Leading and managing well is the first role listed within any seat of a person on The Accountability Chart® that manages even one person. Managing individuals and the best interests of the entire organization simultaneously can be challenging, even for those who pride themselves on being a great leader or manager with a decade or more of experience.
Some might even say that you cannot serve the whole organization and individuals at the same time, as there are competing interests, incentives, and desired outcomes. To me, that’s a common business misconception worth exploring here.
Serving the Greater Good
At EOS Worldwide, our yardstick for measuring how well we serve others is always to pursue the greater good of the organization. Here’s the simple formula:
This is where the first part of the equation, the Vision/Traction Organizer®, represents the simple two-page business plan comes in. The V/TO® defines the vision for where you’re going as an organization and how you’re going to get there. It ensures you remain laser-focused on what matters most, reducing or eliminating distractions, shiny things, or “squirrels.”
The second part of the equation is actually a multiplier to greater good being achieved: Genuine Care and Concern. This is where all of your words, actions, and behaviors must emulate the way you want people to be treated in whatever way, displaying genuine care for others or “putting the love in it.”
Putting it all together, defined this way, serving the greater good is the highest and best work we can all do every day. Because serving the greater good means taking care of people. When we take care of people, our people take care of hitting our numbers, achieving 90%+ weekly to-dos, completing 80%+ of Rocks quarterly, and getting everything we want out of our business. We all live happier lives and enjoy the work we do together.
But what happens when serving the greater good feels at odds with serving the needs of an individual?
What about when you have the right person on the team (they share our Core Values), but there is no right seat that matches their skill set, and you have to let them go? How do I serve that person well? Isn’t their departure at the expense of what’s best for the company?
This is where creativity and patience come into play. Assuming there is no right seat based on their experience or the seat has outgrown their capabilities, it truly is serving the greater good of the organization to relieve them of their duties.
Yet, anyone on a team where there is no right-fit seat is very likely not enjoying their work and not feeling fulfilled, either. So, it is out of love that we can help them find happiness elsewhere.
We can achieve a peaceful resolution for both the departing team member and the organization. While challenging and potentially fueled with intense emotions, done with love and planning, it can be solved.
As an example, we’ve done thoughtful transitional plans over time with exiting team members, allowing them the grace to find other employment and train their replacement. In times where this is not possible, simply being open, honest, caring, and following up with members after they’ve found other opportunities helps ease a difficult departure (it says we still care about you, even if you’re pursuing another path). We’ve even found former team members have thanked us later for having the courage to make the tough call, as they’ve found their life’s passion and are living a better quality of life (and may not have made the change if we’d not initiated it ourselves).
The culture of the business relies on the cultivation of greater good in mind. Otherwise, there is no business to serve. With intentional care in its execution, individuals and the core business can be served well. If only you have one core ingredient: courage.
YOUR PRIVACY CHOICES