People come to work to have their needs met. If needs are not met, people can feel demotivated, unhappy, moan, criticise and eventually leave – all the things you don’t want in a business – all the things that tell you leadership is not working.
So, is leading your people and getting the best from them, about connecting with their needs? It would appear so.
The secret of successful relationships and leadership is to treat people the way they need to be treated, not the way we need to be treated.
What we need to understand about needs?
- Each of us has a unique set of needs
- It is not realistic to expect all our needs to be met
- People with different needs, may negate our needs, without intending to
- If our physical needs (water, food, warmth) are not met, we die
- If our emotional needs (appreciation, trust) are not met, we die emotionally (unhappy, depressed)
Do unmet needs affect performance?
To the extent that needs are not being met, expect people to be off focus (moaning blaming and criticising). Research indicates (CIPD) that 12 days a year are lost with people being off focus. If our needs are not met at work, our energy is subconsciously diverted to were we can get our needs met, distracting us from doing the day job. Click here to calculate the cost to your business of not meeting people’s needs.
Is an individual’s need more important than the business need?
No, the business need always has priority over an individual’s needs. Successful organisations meet the business need without neglecting the needs of people. In fact they recognise that the energy and motivation needed to achieve those organisational goals, is a consequence of needs being met.
What if we can’t meet the need?
This will often be the case but if we sense a willingness from others to meet our needs wherever possible, goodwill is maintained and we are more likely to go the extra mile. It is only when we feel our needs are being dismissed that we are likely to disengage.
If all people ever hear is management’s needs and the business needs, never their needs, expect them to disengage, be demotivated and under-perform.
Why does BP2W make such a difference?
BP2W provides you with a measure of your people’s needs and a system that allows people to articulate their needs in a positive, undemanding way. It is these needs conversations that will transform working relationships.
If people’s needs are met at work, they are likely to enjoy coming to work and they will want to be there. Hence, you can expect less absenteeism, reduced staff turnover, less moaning and criticism and of course a subsequent improvement in morale, productivity and profitability. Your place of work will be an even better place to work.
If our needs are not met at work, apathy and low morale subconsciously diverts our positive energy and we lose focus, become distracted and then disengaged. Research indicates that 12 days a year per employee are lost to these conditions (CIPD).
