Ready to elevate your leadership game and transform your team's dynamic? Our latest Lead Culture Podcast episode is full of strategies for nurturing your team's growth and well-being. We kick off the new year by underlining the importance of team development, diving into the essential components of organizational success: purpose, people, and plan.
Discover why your team is the most valuable asset in achieving your mission and how reinforcing your commitment to their development is the ultimate investment for driving success.
You'll gain practical advice on creating a work environment where everyone thrives. We delve into the nitty-gritty of role clarity, shared values, and personal growth opportunities, ensuring your team members feel valued, understood, and integral to your organization's future.
Find out how to foster a sense of belonging and purpose, especially crucial in hybrid work settings. Plus, we wrap up with actionable steps for leaders to enhance team performance and how sharing these insights can lead to collective improvement.
We need your help to get the Lead Culture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:
Ready to elevate your leadership game and transform your team's dynamic? Our latest Lead Culture Podcast episode is full of strategies for nurturing your team's growth and well-being. We kick off the new year by underlining the importance of team development, diving into the essential components of organizational success: purpose, people, and plan.
Discover why your team is the most valuable asset in achieving your mission and how reinforcing your commitment to their development is the ultimate investment for driving success.
You'll gain practical advice on creating a work environment where everyone thrives. We delve into the nitty-gritty of role clarity, shared values, and personal growth opportunities, ensuring your team members feel valued, understood, and integral to your organization's future.
Find out how to foster a sense of belonging and purpose, especially crucial in hybrid work settings. Plus, we wrap up with actionable steps for leaders to enhance team performance and how sharing these insights can lead to collective improvement.
We need your help to get the Lead Culture podcasts in front of more leaders! There are three simple things you can do that truly help us:
The Art of Leadership Network. Well, hey, leaders, welcome to the Lead Culture Podcast, part of the Art of Leadership Network. I'm your host, Jenni Catron. Each week, I'll be your guide as we explore powerful insights and practical strategies to equip you with the tools you need to lead with clarity and confidence and build a thriving team. My mission is to be your trusted coach, empowering you to master the art of self-leadership so you'll learn to lead yourself well, so you can lead others better. Each week, we'll take a deep dive on a leadership or a culture topic. You'll hear stories from amazing guests and leaders like you who are committed to leading well. So let's get started on this leadership journey together.
Speaker 1:Now, church leaders, let me catch up with you for just a minute. 2024 will likely be a pivotal year for you and, more likely than not, it'll be a pivotal year for your church as well. To help, my friend Carey is releasing his annual church trends to guide you through the year. Each year, these trends are used by hundreds of thousands of leaders to understand the current landscape of Christianity and prepare for what's to come in ministry. After years of chaos and heartache for many church leaders, it's a great time to look to the future. The rise in the head isn't all roses, but at least it's addressable. This year's seven disruptive trends focus on the disappearance of the stable church, the new core of your church, as millennials and Gen Z move into their prime adult years. Discipleship technology, or should I just say AI, and a new kind of emerging megachurch pastor. You get the seven trends, insights and a team guide for free at 2024churchtrends. com. Again, that's 2024churchtrends. com. That's 2024churchtrends. com to get the seven disruptive church trends that will rule 2024, and you'll get a free team guide with it as well.
Speaker 1:All right, friends, happy 2024. Can you believe? Another year is here and I was thinking about this year, and supporting leaders and supporting your teams is absolutely the passion of Forsythe. That is our mission to cultivate healthy leaders, to lead thriving teams. That is what it's all about for us. And as I was thinking of trends for 2024, speaking of that topic specifically, I've really wanted to challenge you to make this year the year that you commit to the health and development of your team.
Speaker 1:I know that you care about your team. I have no doubt you care about your team, but a lot of times we are so busy managing all of the other myriad of responsibilities, that sometimes our team gets the least of our energy. And, just given the current state of the last few years, it seems like the dust is finally settling on the chaos of what has been a pretty volatile workplace situation, right Like pretty volatile work dynamics, from figuring out remote work rhythms to dealing with the great resignation and quiet quitting, to skyrocketing costs of living that are also impacting compensation. Both employees and employers have been trying to find your footing, haven't you Right? Like we've all been trying to figure out this landscape in a lot of shifting over the last several years now, and so what I see over and over again is that great leaders understand that your team is the most valuable resource you have to achieve your mission this year. Let me say that again your team is the most valuable resource you have to help you achieve your mission this year, and that's why I wanna encourage you and I wanna challenge you that you make this year the year you commit to the health and development of your team. Guys, this intentionality will not be wasted.
Speaker 1:I was thinking a lot about just different critical moments in my leadership journey when I was building teams for just kind of building out teams, for big vision, big picture on the horizon, and I have never regretted giving more time and energy to the development of my team, no matter how big the goals were, how grand the vision was, how busy it was. The more time and energy I've invested in my team, the more rewarding that has absolutely been, and so one of the tools that I use in working with leaders is something that I call the building blocks of organizational success, and it's a little visual that just kind of represents the bell curve of growth. Right, that bell curve moving up into the right, trying to pursue the growth of your mission but supporting that growth are like three stair steps to building blocks and they're purpose people and a plan. Right In that order from bottom to top purpose people and a plan. Now, most of us get the purpose and the plan down right Like, we naturally go there.
Speaker 1:I imagine that, even as you've anticipated 2024, you've been carefully refining your purpose as you enter the new year. Right Like, anchoring yourself in your mission. You're committed to that mission, to your why, the reason that your organization exists, and then you have a vision for what the year ahead looks like. Right Like. I think for a little while leaders were a little hesitant to have vision, but I think we're starting to like reemerge and go wait a minute. I know this for myself I have been a little slow to reengage a big vision, but I'm getting back to that Like I'm getting excited about what's the big vision, what's the big idea, what's that future look like? And then you couple that with building the plan right To make that happen, right. So you've got a clear mission and vision and now you're going okay, what's the plan? What are the strategic goals that will make that vision possible?
Speaker 1:We do a lot of strategic planning at foresight, both for ourselves and for some of our clients, and this last quarter of 2023, I had so many clients reaching out saying help us work on strategic planning, like it's time to really build that plan, which is all really, really good, but what often gets neglected in the excitement of that work is the people who make it all possible, right. So I often will do a strategic plan with a team and one of the things that gets identified is that we actually need to invest in our team. We need to invest in the health of our team, the health of our culture, maybe some of our systems for how we structure people, from organizational charts to clarity of roles and responsibilities, to development right and helping develop our team, maybe in their skills and competencies, or maybe in their leadership skills, and so what we often find when we do the purpose and the plan work is that, oh wait, we've got a big gap in developing our people. And so I want you to recognize how critical your team is to achieving your purpose and your strategy. They really are the linchpin between your purpose and your strategy, and so the development of your team. While it's such a passion point for me, I hope I'm helping you see the reason why this is so critically important for the overall mission, vision and direction of your organization, because oftentimes, in our excitement to chase the vision, we forget to be intentional, to invest in our greatest resource our people. So today I want to share with you five needs that your employees have and how you can address those needs. Five needs just core needs that your team has that I think you can actually provide pretty easily, but a lot of times they're just kind of off our radar. Just a quick note this also applies to volunteers. So, whether you're managing other staff or maybe a team of volunteers, investing in the people who are partnering with you in the mission is absolutely critical, and these five core needs exist, whether they're staff or volunteers. So let's take a look at these five core needs Now.
Speaker 1:The first one is I need to know what's expected of me. Every team member is asking how do I succeed? What's expected of me? Now you might be thinking, okay, I've got somebody on the team who's been here 10 years. They know, they know what's expected of them. Or they've been here two years, but they know they know what's expected of them. Guys, they are asking this question all the time how do I win? How do I succeed? What's expected of me? So I need to know what is my role and my responsibilities. What do you expect from me?
Speaker 1:I think clarity is really really valuable, because that's where little fractures occur in our organizational culture is when people don't. They have one interpretation of their role and their responsibilities and you have another, and if those two things don't match, it creates friction, doesn't it? So, just helping clarify that for every team member, you might start your one-on-ones at the beginning of the year, just saying let's just do a quick check in on your role and responsibilities, anything that you need clarity on. Can I give you a little insight of some of the things that I think are most critical for you this year, because, leaders, I'm certain that you have some things that you think are really important for your team this year, for each individual, but if you haven't articulated that to them and clearly communicated that to them, you're leaving a gap and that can start to create frustration. So they want to know what's expected of them. How do they win, how do they succeed? So give them that clarity of their role, their responsibilities, and then provide feedback, guidance and support for them to succeed in that role, which we'll talk a little bit more about in one of the other needs.
Speaker 1:But this first need is I just need to know what's expected of me. I need to know how to win. Now the second need that team members have is I need to know how we work together. So now my first need was I need to know what's expected of me. Now I need to know how do I work within this team, how do we work together, how do we win together? So I need to understand how I interact with the rest of the team, like, what is my relationship with the rest of the team? How do we work together. Where do we collaborate? Who needs to be involved in what? Where do I need to? Who's accountable? You know using different resources and tools to help clarify how we work together.
Speaker 1:A key part of this are the values that guide your team. I am a big advocate of every team should have a set of values, guiding principles that help answer who we are and how we work together. Every team should have those and every team member should absolutely know them. So if you need a refresher on that, go to our website and you can check out a great resource we have for you on that. We'll put that in the show notes for you as well. But every team member the need they have is to know how do we work together? How do we work together as a team? What are the unwritten rules and expectations? What is our mission, vision and goals Like? I need to know what we're aiming for as a team and I need to know how I can contribute and how I work with the rest of the team to make that possible. Again, leaders, a lot of this feels intuitive or understood to us, but you have to make sure you are actively clarifying it for every person on the team that they understand what's expected of them and, secondly, how we work together as a team.
Speaker 1:Number three the need that I have as an employee is to have the opportunity to grow. Every team member wants to grow. Guys, I hear this a lot from when I'm working with different teams, doing employee engagement surveys and things, and every team member is saying how do I grow here, how do I advance here, what are the opportunities for me? Now, a lot of you are in small to medium sized organizations and there's not a lot of opportunities for promotions by title because there's only so many fixed seats in the organization. But every team member wants to grow, they want to learn, and so we need to provide opportunities for development. We need to create opportunities. Even if we can't promise promotions, we can promise development. We can promise to keep equipping them, helping invest in them, helping them grow their skills, help them keep growing and getting better, and so every employee has that need. They want to grow, they want to get better, so provide opportunities for development. Give them active coaching. It doesn't mean you have to pay for an outside coach although I'm a big advocate of that because we do so much of that here at Forsyte but actively coaching and supporting your team by helping them learn and grow is a core need that they have and something you can absolutely provide for them.
Speaker 1:Number four a core need for every team member is to belong. I want to belong, like all right. We have such a human need to belong. We want to be a part of a group, we want to be a part of a tribe. It's very core to how we're wired, so I want to know that I belong here, that I am making a positive contribution with a group of people that I particularly enjoy being with and get energy from being with. So I need feedback and encouragement for how I'm contributing right, in order to feel like I belong, I need to know and I need to hear from you, my leader, that how I'm doing so, giving me that feedback, giving me that encouragement for how I'm contributing, connect the dots for me to know that what I'm doing matters and is impacting the big picture right. That's going to give me a sense of belonging and purpose in the work that I'm doing.
Speaker 1:Connections and support for my coworkers is big and so, leaders, the more that you can foster that is really, really important. So there's a dance now of many of you have hybrid work environments and so you have to figure out how to create connection, even in a virtual scenario. So you know, make sure when you're hopping on Zoom or a video chat that you're just creating moments of chit, chat and connection and you're not just like just jumping into the agenda, but you're creating moments of connection. If you use a tool like Slack, use that and create just fun chatter and opportunities for people to connect. Create in-person opportunities where team members are actually face to face. That proximity builds relationships. The relationships builds trust, and it takes much more time virtually to make that happen. So you accelerate connection, you accelerate that feeling of belonging by having team members together. So be strategic about that. And people feel a sense of belonging when they feel like they have friends at work. This stat shows up over and over in employee engagement surveys that people are most engaged when they feel like they have a friend at work. So we wanna help foster those connections that increase a sense of belonging.
Speaker 1:And then, number five, the core need that I have is to be fulfilled utilizing my gifts for a mission I believe in, and so this one is kind of the culmination of the others. The others kind of have to exist in order for me to ultimately feel fulfilled and utilizing my gifts, and so we wanna make sure that we are really creating opportunities for team members to use their gifts and their strengths, that we have good alignment between their gifts and their strengths and those roles and responsibilities. If you've put somebody in a job that really they are not gifted for, it is going to be, it's gonna be an utter disaster both for them and for you, because they're gonna be frustrated, you're gonna be frustrated, and that misfit is going to create incredible tension and ultimately result in somebody and you parting ways, and rarely does that happen very well. So opportunities to use their gifts and their strengths, that you are aligning people with their gifts and their strengths so they really feel fulfilled in their work, which ultimately leads to them having a sense of their personal mission, is aligned with the organizational mission. There's the congruence between the things that they are passionate about and the work that they are doing, and so these five core needs create remarkable engagement, they create extraordinary connection and build healthy culture.
Speaker 1:So just to review them really quick, these five core needs, the first one is I just wanna know what's expected of me. Number one to know what's expected of me. Number two, to know how we work together as a team. Number three, to have the opportunity to grow. Number four, to belong. And number five, to be fulfilled, utilizing my gifts for a mission I believe in. So, leaders, let me ask you this question which need do you feel the most of these five? Right, before we even talk about your team, let's talk about you.
Speaker 1:Which one of those do you need, right? Maybe you're lacking some clarity on your role or responsibility, or maybe you're not feeling very connected and feel like you're belonging. What's your need and how can you address that? First for yourself, right? Just to say, okay, I'm noticing I have a need here. How can I address that? And who do you need to ask for perspective, feedback or support to help fill that need? Guys, I can't tell you the number of times where I have recognized that I've had a need as an employee, like one of those five was just off and I would actually go to my boss and say, hey, here's what I'm lacking. I'm lacking clarity on how my role is contributing to the bigger picture. Can you help me connect the dots there? Or you know what I need to grow? I'm feeling a little stuck and here's some opportunities I'd like to pursue. Would you be comfortable with me pursuing these things, or do we have the budget for this, or whatever the question might be, you probably need to ask someone to help support you in filling that need. So I would encourage you to do that.
Speaker 1:And then, after you've addressed what's the need that you're lacking in, what needs do your team feel? Might be different for each team member, right? Your team member may have a little bit of a different need, but I encourage you to start this year by asking them where they need the most support in order to succeed this year. That's the way I would phrase it if I were you is. I would sit down on my first one, on one of the year, and I would just say, hey, where do you need support in order to succeed this year? And their answer will help you understand which need is the most acute for them. They might say you know what? I just need clarity on our goals for the year. Or you know what I feel disconnected. You know I'm a remote worker and I'm not in the office with the team as much, and so that it's going to give you a sense of that belonging need is a need they have. So just by asking them where they need the most support in order to succeed, it's going to tell you which need is the greatest need for them, and so I want to encourage you dig into this, think through these needs, first for yourself, then for your team, because here's the thing this won't be perfect. These are not linear, they're not like exactly in that order of those five, although they do build upon each other somewhat. But the more attuned you are to the needs of your team, the more you can support them and equip them right, and so the more aware we are of the needs that our team have, the more intentional we can be in providing the support that helps them more deeply engage and ultimately, ideally, that leads to greater retention, greater engagement and more momentum towards your mission. So, leaders, let's make 2024 the year you build an extraordinary team.
Speaker 1:Now, speaking of building great teams, are you on my email list? Each week, I share insights, articles and resources to help you lead yourself and lead your team even better, and we have some fun and exciting new things that we're going to do this year, and my email list is the first place we talk about it. So go to our website, getforsightcom. That's G-E-T, the number four, s-i-g-h-tcom, and you will quickly see the little pop up where you can sign up for my free insights newsletter. That's the place that I communicate the newest information the quickest. So if you are not already on that list, I want to encourage you to do that.
Speaker 1:And then let me know what you thought of this week's episode. If you're brand new, maybe you heard the compilation episode Carey's s podcast last week from all of us that are a part of the Art of Leadership Network, so maybe you're brand new to lead culture. I want to welcome you. Thanks for joining me. I'd love to know what you thought, so send me a message on Instagram or Facebook we're just at at getforsight, or on LinkedIn at the 4sight Group, and you can also find me personally at Jenni Catron, on all of those channels.
Speaker 1:And finally, friends, I would love it if you would share this episode with another leader. Maybe this sparked an idea that you feel like your, your team, should talk about. Hey, let's talk about these needs. What are our gaps? Where do we need to focus? Share it with another leader and then, if you haven't done that yet, would you go leave a five star review. That helps us just communicate with more people. Bring good content and keep equipping you to lead well. I would so appreciate your support in that. So, friends, let's get started well in 2024. Thanks for listening today. Keep leading well and I'll see you next week.