Navigating the balance beam of grace and goals
We’ve all heard people describe their workplace like this, “We’re like family around here.” Usually, it means we treat each other well, we love each other, we respect each other, we work towards common goals, we come to each other’s aid, and more.
Certainly, we don’t want to retain employees who are not performing just because they are part of a “family”, yet at the same time, we want to create an environment that has family elements in it. If you lead a firm, you must balance people AND profit, grace AND goals, equality AND hierarchy, life balance AND late-night deadlines, family time AND corporate needs.
It’s essential to both love people and create a work environment that cares just as much about the firm as the person who works in the firm. After all, if we don’t do our work with excellence and make a profit, there will not be a company to care for a team member and their family.
David Ulrich is one of the top 10 “most innovative and creative thinkers in the world”. He is a researcher on HR best practices, and he has interviewed thousands of workers, managers, and leaders. His conclusions are clear, it is not just about profit, procedures, or product, It’s about PEOPLE! According to Dr. Ulrich’s multi-year studies,
“We all work for the same thing—and it’s not just money. It’s meaning. Through our work, we seek a sense of purpose, contribution, connection, value, and hope. When we achieve meaning through our work, we succeed beyond our wildest dreams.”
The Bible, the best leadership book in the world, tells us we have several leadership roles. Some are outlined in 2 Timothy 2:3-6. We are to be dedicated like a soldier; willing to fight and endure hardship. We are to be diligent like a farmer; willing to work hard for the long haul. We are to be disciplined like an athlete; willing to train hard and win. Those roles are easy for most of us to agree with. Yet, over in 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, Paul shakes up the leadership paradigm and says that when he was among the Thessalonians, he was like a nursing mother.
“Even though we had some standing as Christ’s apostles, we never threw our weight around or tried to come across as important, with you or anyone else. We weren’t standoffish with you. We took you just as you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. We loved you dearly.”
Here are some things to keep in mind as you navigate the balance beam of the corporate firm and the family culture.
As leaders in the 21st century, we must realize that many of our team members come from broken families, and they are looking for meaning and connection at work. Therefore, it’s a good idea to create a culture that is a place of realized potential, a place of being seen, loved, valued, and celebrated.
As leaders, we should strive to create a culture of honesty, trust, love, grace, and forgiveness that would be attractive to someone who grew up in a dysfunctional family.
As leaders, we can create an environment that encourages healthy, strong relationships between team members where people are looking out for each other and helping each other win.
It may be time to say goodbye to the underperformer you’ve been keeping on the payroll. Yes, love them as a person but help them out the door of your firm since they never achieve their goals and always cause dissension.
Treating each other as a family never means ignoring out-of-line behavior or a team member doing something illegal or unethical.
The workplace should reward and retain based on performance, talent, and profitability or achievement of the non-profit missions’ objectives. This contrasts with how most families operate, which is more along the lines of acceptance, love, companionship, fun, and grace.
If you’re looking for a personal and professional connection with a peer group, consider how you could benefit from joining a Convene Team. These groups exist for the purpose of putting leaders together with cross-industry peers who are actively growing together in the principles of biblical leadership. These intentional communities offer support, encouragement, strategy and can solve the “loneliness factor” many leaders face in the workplace today.
About the Author
Greg Leith
Greg Leith is the CEO of Convene. He was born in Canada and lived in all four corners of North America. His career spans over 35 years of senior leadership roles in corporate, non-profit and academic sectors. Recently, he served as Director of Strategic Alliances for 13 years at Biola University in California.