LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP
By Robert L. Bailey
It doesn't exist, but you can turn your job to nearly perfect
I have found that most people require new challenges or new forms of motivation every five to seven years. The human being is built to be challenged--to be stretched--to learn new things.
Most American workers go through life looking for the perfect job--the job that continues to elude them. Before you phone the number at the end of this column, I should warn you that it does not exist. No job is entirely "perfect." Most jobs have certain characteristics that are not exactly fun. But perhaps there's a way to make most jobs at least closer to perfect.
This is not a scientific study as such, but I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that over the past 40 years, I've talked to 300 employees who have come to me because they don't like their jobs or they don't like their bosses or they don't like the pay, the benefits, the hours, or some other aspect of their employment situation.
My standard question is, "If we could unbottle a genie who instantly could give you the perfect job, what would it be?" In nearly every case that question is met with silence or the words: "I don't know."
My questioning continues, "If you won $20 million in the state lottery and you didn't need to work, what would you do?"
The most frequent answer is, "I'd travel."
"OK, you'll travel for three months--or perhaps six months--and you'll get tired of it. Then what would you do?" I continue.
In nearly every case the answer is, "I don't know."
"What did you dream about doing when you were a little girl (or little boy)?" I ask.
Most can answer that question. But it seems that most stopped dreaming at a very young age.
"If you can figure out what you would do if you didn't need to work--something that you love so much that it doesn't seem like work, you'll be successful," my advice continues. That's probably the reason for the success of Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, and Ray Kroc of McDonald's fame. They truly loved what they were doing so much that they didn't consider it work.
That's why some agency principals and company CEOs continue to be motivated throughout their careers. Others become tired, bored or otherwise demotivated. As leaders, we must find ways to motivate ourselves and to motivate others by making the various jobs around our agencies and our companies as perfect as possible.
I have found that most people require new challenges or new forms of motivation every five to seven years. The human being is built to be challenged--to be stretched--to learn new things. Those who are not newly challenged every five to seven years experience the glide slope. Performance starts to slip just a tad--until, over a period of years, performance has slipped to an unacceptable level. Then we wonder what's happened to Ol' Joe or Ol' Jane. Well, they're just sick and tired of doing the same thing for 25 years. They're counting the days to retirement, not yet recognizing that a person has to do something worthwhile until he or she dies. And maybe even after death--I'll let you know about that later.
New forms of challenge and motivation every five to seven years? Yes, I know, you've always heard that people don't like change. (If the word change spooks you or your people, don't use that term. Everyone loves opportunity. And they love improvement. After all, if a change isn't an improvement, don't make it.)
I can prove without a single thread of doubt that people love change. I've tried this with hundreds of people through the years. The results have always been the same.
"OK, you don't like change," I've told hundreds of people. "If you don't like change, and if you have at least 20 years remaining in your career before retirement, I'll give you a written contract to work your current job in exactly its present form--not a single detail will change--until you retire at age 65. And we'll pay you $250,000 a year. If you're unable to perform that job competently, you must give the money back with interest." I've never yet had a taker.
Then I extend the stakes--a salary of $500,000 a year; $750,000 a year; $1 million a year. Even at these salary levels I get only a sprinkling of hands.
In a group of about 300 people recently, I got one hand at $500,000 a year. Then I asked the rest of the group, "Do you think she can do it?" The audience responded with a resounding noooooo! I'm convinced that people cannot do exactly the same thing for 20 years or so and remain highly motivated.
You see if people don't want to do the same thing until they retire--and if they don't like change--what else is there?
This proves, I believe, that people like change. What they don't like is for change to be crammed down their throats. They like to have some input into the situation. They need to be told of the reasons for the change--how it will be implemented. Lay all the facts on the table. And take your time in making the change. Make sure it's properly communicated. Too many people imagine the worst: Am I smart enough to learn this new job? Will I like my new boss? What happens to me if it doesn't work out? If I don't like this new job, is there any other option?
Everybody needs assurance, even top performers. They need to know that they are needed in your organization and have security and a future with your organization.
A friend of mine who recently retired as the CEO of a competing company was always in the process of reorganizing his company. I often chided him that he centralized during the even years and decentralized during the odd years. Obviously my accusation was an exaggeration, but I learned something about the management process by watching his company from a distance. His company was in constant turmoil. People were being moved around often--from city to city--as one office closed and another absorbed the work. Yes, the constant reshuffling provided an opportunity for him to stimulate his people and to get the right people in the right slot. People were challenged frequently. Ineffective people were not offered jobs after the reorganization. No one had an opportunity to become overly comfortable in any one job.
Perhaps his method worked. But I think it produced unnecessary stress and shock for the employees and their families. And the cost to relocate these folks was enormous. I prefer, first, to hire good people who have the ability to move upward in an organization and who are willing and able to accept new job challenges through the years.
Many employers say that employees are no longer loyal. The reason there is too little employee loyalty is because there is too little loyalty of the employer to that employee. If employers show loyalty to employees, most employees will reflect that loyalty.
Employees need to know what's going on in the company, and they need to understand the significance of the role they are playing in the success of the company. There must be some fulfillment from their employment. They must be able to see progress on a day-to-day basis.
Agency principals and company CEOs need that same challenge and job stimulation. This can generally be achieved by setting new performance plateaus. In my former company, I set sales goals (I wanted to build a billion-dollar company), net worth goals, expense ratio goals, and service goals. When our company reached one of those goals, I experienced great personal satisfaction from the team's victory.
Opportunities. Improvements. Challenges. Job stimulation. Personal and professional fulfillment. These are the ingredients of the near perfect job. *
The author
Robert L. Bailey is the retired CEO, president and chairman of the State Auto Insurance Companies. He is now a writer and public speaker on the topics of leadership, selling value, strategic planning, and similar business issues. He is the author of Plain Talk About Leadership (Franklin University Press - 2002). He can be reached at (740) 333-3092 or rlbailey@dragonbbs.com.