When I think about workplaces, one of the most amazing aspects is how often people find their supervisors or managers to be incompetent, uncaring, inefficient or otherwise a negative individual to work for.
People aren't just quitting jobs, they are leaving managers. Let's face it, most of us already don't want to go to work. Not as many of us as we'd hope are working our dream jobs. We have to go to work, to pay our bills, eat, have shelter and have health care access. That is how capitalism works. We can talk all day about changing that structure but in the meantime, we need to survive where we are.
Since we have to be at work to survive, it might as well be the most enjoyable experience. We've seen people make the best out of the most mundane jobs, from parking attendants, to cashiers and janitors. There's no reason why we can't make workplaces pleasant.
But most managers do not have what it takes to lead, especially with Millenials and Generation Z workers coming in full force.
This is why I am so passionate about what is called Servant Leadership. Coined as a term by Robert Greenleaf in 1970. I should note, just because Greenleaf coined the term in 1970 does not mean the methodology was born in 1970. He just put an academic spin on it and helped bring the concept into the mainstream light.
Greenleaf now has an organization that touches on this subject.
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first."
At first, it might sound counter intuitive. For so long, especially in my upbringing, we had an impression of a boss telling us what to do, when to do it and reaming us out if we don't do it up to their standards. There's so many jokes, or "jokes" rather, about wishing the boss was sick or would take a vacation.
Bad bosses ruin everything.
Servant leadership also might sound like a "pushover" boss. But that's not what it is. It's still important--always important--to set boundaries and establish a line of command. Nobody wants to be walked over as a leader and if you blur the line too much, things don't get done and people lose respect for you as a boss. It requires a hearty balance.
True leaders, however, serve from the front. We need more of it in workplaces and in community activism.
Let's look at Hannah. Hannah runs a call center. As a manager, she makes it a point every Monday morning to do a walk-by for her staff. She checks in to see how everyone's weekend was and then asks about supplies. "Do you need any pens or pads?" She asks. Her staff have come to expect it. She is a servant leader. There are material benefits for this role for her.
For one, she is on the floor and developing relationships. Her staff knows who she is and that she is involved. While out there, she can see her staff in action without just directly "watching them."
For two, she is securing productivity. Her staff is not productive without the supplies they need and they may have to pause from sales calls for a moment to restock up, when she could do it in the morning.
She is killing two birds with one stone.
You may be thinking to yourself, well, if her staff was responsible, they'd know to refill before they're out of supplies. There's some truth to that but also some flaws. For one, if they're a busy and productive team, they may not even notice they're running out of supplies until it gets critical. Additionally, not everyone is as much of an independent leader, some people are just there for ride, and Hannah can save time and face by filling in these gaps.
Think of the ripple effect as well. Say Hannah got caught up in a meeting and Julie notices she's out of pads and staples. Since Hannah isn't on the floor, Julie pauses her calls to restock up but with Hannah's leadership in mind, Julie takes a moment to ask her team if they need anything. This will pause her individual productivity while she's off the line but others do not have to pause because she had the foresight to dive in and help everybody else out. She saw her leader do it.
Leaders lead by example.
Is it a perfect formula? Nah. There's no such thing as perfect--in any work place under any style.
Think about Marla. Marla is the front-end team leader at popular and very busy grocery store. She knows the dinner rush is coming at five. She's got all twelve checkout lines open. All the breaks are scheduled for coverage. Now, Marla does a walk through. "Tiffany, how are you on change? Got a counterfeit pen? Rainchecks? What about you Charles? Oh, hey, Steve, you forget to put your nametag on after break, please put that on! Amanda, you said you were short on store ads? I'll get you some."
Would Marla be effective if all twelve had to go gather what they needed--probably at the last minute once it inconveniences a customer at the last minute? Not really. By being thoughtful and a servant, she's making her job easier in the long run.
But also--the cashiers are now more likely to have the time, energy and motivation to provide the service to their customers. People who feel heard and served and more likely to hear and serve.
It trickles from the top, truly. Also, notice how when she was doing her walkthrough, she caught that Steve forgot his nametag? Isn't it better that Marla caught that and not HER supervisor or an angry customer? If she hadn't done the walkthrough, it would never have happened.
Or Christine. Some of her staff work until 7pm although she herself only works until 5pm. It's tempting to run out the door but she examines the warehouse floor first. "Do you all need anything from me before I go?" Even if they don't, she has opened up an opportunity to have voices heard and she now can address needs to ensure productivity in her absence.
Old school style of management would tell you to never bother your boss, to be almost ashamed to have to ask for anything. That's why it's old school. It's time to graduate from that school and open your heart and minds to servant leadership.
You enrich the lives of your staff, you build trust, you catch mistakes and loafing, you develop ideas, you develop relationships. And most importantly, your staff is more likely to replicate this with their customers.
In a way, it is like treating your staff like customers--to a degree. Of course you still have to assert authority at times, as balance is the key to success, but you can do this with a servant's heart. To lead as a servant is to lead into success.
Resources on Servant Leadership:
https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/jvl/vol1_iss1/Spears_Final.pdf
https://www.skipprichard.com/9-qualities-of-the-servant-leader/
http://toservefirst.com/definition-of-servant-leadership.html
https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/7-secrets-of-servant-leadership-that-will-lead-you-to-success.html
https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/manage-servant-leadership
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