At the end of the day, an organization must find a way to make a profit to keep the doors open. Otherwise, they will eventually close, and no one will have a job.
It does not matter if the organization is public, private or service oriented, all organizations consider the bottom line as a matter of survival. Leaders in organizations are paid to facilitate the day-to-day management of equipment, services and products.
Proper maintenance and care of the equipment is clearly understood. Moreover, when a critical piece of the equipment no longer functions properly, the replacement piece is ordered. Depending on how critical the equipment is will determine how quickly the replacement piece is ordered.
However, when leaders in organizations are asked, what is their most important asset? They almost unanimously answer in a resounding voice, “Our people!”
People in the workplace
Every workplace is filled with people that are different (physical stature, thoughts, hopes and dreams) in several ways, and everyone has their individual ideas for their future. Likewise, as time passes, we all will experience the highs (additions to the family, promotions, etc.) and lows (death of loved ones, career setbacks, etc.) of life. Adding even more differences (sports teams, hobbies, etc.) sometimes it is easy to see the difference and sometimes it is not. Wait. What is everyone encouraged to do in the workplace? Bingo, work together!
As people are the resource dedicated to performing the work, consider introducing some maintenance in the workplace relations. A culture that values respect at all levels assists employees focus on performing their various jobs and getting on the same page. In workplaces where respect for one another is present the results are:
a) Higher levels of employee motivation
b) Less employee absences and/or turnovers
c) More employee engagement
If, at the end of the day, the questions for the organization are: “Did we make the widgets yet?” “Does anyone know how to make this work?” If the answer to either of the questions is no, then the business will surely fail soon if not corrected.
Call to action
Old school wisdom says, ‘you manage things, but you lead people.’ In 2025 let’s encourage formal and informal leaders in organizations to take intentional action in the workplace to respectfully do three things:
1) Encourage open/honest feedback: (Present a problem and provide at least 2 solutions.)
2) Ensure training at every level of the organization: (Cross training is a bonus.)
3) Provide an environment that welcomes open communication with supervisors: (Create and maintain a professional level two-way communication.)
Former U.S. Navy Seal, Jocko Willink said it best, “Leadership isn’t one person leading a team. It is a group of leaders working together, up and down the chain of command, to lead.”
Leaders are important to the process of establishing/maintaining a respectful workplace. The challenge for 2025 is to encourage respect in the workplace regardless of differences to create a win-win for individual employees as well as the organization. Good luck.
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