“All things being equal, people work with people they like and trust. All things not being equal, people still work with people they like and trust.” –John Maxwell
Several years ago, when I was a new manager, I was having serious difficulties with a team member so I decided to consult with a colleague of mine who had been in leadership roles for a long time.
I still remember her excellent remark. “When you are the one holding most of the power, you use it as the last resort.”
Like many fledgling leaders, my first thought about how to handle the situation was mostly focused on carrots or sticks (i.e. rewards and punishments).
It is not unusual for companies or leaders to focus primarily on things like pay, benefits, or disciplinary processes to attract, motivate, and retain their workforce.
But what if there is a better way?
I recently came across an interesting Forbes article published in 2007.
The article looked at research by Harvard social scientist Robert Putnam and focused on leadership principles from the fastest growing churches.
In the article, local pastor Ray Johnston said he was chatting with a member of his congregation one day after the service.
The guy was apparently a successful CEO of a large company who remarked, “Running my company requires everything I’ve got, but I could run a church with one hand tied behind my back.”
Johnston, not one who was easily intimidated by wealth or status, quickly fired back, “Imagine what it would be like if beginning next week, you had to meet with everyone in your company and tell them you had to stop paying them. And yet, you had to be so motivational that you could attract them to work for free and get thousands of them to come to your campus once a week to sing songs and give you money. We have to attract and motivate people without financial rewards being the ultimate carrot.”
For context and credibility, Johnston is the founding pastor of Bayside Church in Roseville, California, which as of the time of this writing is the 14th largest church in the nation with 20,000 members.
Also importantly, the article emphasized what some churches have done to achieve substantial racial integration among diverse populations.
Undoubtedly, there are advantages that churches have when it comes to attracting and motivating people.
But most leaders could benefit enormously from observing what successful volunteer organizations do well—and then applying those strategies as the primary way to motivate their people.
What would happen if we thought of our team members as unpaid volunteers who had no financial incentive to stick around unless they really loved being here?
The following are motivational tools that almost anyone can use to attract and retain top talent:
Model Servant Leadership
The first rule of leadership is that people do what people see. You can’t build a service oriented and hard-working team without modeling that first. A little warmth, unselfish action, and reliability go a long way.
Explain the Vision and Purpose
Good leaders make the vision and mission of the company super clear so that people are never confused about it. They know what they are there to do and why they are doing it. For example, our team conducts psychological evaluations for people who have been found Incompetent to Stand Trial. Our purpose is to provide the most ethical, thorough, and objective evaluation of people with severe mental illness facing criminal charges to uphold their civil rights, and to perform a service to the public and courts by ensuring the proper legal process is followed. When peoples values align with the mission, they become committed to the organization.
Identify Individual Strengths
After decades of research, the Gallup Organization has found that people in a strength zone may be up to eight times more productive than those who are not. It literally pays for leaders to take the time to place people in an area of strength. After all, no one can work in an area of weakness for a prolonged period of time without losing motivation. On the other hand, doing something every day that you are good at, is its own motivation. Volunteer organizations are often really good at soliciting talents from their members that people are happy to deploy because they long to use their gifts and make a contribution. Wise leaders know and leverage this.
Delegate and Empower People (A Bias for Creating More Leaders)
Great leaders identify up and coming leaders, train and equip them, and then turn them loose. If you have burgeoning leaders on your team, they have a natural drive to take charge of projects or lead people. Your job is to spot talent, provide mentorship, and then empower them to take ownership. Leadership guru John Maxwell says that you cant have too many leaders if you are trying to grow something. The more good leaders you have, the better the ability to expand.
Provide Growth Opportunities and Great Training
Research shows that rockstars want to be learning and growing so they know they are advancing in their field or keeping pace with industry advancements. You cannot be a competitive employer if you don’t provide high-quality opportunities for people to advance professionally. People are way less likely to leave a job when they feel it is helping them achieve their professional goals. Bayside church offers groups for grief, divorce, addiction, marriage, youth groups, finances, business, and community service projects like remodeling local schools. People stay because these growth opportunities take them where they want to go with their lives.
Set High Standards
People naturally want to be part of high-performing teams. Think of the Navy Seals. The work is hard and the standard is strict, but people want to be part of that organization for that very reason. Great teams are no different. It has been said that rockstars “recruit and require” other rockstars. Who doesn’t want to be part of a winning team? As the leader, it’s your job not to allow mediocrity to take root because you might start losing your best people. Some of you know that even one low functioning individual member can drag down the team.
Over Communicate
Excellent communication is a vital part of any great organization. Knowing when to use email, when to pick up the phone, how to message difficult information, how to navigate change. Great organizations communicate clearly, get regular feedback from members, and are transparent so people never feel left in the dark.
Say Thank You Often
Studies consistently reveal that leaders don’t recognize or appreciate their team members enough. I hate to say this is usually one of our lowest scores in our job survey. Studies show that workers who are regularly thanked are half as likely to leave a job. Make the effort. Successful volunteer organizations do an exceptional job of recognizing and thanking people for their contributions. They can’t pay them so they thank them. For some people, gratitude is even more powerful than money.
Encourage Balance
Pastor Ray Johnston said something many years ago that may explain why his church has retained so many committed staff and volunteers. He said that he encourages his staff to Divert Daily, Withdraw Weekly, and Abandon Annually. Basically, take breaks so that you don’t burn out. The principle of a sabbatical comes from the term Sabbath and usually means that a teacher or pastor may take an extended period of paid leave every seven years to pause and rest.
Have a great weekend!
Parker
