Human over Employee

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Sounds great in principle. Yet we have numerous examples of how labeling people is offensive, demonstrative, off putting, empowering, inspiring, or motivating. 

The word employee is not demonstrative by any stretch. But, is it inspiring? Empowering? Collaborative? 

What if you just called them all leaders? Innovators? Idea generators? Whatever you want out of them.

The concept of a collaborative and inclusive leadership is one that promotes all those things. This is contrarian to the most popular style of leadership, however; what Dan Ponterfact calls Command & Control in his book Flat Army.

So, when we all look to improve our culture by improving the “employee experience,” what does that mean? 

By definition, it’s already skewed. Focusing on an employee experience immediately differentiates between rank and file and the leadership team. It’s owner or leader centric.

What if your company focused, instead, on the human experience? 

We are all humans. We all have our stories. We all have certain ideas of how we want to be seen by others, how we want to matter in this world, and how we want to spend our precious time on this earth. So, embrace that. Become intentional about your leaders in your company. Promote collaboration. Promote innovation. Promote inspiration. Be open and receptive to collaboration, to innovative ideas from unexpected “leaders;” to inspiration from your leaders’ stories and purpose.

This is all impossible to do, without first changing the way the company communicates, markets, and treats its work force, clients, and partners.

“So, what do you do?”

We all get that question in social settings, professional settings, networking events, and the like. Most people answer in the same structure with different words. I am a financial advisor. I’m a partner at a large accounting firm. I’m a firefighter. I’m a project manager. I’m a business owner. 

We answer very literally WHAT we do. It has become our identity. But, should it be? Next, you discuss how you do what you do. I help clients manage their wealth. I help clients save money on taxes. I help save lives from fires. I help manage large scale projects for multinational companies. I started a company that helps….______________.

Simon Sinek nails it when he states, “every company know what they do. Some companies know how they do it. Few companies know WHY they do it.”

He calls this the “Golden Circle.” We call it Living Life Intentionally. Our catchier phrase is the “Intentional Paradigm.”

By simply changing the structure to your answers, you inspire others. Start with why. Expand with how. Finish with what you do.

Let me give it a shot.

“I have struggled throughout my career to align my professional life with my personal inspiration and motivation. Helping others do something, anything actually feeds my soul. I found myself through a loved one’s cancer battle. It forced me to question my own longevity, my purpose, my meaning and my relationships.

 Making money was no longer the most important thing to me. Add later experiences of a near fatal car accident and the birth of my 3rd and final son with an extremely rare genetic syndrome; I found my purpose. I was helped through each stage of each experience.  The compensation was way more valuable than money; sincere gratitude and new and/or deeper relationships. I left every event more empowered, more inspired, and more fulfilled. In short, I became…happy. I want to inspire others to live life intentionally without having to experience cancer, a near fatal car accident and a rare disease. 

I help companies identify their purpose and meaning in this world. I then help them to identify the purpose and meaning of their “leaders” (aka employees). I then help the company to align their financial benefits with their newly aligned or realigned human experience (aka culture). 

What do I do? I’m a wealth manager who helps clarify a real sense of culture for the companies that are inspired by our message. I help people to live life intentionally.

Too long? Too personal? Too soft? Too vulnerable? 

What do I do?   I bet you can repeat it!

Now, tell me what the last advisor you met does differently than any other advisor you’ve met? 

I’m still waiting. 

Lead with your why. Expand with your how. Finish with what you do. 

Sounds easy. It is after a lot of work. That first step has not been taught in school. It has not been taught in corporate training. It has not been taught by mentors. It may only be taught by crisis. By trauma. By being forced into vulnerability. 

Or by Intentional Wealth Partners. 

Email us to set up a conversation to see if your company is a good fit for our message and if we’re a good fit for you as a leader.

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