A chief concern I consistently hear from clients is how to maximize the potential of their employees.
Jim CastigliaLet’s start by asking, “What are you paying for?” Are you paying your employees to invest 100% into their roles at work but often getting less return than full engagement?
I’ll relate a story I heard from an international consulting firm with whom I once worked. It made so much sense that I never forgot it. Here’s the gist:
Imagine your employees come to work carrying a big, five-foot-long, 10-inch wide dropper on their shoulders, and it’s full of orange juice. This juice represents their energy. How much juice is left at the end of the day? You, the owner, are standing at the front door of your company as people are leaving. Mary has no juice left in her dropper. She’s given 100% of her orange juice (energy) today. Joe’s heading out the door, and he, too, has given 100% of his orange juice. But Phil’s coming down the hall, and he has about 30% of his juice left in the dropper. You stop Phil and say, “Phil, I notice you’ve only given 70% of your orange juice today. Tell you what I’m going to do… I’m only going to pay you 70% of your salary today.”
What do you think Phil’s reaction would be? I think he’d hit the roof. Do you agree?
Does an Employee Think It’s Okay to Give Less Than 100%
My question is, why does an employee think it’s okay to give less than 100% of his/her energy to the job but still expect 100% payment?
Why do you, as an employer, accept anything less than 100% juice? Isn’t that what you’re paying for?
I have yet to meet an owner who openly admits to being okay with less juice from their people. Yet, less is often acceptable.
So, how can you ensure that your people are giving 100%? Should you even expect that? I would argue that you should. Here’s how
1. Create a high-performance culture at your organization. Larry Bossidy defines culture as the sum of an organization’s shared values, beliefs, and norms of behavior. Values (integrity, respect, etc.) rarely need to be changed. Look at what your people believe to be so (it’s okay to give less than my best) and how that impacts their behavior. Change beliefs; change behavior.
2. Hire the best talent for each role. Talents are formed early in life. You can’t fake it. Gallup defines 34 talents into four main categories: executing, influencing, relationship-building, and strategic thinking. If an employee doesn’t have the talent required for success in a role, they will fail.
3. Understand employee motivation. Money is NOT the top motivator. Why did Elon Musk, Howard Lutnick, Scott Bessent, Doug Bergum, Linda McMahon, Chris Wright, and others join the Trump Administration? For the money? Employees are complex humans with complex motivations. Business guru Frederick Herzberg defined money/pay as a “hygiene” rather than a motivator. If hygiene is lacking, it lowers job satisfaction. But if hygiene is all present, it only gets you halfway to high job satisfaction and full engagement. The “motivators” must be there. These are factors like achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, advancement, and growth.
4. Define where you’re going. This is your vision. This is what you’re aiming for. Vision is best defined as your core purpose, core values, “gulp factor” goals (BHAGS), and a clear written description of what the future looks like (Collins, Porras). Employees want to be part of something special, something bigger than themselves. They want to be inspired by your vision. They want to hop on board and play a game that’s worth playing (see example in #3 above).
5. Understand, develop, and share a solid strategy that will make achieving your vision more likely. Think of Abraham Lincoln’s war aim (his vision) of preserving the Union. General Winfield Scott, a General of the Army, created the “Anaconda Plan,” which was largely followed by Northern forces throughout the Civil War. Think of Roosevelt’s war aim of defeating the Axis powers and ending a world war. General Eisenhower, the supreme Allied commander, created a clear, understandable, eight-step strategy to defeat the Nazis and end the war in Europe. Help your employees understand how their work contributes to the larger picture.
These five steps will help you lay a strong foundation for growth. Keep in mind that business is complex. But if you’ve got these steps down, it will take your company a long way. Grade yourself on these five elements, and contact me if you need any assistance.
Jim Castiglia is the founder of Business Street Fighter Consulting and supports entrepreneurial business owners in their desire to grow and maximize the value of their business. You can reach him at email, jvcastiglia@icloud.com, or text me at 949.338.7141.
