How to Achieve Success Through People

Your people are your biggest asset. People service your customers, solve problems, and help drive innovation. Happy people → happy customers = increased growth. That’s achieving success through people!

Though, often when your employees are dealing with personal change and transition it can also impact their employee experience. This has an impact on your customer experience.

So how do you achieve success through people especially during times of disruption and transition?

Make sure leaders lead with people in mind:

Leaders who are most successful don’t make it about them – they make it about their people. Sure, leaders get stressed out as well. They’re not immune. Nor are they immune to the impacts of workplace disruptions or changes. However, they are responsible for planning, managing and often leading changes. Good leaders never stop leading. Especially during times of change and disruption, they stay visible. They communicate often and with transparency. And they constantly request feedback and solicit ideas. They integrate each individual’s ideas, experiences, expertise, and strengths and leverage differences to create a high-performing organization. Leaders must focus on improving the employee experience to reduce turnover from The Great Resignation. When leaders listen. When leaders show empathy. When leaders stay flexible. When leaders consider the needs of their people, they are more likely to see less disengagement and higher levels of employee and customer satisfaction.

Be ready to make changes for a positive future:

Change is inevitable. Change comes whether you want it to or not and often unexpectedly. As we’ve seen with the Coronavirus pandemic. Global events, external drivers, new business initiatives, new technology, new processes and procedures, leadership changes – all require new behaviors and ways of doing things. Being ready for change requires your organization – and your people – be agile and responsive. This can help increase and accelerate the acceptance of changes and smooth transition during times of disruption. The more you can prepare for and embrace change the faster you are likely to adapt. Organizational change is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it has to be painful or costly. Don’t view change as a negative. Look at change as a way to continue to improve and grow for both your people and your organization.

Know your direction and don’t be afraid to course-correct:

Your strategy determines your direction. Your strategy informs who you want to be and charts the course for how you are going to get there. Your processes define how work gets done to move you in that direction. Not only should you know the strategy and have clearly defined processes – but your people should know those as well. Unplanned external factors and disruptions to business as usual (BAU) won’t always align with your strategy or planned direction. So, take the time to update your strategy and supporting processes and policies. Be honest about what needs to change and why. Identify how you plan to make changes. Communicate. Be sure to articulate changes to your strategy, processes and policies to the teams – from leadership to the interns – and customers as appropriate. If people don’t know where they are going and how – it’s awfully hard to get there. And if people don’t understand why things are changing or see the benefits, it’s even harder for them to get behind changes.

Keep your high priority projects and programs moving:

Let’s face it, not all of your projects were or are priorities. And some will yield a higher ROI than others. Some are probably even in conflict. During times of change and disruption, it’s the perfect time to re-evaluate your priorities and projects as aligned to changes to strategy, processes and policies. For example, with the impacts of COVID-19, resources could become an issue. Some things may need to be placed on hold and others accelerated, as given unplanned business changes they may now hold a higher priority. Consider a sound framework for managing your projects. Don’t ignore risks – address them. Be sure to account for change management and develop and implement a clear communications strategy. Develop a clear governance structure for decision making and make sure those participating provide support to manage the people side of any changes caused as a result of the project or program.

Disruptions happen. Change impacts employees and staff. When people are unhappy – they don’t give 100%. This reduced productivity and engagement lead to negative impacts on the customer experience. That has negative impacts on profit and growth. Don’t fall prey to The Great Resignation. Take the time to reduce workforce anxieties and solicit input. Put the energy not into “going back” but instead into moving forward to a better future.

To achieve success through people it’s important to keep your employees happy. Show your people they are your #1 asset – that you consider them more than just cogs and drones. When you make an effort for your people – they’ll make an effort for your business. Win/win!

About Scott Span, MSOD, CSM: is CEO at Tolero Solutions. His focus is – people. He is a Leadership Coach, People Strategist, and Transformation Consultant. He supports leaders, teams, and individuals to survive and thrive through personal and professional change and transition. He supports organizations to engage and retain talent and wow customers, achieving success through people, creating places where people enjoy working and customers enjoy doing business.