Learning From Who You’ve Hired, Fired, & Promoted
Last week we looked at 2 factors for why your newer team members aren't giving you feedback.
Now let's consider what's impacting your tenured folks.
Not shockingly, it's actually pretty simple.
It comes down to trust and safety within your team & company culture.
Here's the punchline:
The trust and safety you think you're creating vs the trust and safety your people feel can be two very different things.
And today I'm sharing an exercise to help you objectively consider the extent to which actions within the business are contributing, or detracting, from the trust and safety you're aiming to create.
It's an oldie and a goodie: Hire, Fire, & Promote.
Why do we look at these 3?
Here's a cool excerpt from a 2017 article on the topic:
“According to the theory of behaviorism, no behavior will persist long term unless it is being perpetuated by either a positive reinforcer (providing a reward, such as a promotion or praise) or a negative reinforcer (removing a punishment, such as a probationary period or undesirable tasks). Thus, when companies start, leaders set the company's values not by what they write on the walls, but by how they actually act.
As the company grows and senior leadership is not always readily observable, employees begin to act according to what their managers either actively reinforce through praise and promotion or passively reinforce by allowance. Over time, employees become aware of which colleagues are being hired, fired, or promoted, and why.
Did Joe get hired because his references praised his incredible work ethic? Did Jill get fired because she wasn't considered a team player? Did Jamie get promoted because he spent a lot of time socializing with company leadership? Hence, employees quickly learn the “rules of the game” to survive and thrive at their company, and act accordingly, which may have nothing to do with what aspirational values are plastered on the walls.”
Today I offer you a 2 step exercise to reflect on your team's culture by way of who is being hired, fired, and promoted.
(Note: if your immediate team hasn't seen a lot of movement in these 3 areas, expand to reflect on the broader department or org. Your people are absorbing norms and sentiments from observed behaviors around them.)
Step 1: Pause and consider your last few hires, fires, and promotions:
Step 2: Deepen your findings with these reflections:
What makes me proud about what I’m seeing in my hire, fire, and promote culture?
What am I seeing differently now than before this exercise?
What do I want to keep doing?
What do I want to adjust?
If it’s helpful, this exercise is available to you in this free resource worksheet. Make a copy and leverage it biannually to gut check where you are vs where you want to be with your culture.
Bonus points: do this as a management team and/or share your observations with your leader, along with ideas for action.
Next week we’re going to look at the right (and wrong way) to fire someone.
As always, Comment below or send me an email (katie@enduranceboss.com) and let me know what’s coming to mind after reading today’s edition!
