Most people are aware of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs that outlined the basic needs of all human beings. Some people in a position of leadership believe that money is the foundational motivator of their employees. If that is true then the real question is how much money is it going to take to keep them? The answer is more. They will have to pay them more than the next Company because if they don’t the employee will move on for a dollar more per hour or an additional perk.
In my studies of human behavior I have concluded that our employees need more than just money. I have interviewed hundreds of employees to determine their core needs. The following is a summary of those needs;
1) They want to work with a Company that they can be proud of.
2) They want to work with a Company that is both growing and profitable.
3) They want to work with a Company that is focused on satisfying the wants and needs of the people they serve.
4) They want to work with a Company that teaches them new skills and competencies that can be utilized both on the job and in their personal life as well.
5) They want to work with a Company where they have a voice that is heard and listened to and when applicable acted upon by Management.
6) They want to work with a Company that keeps the best people, those that represent the soul of the Company.
7) They want to work with a Company that pays a fair wage, a portion of which is based on performance.
Where do you rank on a scale of 1 – 10 as a Leader?
Occasionally we all must take a long hard look at ourselves to honestly answer the hard questions. What kind of Leader am I? What could I do to become a better Leader? The method I have for many years is known as a 360 Evaluation. Here is how one works.
You gather up the people that work directly for you and the people that you come in contact with the most on a daily basis. Now understand this is not a Boss / Subordinate interaction. The objective here is for you to become a better Leader and who knows better than the people you lead.
You are also not allowed to say anything to them in this meeting other than elaborating questions such as, please elaborate on your answer or please give me an example.
You get a tablet and take notes on the six questions you ask to analyze later in an attempt for you to learn what you can do to become a better leader.
The Six Questions of a 360 Evaluation
1) What are my strengths?
2) What are my weaknesses?
3) What am I doing right?
4) What am I doing wrong?
5) What do you think I should stop doing?
6) What do you think I should never stop doing?
When the meeting is over thank them for their honest feedback and now lets all get back to the business at hand. Review your notes at a later time to determine what you need to do to become a better Leader. Thereafter implement the required changes into your daily routine.
To become a better leader you must learn from the experts. I know in my heart that had it not been for the influence of Jim Rohn, Chris Widener, Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Denis Waitley which is just the beginning of a very long list, I would not be where I am today. Push yourself, do the work, become the type of person that others admire and respect and want to be like. When you accomplish this you will become the type of person that others will want to follow.