You're the coolest leader I ever worked for
A few weeks ago, I shared a bit about the work I do with leaders to help them deepen their connection with their people. So what next then? Once you know that stuff, what do you do with it? Well, maybe nothing. It might just be some knowledge you’ve gained and your team will remember you as someone who was a bit more interested in them than other leaders they worked for.
Or you might use it to unleash the coiled spring. Because once you know what your people bring with them (that’s the Past bit), what they are interested and motivated by now (Present), and the version of themselves they want to become (Future), you’re equipped with a whole lot of insight about the stuff that really motivates them. Imagine a day where one (or many) of those people you lead tells a story about you – the coolest leader they ever worked for because, well, you just cared about them and where they were going. And by the time they finished working with you they had contributed significantly to the organisation and made meaningful progress on their own journey.
Past: When we know what our people bring with them, we can encourage them to use those skills and experiences that they already feel strong and confident in, to make a difference to the work in front of us.
Present: When we know what’s really floating their boat in the present (and it might be external to what’s going on at work), we can challenge them to transfer the things they are learning to help us all make progress on the organisational quest. Flipping it around, you might also help them see that what they are focusing on and learning at work might be useful for those bigger things that are driving and motivating them in broader life.
Future: And, of course, when we know what they want for their future, we can start to expose them to the working experiences that also help them take steps towards their aspirations. Sometimes that’s a real challenge because people haven’t thought very far ahead. That’s fine – just work with whatever horizon suits them. It might be a couple of years, a year, six months, three months. Not your journey, so not your call; find where they can realistically focus and go there with them.
When you learn about the journey your people are on by using the Past, Present, Future frame, you can put those insights to good use. One way is to line them up with experiences that help them make progress on that journey, showing that you care as much about the person as you do about the work. This approach sends what Daniel Coyle calls belonging cues (belonging being that critical start point for bringing out the best in your people):
What you bring with you is highly valuable to this group
We want you to be here as a whole person
You have an important contribution to make
You have a future in this group
And, maybe as a slight paradox to having a future in this group, it also dismantles the mindset we sometimes see play out that, in some way, organisations own their people. Instead, it brings to life one of my favourite and often repeated mantras from an awesome Chief Executive at an agency I once worked for: “I can’t promise you a career, but I can promise you you’ll be more employable when you leave”.
Have a go – try finding out more about the past, present, future versions of your people. Then, start shaping experiences to let them bring the most amazing versions of themselves, and to grow towards that person they want to become.