Four Fundamental Fs for Leaders

There have been many articles written about the various generations in the workplace - Boomers, X, Millennials, Z to name some of the more current ones spoken about. I have seen statistics around how we, as leaders and organizations, should be managing these various generations and what their needs are, or perceived to be. I think a lot of this discussion is still relevant and we have to pay attention to it, but more importantly, we need to probably take a closer look at what the fundamental desires and expectations of most people in the workplace are. In thinking about this, I want to introduce the "4 F"s of fundamental employee expectations.

Fairness:

I think most people have a strong desire to be treated fairly in the workplace - this is not just about race, gender, beliefs or some of the other core values and measures we attribute to being fair in the workplace but also extends to salary, roles, titles, training opportunities, workload and attitudes of management towards their team. A lack of fairness, I feel, in general can be extremely disruptive to an organization, the career of an individual and the overall perception of how they contribute towards the growth of a company. Sometimes, being fair is hard, as we often to introduce "labels" or measures that we hope will improve fairness overall but sometimes, can have the opposite effect.

I am reminded of a company in Japan that rewarded people that didn't smoke, by giving them one day of extra vacation. The associates that didn't smoke, felt as though this was fair to them, due to the time taken by employees that stepped outside to smoke a lot. It seemed fair. It also had the added benefit of encouraging those that smoked, to quit.

Being fair can be simple - rewarding time off fairly, ensuring discipline is dished out equally, seating arrangements, remote work, promotions, opportunities to learn are just a few examples of areas where we can apply a general rule of fairness to our teams. Of course, clear policies also assist in making sure we all have the foundational elements of fairness within the greater organization but what about the smaller opportunites you are responsible for as a leader?

Flexibility:

Much has been spoken about this topic in relation to generations that have recently entered the workforce, but I believe this is something applicable to all associates, at any stage of their career or level within an organization. What exactly is flexibility in the work context? How far can you go with being flexible and does it work for your particular environment (Manufacturing, Software Development, Retail etc.)? I think we have all seen what flexibility meant during the COVID pandemic - remote working, hybrid models and other ways of managing the workforce but I think flexibility is also a daily tool that can be used by leaders in general to ensure associates feel like they are human, respected and appreciated in the workplace.

Time is the one currency that actually appreciates as you move along in your career and this is an important reward that can be used in the workplace, not only for those that work hard but also to ensure that moments in life are not forgotten by giving some time off at appropriate times and allowing flexibility in achieving those life goals. If your company has fixed hours (8-5), what else could you be doing to ensure flexibility for employees - have we seriously thought about job sharing where 2 people can have flexible hours and share one job? Is it realistic? Would we end up with better performance or something complex to manage? Some people want this but perhaps as organizations, we have not though too much about this type of flexibility in our workplace.

Flexibility is also related to how we do our jobs - have we been flexible enough to allow our employees to think about new ways to perform their own job? What worked before, may not be the best way forward. Flexibility allows us to think about new ways of solving problems.

Flexibility does not necessarily lead to chaos and loss of control, nor to reduced levels of productivity - if humans are treated in a way that gives them even a little bit of flexibility, I believe they can shine.

Future:

In the spectrum of people in the workforce and the online discussions I have seen, over many years, the is a huge amount of variability, even within generations. From job/company loyalty, all the way to "it's just a job" or I am "just a number". Regardless of where people stand on this, everybody wants a future of some kind. I think that when we talk about career path planning, we talk about future state desires, but do we really sit down and listen to employees and talk about their future? This might be as simple as " next role" or " what do I want to be when I grow up" but it could also be complex - how about "I see myself running this company" or "I see myself starting my own business" or "I want to save the planet". If we don't fundamentally find out more about the person themselves and truly understand what they are looking for in a future, of which their work life is a key element, we will lose out on an enriched opportunity to truly have that individual contribute in a meaningful way, to company growth.

Each person will more than likely have a different view of their future and perhaps this does not align 100% with where the company wants to go, but what a loss it would be if we had our own short term vision ( next year or the year after ), instead of painting a picture of something that may factor in how an organization could look like in 10 years?

An individual's future is made of learning, growth, opportunity, feedback and feeling valued in the society they live in - working with them ensures they want to be part of a future company or leadership team that values that future, together.

Fun:

Yes, Fun. Everybody wants to fun at some point in their lives. Even presidents of companies and countries have fun. CFO's have fun (it's true). Fun also spans generations. Over my many years in various companies, I have seen the "erosion" of fun. Gone are the days of Christmas parties, decorating the workplace (sort of still happens). We have perhaps gone too far to save money and also possibly become too sensitive? I consistently get feedback all the time, either directly or overheard conversations - "I wish we had more fun here" or "have not had an office party in years" or "why can't I decorate the office for xxxxx event?". This is one aspect of fun - bringing back things that were once fun and probably still are.

However, there is also another element to fun and as a leader, you have control over this on a daily basis. Have you ever noticed that if a leader is serious, everybody below and around them is serious as well? Here's the thing, not everybody can be serious all the time and for sure, you can't have fun all the time but finding that balance is key - use humor where appropriate, have your team members dress differently on certain days, bring in those donuts, have a longer lunch at a restaurant with live music. Bring in somebody to perform live music in the office!

Fun is a way to embrace your team, employees and enrich your company culture. It's also very good advertising - if a few interns felt they had fun at your company, and spread the word, it won't be long before people want to work there (no matter what you produce or what service you offer as a company). It's also a way to retain people. Think about it.

In Summary:

The Four Fs are something I believe to be core to each and every team member or person working in an organization, and I believe that if, we, as leaders of our respective organizations or teams, pay attention to these 4 areas, we will see a tremendous return on investment across the board. Who knows, it may even make our performance reviews easier and show up in unexpected places....