Two Things People (and Your Employees) Really Want

I’ve found that when you meet and work with a lot of people, it’s helpful to find patterns and signals:

• Who is open to discussing deeper life questions?
• Who is a visual learner? 
• Who appreciates travel tips since on the road all the time?
• Who feels comfortable exchanging numbers to deepen friendship—and who doesn’t? 

Our brains are naturally wired to think this way. 

And after seven weeks of being on the road and meeting over 1,600 individuals in seven cities, I found myself reflecting on these patterns and signals. All 1,600 points of contact brought me the same conclusion.

At the end of the day, everyone wants the same two things: 

>> To be understood.

>> To understand.

Because when these two things are established in the workplace, you create psychological safety where people have: 

• A trusted place to honestly share your thoughts without judgment,
• A culture of being comfortable asking uncomfortable and tough questions,
• A reliable ally who’s got your back no matter what happens at work and in life, and
• A community that celebrates the diversity of thought. 

When people feel safe, supported, and encouraged at work, they want to stay and grow with that company. When these are lacking, people feel frustrated, discouraged, hurt, and ready to leave as soon as they can. 

It’s no surprise Gallup found that “reliable and meaningful communication” is one of the top things employees want more of from their managers. It’s also why they feel disengaged, unfulfilled, and even miserable when this is lacking.

This research is why I ask a series of questions to my clients at InnovatorsBox. I want to understand the gaps before I start working to improve the company’s culture.

Take a moment now and ask yourself: 

• Did you have a meaningful conversation at work today? 
• Did you feel valued and appreciated in the office this week?
• Did you feel comfortable proposing a new way to tackle a recurring problem?

These questions are important because as Jim Collins wrote in Good to Great, companies that thrive have a culture that stimulates a workplace where people understand what they can do and cannot do; and be understood and appreciated for their contributions. 

Jim says great companies build a culture: 

“Around the idea of freedom and responsibility, within a framework. And where self-disciplined people who are willing to go to extreme lengths to fulfill their responsibilities fill that culture.” (p.124, Good to Great, Jim Collins)

Is that how you feel at work? Is that what your colleagues, or the team members you manage, also feel?

I understand this truth may not be all that revolutionary. But let’s flip the equation. If this is easy to understand, then why do most companies struggle to engage their global workforce? And why do individuals struggle to live happier professional lives? 

I was curious. So I asked the people I met over the course of seven weeks,  “What are they doing to be understood and to understand?” 

I asked people who love their work. People who feel miserable at work. Leaders who struggled to retain their top talent. Leaders who built an amazing team from volunteers before they got their seed money. 

I was on a quest to learn how I could help others live and work in a more understanding way.

Here’s what I took from the conversations I had with individuals who manage to stay creative and resilient:

• Someone who believed in them and gave them opportunities to grow,
• Someone whom they believed in and mentored,
• Situations that made it impossible to solve problems the old way,
• Experiences of failure, rejection, and being told “no” many times,
• Experiences of growing, being encouraged, and being supported no matter what, and
• An understanding of why they were passionately devoted to doing this work.

In other words, innovators were able to stay resilient because they knew how it felt to be understood—and to be misunderstood. 

It was exciting for me to discover that these innovators have all experienced what it is like to be supported, encouraged, and grow. As a result, they tended to generously volunteer their time to mentor, advise, and support others. It’s like sharing your favorite sushi place with your friends because you want to share the joy of enjoying that meal with people you care about. Wouldn’t it be great if we could consistently replicate this sentiment in the workplace and in our lives?

As I write this piece, I’m aware that it is already July. 

We have less than six months left in 2019. What have you come to understand from your first half of 2019 to live up to your best potential in the next six months? Knowing how fast technology, automation, and AI development is impacting the way we live and work, it’s never been more important to be innovative, to be a better listener, and to be a holistic problem solver. 

Don’t make the mistakes the 68 plus legacy companies like Sears, ToysRUs, and Payless made that lead them to bankruptcy. Don’t wait until it is too late to understand your people, your customers, and opportunities to innovate. 

The way we work and live will continue to change but the human need will still be there. And I believe that the human piece of the puzzle—understanding and being understood—will be the crucial part that will help us innovate and thrive.

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If I left you with more questions to think about at the end of this post, I’m glad. We can’t get great answers without first asking more thoughtful questions.

Monica H. Kang is the Founder and CEO of InnovatorsBox? where she helps leaders unlock their creative leadership potential and is redefining innovation in the workplace. Since launch, InnovatorsBox? has been recognized as the only creative education firm that is teaching creativity in a tangible, practical and relatable way for professionals to understand, embrace, and practice. She is an avid supporter and speaks often of the importance of rethinking creativity, diversity and inclusion, diversity in technology, and social entrepreneurship. She actively supports DC Tech growth as the Organizer and Facilitator at Startup Weekend. She is also the author of Rethink Creativity: How to Innovate, Inspire and Thrive at Work.