The Changing Nature of the Employee/Employer Relationship

I read with interest a recent front-page article in the Wall Street Journal: “Bosses Talk Tough with Staff Amid Power Shift.” It offers an interesting view of a shifting dynamic between organizational leaders and their team members.

According to the article, employers, under ever increasing pressure to compete in a rapidly changing economic environment are growing weary of issues like “work-life balance” and employees who prefer (demand?) the ability to work from home and maintain flexible working arrangements. In the words of one CEO, “I’ve had it with this kind of stuff.”

At the same time, The Gallup Organization reports that workers are more disengaged than ever before. While this is not a novel phenomenon, its current prevalence is dramatic. Gallup's research indicates fewer workers feel emotionally connected to their jobs, and many struggle to find motivation amidst mounting pressures. What’s going on here?

During a recent workshop, I posed the following question to the group: Identify the best teacher, mentor, manager, coach you’ve ever had. This led to a robust discussion. Most had little difficulty identifying the person who made the most significant, dramatic and lasting impact on them. Some offered that this individual enabled them to identify strengths and abilities they weren’t sure they even had, resulting in an increase in their confidence and a more positive self-image. All good so far. However, the process for getting there was not all roses!

In almost every case, participants described this person as demanding, insistent, persistent (and in the case of coaches, lots of yelling!), pushing, only grudgingly offering compliments, being critical. In other words, the most impactful people in their lives set high standards for them and insisted they reach them. “They didn’t make it easy for me at times…but it was worth it in the long run” was a common refrain. Not much coddling going on here!

As organizational leaders grapple with the combined challenge of getting better business results while raising the level of employee engagement, they may do well to take a closer look at the dynamics that make for a valuable, lasting relationship between teacher/student, coach/player and manager/team member. Setting and insisting on high standards of performance may be one of them. It may not be easy at times, but it just may well be worth it in the long run.

For more information on ways to better align your organization, contact me at joe@ajstrategy.com

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