PB&J
One of my sons ate a PB&J sandwich every day for lunch through lower and middle school (this was before they banned peanuts). The PB&J is far from a gourmet meal. It’s pedestrian. It’s simple. It is also healthy. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich can be a nutritionally balanced meal filled with protein, healthy fats, fiber, and key nutrients.
The human body needs energy from calories, and in a healthy diet, the foods containing those calories also contain essential elements needed for health and wellbeing. You can get protein, essential fats and nutrients, and fiber from a steak dinner with all the trimmings that has a high price point and takes considerable time. You can also get all those things from a simple PB&J. You probably won’t be able to have steak every day, but you (like my son) may very well have a PB&J (or equivalent) every day.
Organizations need certain things to thrive, much like a human body needs nutrients. Communities need clear direction (vision and values), personal recognition and reward, opportunity for growth, balanced priorities, collaboration, and safety. Like food, these elements come in many forms.
Leaders often make the mistake of thinking they are nourishing their team by providing “steak” occasionally. Meanwhile, people are starving because they are getting nothing else in between the feasts. Like my son, team members need a PB&J every day. Simple, uncomplicated nutrition. So, let’s look at the staples of leadership.
Creating a vision for an organization can be daunting. Once done and initially communicated, it is easy to think you’re done. You are not. For it to be effective you must illuminate the vision. Light it up so people can see it and use it. Find ways to include elements of the vision in everyday conversation, and continually define what success will look and feel like.
Encourage your people publicly when they are doing well, and gently (and privately) redirect them when they are faltering. Praising people doesn’t cost a thing, so be generous with it—just make sure it’s deserved and sincere. If you can tie accomplishments to personal character and mission or vision, you get a double win.
People are naturally self-interested and will be far more engaged and motivated if you share the rewards of their effort with them. This can be monetary but should also include giving them the spotlight and letting them benefit from the access success brings an organization. Think of all the small ways you can give back, not just an annual bonus.
If you want to attract and retain the best players, you must provide opportunities for growth. Encourage team members to read, take classes (you pay for), attend conferences and seminars (also paid for), and then share what they are learning with the rest of the team. Don’t be afraid to let “A players” move around within the organization.
Every part of our lives is important. Having balanced priorities is difficult. Don’t make it harder by demanding more from your team than is reasonable. Not making people work often on nights and weekends is steak. Not sending them emails and texts every evening or during their vacation is PB&J. Pay attention to the unspoken and unreasonable demands you and the organization make and get rid of them.
Good leaders collaborate; they don’t command and control. You cannot collaborate if people won’t talk openly about what is working and what is not. People won’t talk if you don’t listen. Stop interrupting. Start valuing what other people have to say. Stop assuming you are right. Start listening to be impacted. Every small interaction you have with your team matters, so make them positive.
Finally, great leaders provide a safe place for their community to thrive. Physical safety is important, and many organizations have outstanding safety records. What we need every day is the mindset that it is everyone’s responsibility to make our spaces places of mental and emotional safety as well. This starts with acknowledging that everyone is intrinsically and equally valuable and requires each person to limit their own freedom so everyone can feel safe and respected.
Having a steak dinner at an outstanding restaurant every so often is wonderful, but it will not sustain us if we are not eating healthily and often in between those feasts. Our team needs to be fed the key components of a healthy community in many and various ways, every day. Leaders who remember that PB&J is just as important as the occasional steak will grow healthy teams and experience the Bison Way.