Professional Significance
People struggle to be valued and feel they have a purpose. This is true in personal life and in business life.
Value and purpose along with autonomy and flexibility are top reasons that motivate employees -- even over money. Customers are willing to pay a little more if they are valued. Leaders, employees, and customers what to have worth.
The top reasons people quit their jobs are their boss, the culture of the organization, and not being valued which reveals in lack of opportunities or lack of not using their abilities.
Turnover of employees can cost a company good portion of annual salary. An average conservative estimate is 30% of annual salary. For highly specialized employees the cost can be much more. If a person makes $30,000/year, turnover can cost $9,000 to replace.
People want to be significant and want to be part of something significant.
The principles for creating significance in our businesses are the same as our personal lives. Why? Because organizations is primarily about people and relationships. Organizations are made up of people.
As an organization, your relationship with people is about who you serve, how you serve, and what you serve.
Who you are as an organization becomes what you do as an organization. Your significance as an organization is more than vision, purpose, and values. Your significance as an organization is more than branding. It is about all of the people in the organization. It is who the owners are and who and how they serve; it is who the employees are and who and how they serve; it is who the supervisors are and who and how they serve; it is who the board members are and who and how they serve.
An organization is only as good as its people -- its leaders and employees. Significance in an organization is who you are and who and how you serve together.
UPROOT
The first season in creating significance for your organization is to uproot. Even organizations need to uproot from the business of busyness. Just because there is buzz of activity does not mean there is a hum of productivity.
"A buzz of activity does not mean a hum of productivity"
WAIT
The second season in creating significance for your organization is to wait. We have become afraid of times of stillness in organizations. We have replaced meaningful action with the badge of accomplishment call multitasking. Then, we get so busy with the illusion of multitasking, we can only have time to "multi-ask."
And organizations create retreats that are only stressful endeavors to keep a hype of action and activity with no balance of stillness and reflection. Creativity is fostered in safe environments that allow for daydreaming, observing, and solitude. Why do we believe that this is only for the executive C-suite? Some of the best and most creative solutions can come from the people who serve on the frontline and do the work every day. So, why not allow them time and an atmosphere for creativity? It may just help solve some of your front-line business problems.
TRANSPLANT
The third season in creating significance for organizations is to transplant. Organizations often get so busy that they lose or forget their core purpose. They lose sight of their significance in how they serve people and who they serve.
In addition, as organizations grow, they can lose connection with their own people. Each person in an organization has a story and a genius. There are times that organizations overlook how current employees can use their genius to expand the significance of the organization. When organizations loose engagement with employees, the organization loses engagement with customers. Then, the organization wonders why it experiences diminishing outcomes.
SERVE
The fourth and last season is serving. Leaders serve employees. Employees serve each other. Then, everyone collectively serves the customer out of the organization's significance.
Significance is about legacy. Legacy is not about when a person, or a company dies. Legacy is created every day. It is created in every interaction. What legacy do you want to leave your employees? What legacy do you want to leave your manager or leader? What legacy do you want to leave your customer?
Significance is not just knowing what you do differently than your competition. Significance it is not about the competition. Significance is how you uniquely serve people out of the significance of the people in your organization. When you know your significance as an organization, and you serve your people out of your significance, you begin to stand out.
"Significance is what you leave behind. "
If you would like to discover your significance as a business, reach out to me at eric@drericlake.com.
