Some organizations, like the one I work with, are chock full
of very important people and tasks, including extraordinary feats, celebrity,
and impact on the world around us.
Within these organizations are people like me. Not in the top three levels of contributors
to the critical work done here, and lacking in the knowledge of the essentials
of the esteemed work produced. They used
to call us, support services staff. Now
that refers mostly to those who are administrative support only, but the name
is appropo. We may change the face of
how work is done, develop solutions that keep the organization going, encourage
someone indispensable not to leave, but we remain on the outer circle of the
organization’s pulse. We may see the
connection to the heart, but rarely do those steeped in the critical work. This is not a complaint. Just an observation. I have been in this role in each of my career
steps. I was in the University
environment but was not faculty. In the petroleum business, but not a commodities
trader, retailer, or refiner. I am now
in health care, and I am not clinical or a clinical researcher.
I am, however, like
many people. We make up much of the organizations
and without us they cannot run as effectively.
However, we are at times like the spectators.
I have been developing leaders and coaching for many
years. One thing they will hear me say, often, when talking about change, is to
“make everyone feel like an insider.”
The same might go for how leaders communicate with employees, in
general. Recognition in a high stakes
and highly regarded organization is often reserved for the superstars. We want them to be lauded, because it brings
the organization the reputation that it holds.
Connecting the dots to mission and real time success for the others seems
challenging. We sometimes see gratuitous
recognition that may offer a bump in engagement for the day, but without the
acknowledgement of the connection to the larger picture of success, the self-proclaimed
nobodies look to be somebodies outside of their organizations. These same people are leaders in their
communities, family heroes, creative writers, and local athletes (not me…!). What
would happen if they felt like somebody
at work? I want to challenge you to
recognize those in your organizational midst in a way that affirms their role
in the essentials. Not just the comment
at a meeting, but a clearer connection to the core work. If you do this, wait to see how engagement
swells.
