Hi, I’m Lynne Brodie. I’ve helped leaders from top brands and corporations like you invent new products and services to generate multi-million dollar revenue streams because I understand what not only clients, but employees crave. I’ve also worked to transform cultures by working with leaders, employees and teams.
I’m a Business Intuitive and Professional Alchemist with a B.A. in Psychology, an ICF credentialed Coach and decades of experience working for Fortune 500 companies and worked with clients on 6 continents. I’ve been told I’m a constellation of all the right talents, abilities and skills intersecting to create the Rx your company needs.
So, let’s continue the talk about the need to improve employee engagement. In part 1 we discussed flipping your business model to conscious capitalism. In part 2 we talked about why people analytics has no algorithm for the human spirit.
Today, in part 3 of the series, we address the Trust Crisis. Leaders may be reading this and wondering…what, our people don’t trust us? No, they don’t. That is one of the reasons why employee engagement is so low.
At a base level all human beings wonder something about the other person. They are asking themselves, can I trust you with me? It’s a quick, subliminal sizing up when you meet. Most employees’ feelings are that companies are all for themselves and wouldn’t give them a second thought. A colleague told me that years ago and of course, to my dismay, I saw it in action time and time again.
Here are some examples of how companies display it:
- They hire the unique person for what they alone bring to the table. Then, they forget all about it. They don’t want to know that employee’s ideas or have that specific expertise implemented. It conveys to the employee: You don’t matter or bring value.
- Companies use a push model. Meaning they push part of their information at you forgetting about having a bi-directional discussion about why they hired that employee because of what you bring to the table. It conveys to the employee: We don’t trust you with our full plan and the direction of the company.
- Meetings are not collaborative. They are another venue for pushing information at employees. It conveys to the employee: This is one sided and only the company counts. Are you thinking about your own meetings as a leader and the blank look on the teams face?
The list goes on. As a leader are you starting to get it? Are you thinking about your own management style?
One of the best mentors I had was a certain VP, John, that always made you feel you were the only person in the room, even if there were thousands at events and everyone wanting to talk to him. John asked for input and ideas from the team, was collaborative and pulled the team towards him, not away. One specific time we were at the Presidents Club awards. Each group VP introduced themselves as the leader of_____. Then introduced each of their award recipients.
John, however, announced himself as the Northeast VP of Sales and he was IN SUPPORT of ______. Only then he introduced each of us winning the awards. All these years later, I still haven’t forgotten that he knew he was there to support our efforts. He wasn’t there as king of the hill to dominate. When he promoted me to a position of a Global Director, I talked with him about his style and told him he made it look so easy, graceful and impactful. He assured me it took years of learning and practice.
What kind of leader are you?
Are you in support of your team or are you the king/queen of the hill?
Do you have a collaborative, coaching environment or are you pushing out information?
Have you had a one on one conversation about who they are deep inside, what they want and understand what makes them fulfilled?
If you want employees to trust you, then trust them enough to share company information and direction. Care about who they are and what genius is hiding inside them to emerge through your cultivation.
What does your on-boarding process look like? Does it include the companies mission, values and strategy? Do you include how each employee’s role feeds into the overall mission, strategy and vision? Does it go over how they need to keep those items in mind in their daily, weekly, monthly and annual tasks? In my 30 years in IT I can tell you not one company, many Fortune 500, went over how my specific role would meet the companies. They didn’t ask and neither did my leaders. Well, other than the numbers for profits, but never any of the rest of the components. Which is a huge disconnect between employee, the company and their leader.
It was me that understood:
- Trust factor with clients and colleagues.
- The companies overall plan, as much as they would share.
- How my role and both tactical and strategic plan fit into the overall model to help the company meet its goal to grow.
Companies only exist because your employees and clients make it so.
Employees would care more and be more engaged if you trusted them and they trusted you. It is only human to go the extra mile for people/company’s you like, trust and care about.
So, as I suggested in part 1, reverse your business model to people first.
It shouldn’t be a mutual ‘using’. A successful model has mutual trust, ethics and respect.
The next blog, part 4 in the series, will focus on solutions to Corporate Culture: The Soul of Business is about Trust, Ethics and Values.
It’s my honor and privilege to help you and your companies culture pivot to harness your genius, activate your flow and get you into the flow zone. That’s the special gift that has been given to me and that I offer to you and the world via Individual Flow, Interconnected Team Flow, and Intercultural Flow Retreats.
Let’s activate your full brain access to create a trusting culture. Schedule your Individual Flow Session today.
Continue to follow my blog series as we address the way forward to solving employee engagement. It’s about how you intend to satisfy their soul and activate their flow.
Lynne Brodie
World-renowned Strategic Visionary, Business Intuitive and Professional Alchemist Lynne Brodie unlocks your full brain access in as little as 60 minutes and without mind altering substances or psychoactive drugs. All services are customized to meet the needs of you and your team. They are specifically designed for disrupters, change agents, and top leaders in Fortune 500, Fortune 1000 companies and beyond. Working with Lynne is known to enhance personal impact and stage presence, activate accelerated brain power to access innovative ideas, and bring profits up (one client experienced a $1.4 million dollar increase in sales). https://lynnebrodie.com/