Lack of Opportunity

You may remember last week I told you about my first full-time job as a receptionist for a nine-person real estate firm. It was the definition of a “dead-end” job. And yet in that job, I learned how much difference an opportunity to learn and grow can make. One day two realtors approached my desk and asked if I wanted to help them out with their work and try something new. At first, the work was pretty tedious. I combed through long lists of prospective properties and clients. Then, I helped prepare these two realtors for calls and visits. Eventually, they asked me to first proof-read, and then develop, prospecting statements. None of this was rocket-science. None of it earned me a raise. There were no available promotions in this small office. However, these small opportunities to learn something new and contribute in a different way motivated me. I was more engaged in my regular work and more conscious of the quality of that work. I stayed in that job far longer than I expected because I became invested in the work and the team. And eventually, these assignments convinced me to consider business as a career, which eventually led me to earn an MBA. Until then, business was simply not an option I had ever considered. The moral of this story is a little opportunity can go a long way. And you never know how much potential might be unlocked in the process.

One of the most often cited reasons for leaving an organization in exit interviews is a lack of opportunity for growth. Real opportunities for development and learning can exist in every setting and do not require promotions or relocations or raises. They do require a little imagination, a belief that employees are valuable and have potential, and a willingness to engage with employees in a different way.

What happens in a Performance Management session? Are these pro-forma, check-the-box, infrequent events that everyone knows don’t mean much? Or are these regularly scheduled, real conversations? Do they include not just what the boss thinks they need from the employee, but what the employee thinks they need from the boss? Is the employee asked what would contribute to higher performance or greater job satisfaction? Are there conversations about the growth opportunities available to the employee? Are there agreements made about development plans?

Are training opportunities available and is there support to take advantage of them? Can employees “apprentice” with others in another part of the business, both to gain perspective and to experience different challenges? Do bosses sit down with their employees who are closest to a problem and ask their opinion on how to fix it? When an unusual or unforeseen challenge arises, are employees offered the opportunity to work on a task force or take on a special assignment to provide recommendations?

One of the most productive things I ever did as a boss on a manufacturing floor was ask the production line workers how we could make things move faster without damaging quality. One of the best insights I ever gained into improving customer satisfaction was when I asked a group of customer service reps how they resolved issues when confronted by an angry customer. When teams don’t work well together, try creating a “day in the life” program so people from each team experience what their counterparts are dealing with. Create enough space in the work calendar so employees can have a regular opportunity to experience something different. Does someone work “at the front of the house”? Try giving them the chance to work at “the back of the house.” If you’re wrestling with a difficult problem, don’t protect employees from it because you think they can’t handle it. Level with them, and ask for their input.

In every one of these examples, both bosses and employees learn something from each other. Positive change is frequently the result. Problems can get resolved more effectively. Development and growth can occur. When someone asks our opinion, asks for our help, invests in our training or provides experiences that accelerate our development, we not only learn something, we feel valued. And all of us are more motivated and do better work when we are valued and growing. If you’re thinking this all sounds too “touchy-feely” and “soft;” if you’re concerned this is “coddling” and there is just no time for any of it in your pressure-cooker business, consider this. High turnover is costly in every way. Dissatisfied employees and low morale do real damage in any business. And wasted potential always means under-performance.