What Kind of a Leader Are You?
So, I have been hearing about different kinds of work policies from a bunch of friends working full time with corporates globally. And here is the summary of what I have come across:
· Workplaces that want you to sit right in front of their faces
These are workplaces that still believe in incurring all kinds of fixed costs to ensure you are physically present in the office just because a certain set of decision-makers feel comfortable working that way. They feel they are in control when they see you working right in front of them. They can measure exactly how many numbers of hours you are working. My two cents on this- Leaders who are encouraging this kind of a work culture really need to do some self-work to adapt to how Gen Y, Z, A function. Rather than trying to mold new talent into old ways, try doing some heavy lifting yourself.
· Workplaces that don’t want to pay a hefty fixed cost to see you in-person
These are a bunch of smart folks who have figured out their P&Ls very well. But what they missed is emotional intimacy and the need for human connection (after all we are social animals). My two cents on this- Great that you understand EBITDA but every single employee in your firm is not motivated by the same variable. Understand how you can provide that safe space for teams to bond. Even if one of your team members prefers to work from a café, incorporate that in your HR policies and benefits.
· Workplaces that let you be
Yes, I am personally biased towards this. Hats off to leaders, CXOs who are actively promoting this in their organizations. These are organizations that have flexible policies such as providing workspace memberships such as WeWork to team members, no time-in and time-out (dude, we focus on outcomes over efforts). My two cents on this- These are very few of those workplaces that understand the true meaning of free choice and very well respect it. This is easier said than done. Running a profitable business while respecting individual free choice requires a leader that is self-aware, conscious, and respects the energy that every team member puts in to make him successful.
Coming to the most essential part,
The key question that we need to answer as leaders in decision making roles:
· What kind of culture are we promoting? Self-empowering or Rule-based
· What is it that is really driving this decision-making? Our fears or A sense of trust
· If we drill down to the basics, what is it that will genuinely let us restfully sleep? A good set of learnings or Being in control
Lastly, as leaders are we afraid to do the work on ourselves?
One key aspect that all HR leaders should ideally focus on is- With the changing work environment and way of living, how am I supporting every team member, what policies need to change, what benefits and tools can I provide so that my team feels empowered rather than feeling suffocated. My humble request, let’s stop googling HR policies and replicating those. For once, let’s put an effort into creating one that is best suited for the people that work with us.
Much love. Cheers
RG
07–08–2021
