The top of any CEO’s mind is growth. “Grow or die” is the mantra. There are also many points of reference for companies that have been destroyed by the growth they seek. By and large, entrepreneurs and CEOs know that employees who work for Companies don’t care about their growth, except it enriches their finances, status, and well-being. The challenge for any leader then becomes meeting the needs of employees while not compromising on the Company priorities.
At the core of growth, it is pertinent for you and me to remember this truth: “Businesses don’t grow, people do.”
Maria joined Xenel Bank in Bulawayo-Malawi. She joined as an intern. Fast forward five years, later she examines her life. “I have been doing the same thing over the past five years. It’s time to move on. I am tired of being a teller.” The company has consistently registered double-digit growth figures over the past five years. Executives reward staff with bonuses every Christmas, but Maria professes not to grow and wants to move on. Personal dissatisfaction builds when an employee perceives sameness, even for the most conservative employees. Allow me to make an exception that I am referring to employees working in the private sector. Government employees usually love the status quo.
Is it possible for an employee in a growing Company not to grow? Is it possible for an employee to grow in a stunted Company? Should your leaders be responsible for challenging you? Should you be responsible for finding new challenges? Should the pay increase because of how long you have stayed at a Company or be based on performance? Is the thirteenth cheque enough for there’s more to life? These are some of the questions in the growth equation.
As you focus on personal growth in the context of the Company you’re working with, you need to examine the following:
- Motivation: “Until you know what motivates you, you don’t know what you’re looking for, and you will never get it.” We all show up at work for different reasons. One thing I can guarantee you is that we all think it is about the money. That is partly true, but not the whole truth. Examine why you show up at work.
- Utility: Decades ago, the relationship employees had with employers was pretty straightforward. Employers had jobs they needed to fill; we had bills to pay, things we wanted to buy, and certain skills we could offer, so we tried to get that open job. This basic relationship also meant that work was always about utility, that is, the bare-bones, essential tools and resources an employer can provide employees to get their jobs done. Is that what you’re still about, or have things changed? Of course, things have changed. “My mental health comes first,” a Gen Z says. It is no longer about utility alone. Are you looking for utility or wholesomeness?
- Productivity: Managers used stopwatches to time how long it would take employees to complete a task to shave off a few seconds here and there. All of this was designed to improve productivity and output while emphasizing repeatable processes, such as the famous factory assembly line. Times have changed. Today, remote work is a reality. Productivity is about output but some companies still punch the clock. Are you looking for the clock punchers or for the output gurus?
- Engagement: “Hey, maybe we should pay more attention to employees and what they care about and value instead of just trying to extract more from them.” This was quite a revolutionary approach that shifted some of the focus away from how the organization can benefit and extract more value from employees to focusing on what the organization can do to benefit the employees and understand how and why they work. The more engaged an employee is, the better! Do you want to grow an engaged work environment or a disengaged one?
Personal growth is highly dependent on the structure, just like a person only grows to the extent of the skeleton. Using the above, examine the environment that favors your growth. Not all workplaces are designed to favor your growth.
