Sticking with the PTO process example…
Current process
Let's say your current process for your people requesting PTO or vacation time is something as simple as…
Your team needs to send you a Slack message requesting PTO dates and that message has to be sent to you at least two weeks before the days that they want to take off.
Super simple, straightforward.
But if you change just one thing about that process, the impact changes.
New process
Now let's say that they don't need to give you two weeks notice. That they can request a day off for tomorrow if they need it without giving you a reason or any justification. Okay, so that's really two changes, but still, those changes have a very different impact on your people.
It can show them that:
You recognize they're human and that life doesn't give us a two weeks notice when our basements flood thanks to a burst pipe or our mom needs us to take her to see the specialist who has the results from her cancer screening.
You trust them to do what's best for themselves while they are still mindful of their responsibilities at work, which is why they don’t have to give you a reason or reveal more than they are comfortable with to justify taking PTO.
You don't automatically assume they will "abuse" this policy the way companies have always assumed that employees will abuse any policy or benefit that doesn't come with very strict rules and restrictions.
Your decisions, the way you choose to do things, makes a difference for your people.
Which means that you have the ability to create more of what you want to see in the world by how you treat your people.
And there’s nothing “soft”, idealistic, or irresponsible about this…
Being a leader who does things differently takes far more courage, integrity, and advocacy than it takes to straddle the whole “way it’s always been done” approach to leadership.
It’s not “idealistic” to want to treat people like actual humans who are capable of doing their work without constant, to-catch-a-predator supervision. It doesn’t make you a “dreamer” who needs to be more realistic if you want to give your people choices, autonomy, and trust. Leading this way doesn’t mean you’re doing leadership wrong.
There are hundreds of studies, articles, and stories that prove that…
treating people like whole humans…
and not programmed worker drones with the sole purpose of pulling levers for the company’s bottom line…
is better for business.
(You can find a whole collection of these studies, articles, and stories here.)
And this isn’t something that you’re doing instead of doing your job.
You get to take care of your people, create more of what you want to see in the world… AND optimize resources, increase efficiency, and reduce risk. AND deliver results and achieve goals for your company. AND be a great leader and valuable member of the team.
This is not a “this” or “that” situation.
This is a “yep, and-that-too” situation.
If this resonates with you or gets your spidey senses tingling…
I'm honestly excited you’re here! I’m looking for more of my people… of our people.
And I invite you to come on this journey with me. Because we get to change lives with our leadership, and it’s way more fun to do it while we learn from each other, vent our frustrations, and make meticulous plans for a Colorado ski trip with wood-burning-fireplace cabins, designated nap times, and maybe a little skiing (that we never actually have to go on).
So let’s connect through conversation on my email list.
Because it’s in connection and conversation and bringing together our squishy (though undeniably classy) collection of brains, experiences, and questions that we learn and grow and make more life-changing magic happen ✨
Leadership Coach
Mental F*ckery Wrangler
Serial Houseplant Murderer