By Jason V. Barger,
Did you know that 7.6 million people quit their jobs in April and May of 2021? Reports of lone-liness at work are as high as ever. Divorce rates are up 34% from last year. To say people have been a little stressed would be an understatement.
Let’s dig a little deeper into what the research is also telling us. Nine out of every 10 employees say they want to work for a more meaningful culture. People want to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves; they want to feel appreciated, valued and cared for. Amid the angst, division and uncertainty in our current culture, people must be reminded about what is within their control.
Teams and companies need a reboot.
The best cultures proactively help their people navigate through obstacles together.
Most teams and companies are still figuring out how to help support their people and engage with them remotely, in hybrid settings and in-person gatherings. With all that people have been navi-gating lately; they are also expected to maximize the experience, product, or service you are de-livering to the marketplace.
Here are six mindsets to reboot your team:
- Clarity — Is your mission clear? Is your vision clear? Is your strategy for the next priorities clear? Take this time as an opportunity to reboot and make sure all are aligned with clarity. The outcome is that everything on the path forward becomes clearer. Your team may not have all the answers, but they’ll have energy and clear direction on how to take the next step.
- Inclusivity — Leaders worldwide play an enormous role in widening the circle so that more diverse backgrounds, ideas, perspectives, and experiences have a seat at the table. Teams and or-ganizations will lead the way forward in society by modeling how to have civil, respectful dia-logue and educate people on the strengths of diversity, equity and inclusion. When our teams are inclusive and welcoming, it breathes life and energy into all. We’re stronger together.
- Agility — Possibility + Adaptability is the name of the game in a changing world. Leaders have to practice an occasional reboot that allows their minds to find new ways of doing things and the courage to adapt to opportunities that emerge. If leaders return to the “this is the way we’ve always done it” mindset, they will sit back and watch their people leave the room.
- Grit — Resolve + Toughness is critical to help people navigate their way through obstacles, challenges, negativity, finger-pointing, and division. Leaders help their people reboot to stay fo-cused on the present moment and the actions needed to take the next step. Toughness isn’t about being physically stronger than others; it is about being vulnerable with your people and still hav-ing the resolve to find solutions together.
- Rest — Teams and organizations have an unhealthy association with the concept of rest. Americans last year left 768 million days of vacation on the table with their employers. That equates to nearly $66 billion of lost benefits. We’ve forgotten that the research shows that delib-erate rest is essential to elite performance. When we allow our bodies, minds and hearts to delib-erately rest, we breathe more efficiently and are better at everything else.
- Ownership — Accountability + Action are mindsets and oxygen that the best leaders and team cultures on the planet breathe. They connect the things they say they will do with positive accountability and action. Accountability isn’t a negative word; it’s a positive mantra that all take ownership of. In a world where people are quick to gossip, point fingers, and criticize what isn’t working, the best leaders reboot themselves and their people and shift conversations from blame to solutions-focused.
The best cultures proactively help their people navigate through obstacles together. They inten-tionally inhale positivity and the six mindsets above and exhale negativity, blame, gossip and di-vision. The ecosystem of their culture is grown, developed, cultivated and led with intentionality, one breath at a time.
The process for developing high-performing and engaged teams never stops, and the best leaders, teams and organizations are committed to rebooting how they hire, onboard, do performance evaluations, develop emerging leaders, and recognize excellence. The best leaders invest in their teams together.
If you’re experiencing a lack of energy, passion or hope for the road ahead, it may be the air you’re breathing. It may be time for a reboot.
