company and they, take some of the people with them cuz they're like, no, I can't work here without you. that is the kind of environment that we wanna create in our organizations if our people cried when we left, how amazing would that be?
I
mean, we don't want anyone to cry,
[:I actually had a conversation with the c e O. She feels really good three years into her role. They're, firing on all cylinders, having tremendous growth. She's got her team in place, she's doing phenomenal job. And I asked her, how did you do it? Could you sit there and walk me through how you did it?
She goes, well, I I don't think about it. I just do it. I go, okay. What a great exercise for you to do is capture that so that you could do it again,
and then you could help your people. Become the coach for your leaders, your executive team. Teach them step by step.
Don't take those little steps for
granted.
[:way to do that would be to ask your people.
sometimes people are just so good, it's almost like their superpower. it's their superpower in them to be great coaches, great leaders in that way.
they don't really know why. And so even asking the question, like, write it down. I don't know, Michelle, but if you start asking your people, what do you appreciate about working here? What do you appreciate about working with me? what do you look for in a leader?
what are the qualities that you really appreciate in leadership It reminds me of the conversation we had, during one of our episodes with, Trues scripts and, stay interviews. we did a whole conversation around stay interviews and how important that is to identify, Hey,why are you working here?
Why are you staying in this role that, you're in? and people will tell you, and we need to hear that. And only by getting that feedback can we then figure out, okay, here's the path, here's how I wanna really develop and grow the leaders that, I'm leading.
that is your task. That is the homework. So we've, given you some good questions to consider, in this episode. So we hope
that you really take some time to think about those questions. What does that look like for you? How would your people feel if you left?
[:you as a best
place to work?
[: [:love that.
[:will walk away with not just listening to an episode, cuz we can all just listen to an episode and go about our day. But for it to really change you in some way, even if it's a small thing, something that we talked about, something that we said that really helps you push your leadership forward, push your business forward, and really help you create a dynamic culture where your people do feel seen, supported, heard, valued, and, people enjoy coming to work and accomplishing great things together.
So,
[: [:Ask these great questions to really think about how they're leading, to think about how they are dealing with their people, leading their people, and ultimately growing their business. So we would love to have a conversation with you about, some of our coaching programs, and you can go to floyd coaching.com to schedule a call.
You'll probably talk to Michelle actually.
thank you all so much for listening and until next time, lead with
culture.