What is a people centered organization? It is one where leaders believe in the unlimited potential of people and the conviction that the source of a company’s success is its people. The results are the growth and flourishing of the business and the growth and flourishing of each individual. It is realizing and believing in the abilities of each member of the organization.
Building a people centered organization is a win-win for everyone. Employees want to believe that they matter, that they are valued and respected, and that their voice is heard. This is fundamental to enhancing well-being, fostering employee engagement, and cultivating a great place to work.
Leaders are foundational to building a people-centered workplace. Cultivating positive relationships and focusing on your stakeholders are essential qualities that inspire others. There are several foundational principles:
- Caring about and benefiting people – all stakeholders – equal to caring about results and profits.
- Assuming that people have positive intentions; that people are doing their best with the information and resources they have available to them.
- Cultivating the culture that everyone within the organization matter and ensuring that all stakeholders have a voice.
- Establishing channels for stakeholders to share thoughts and opinions.
- Fostering an emotionally, psychologically, and socially safe working environment. Assuming positive intent creates a safe space for people to be vulnerable and open.
- Valuing diverse opinions.
- Building trust.
- Sharing responsibilities.
- Building collaboration instead of competition between co-workers.
- Praising and acknowledging accomplishments, including small accomplishments.
Recent studies demonstrate that teams with people-centered leaders are,
- 17% more likely to report that they are high performing,
- 20% more likely to say they make high-quality decisions, and
- 29% more likely to report behaving collaboratively
In addition, each 10% improvement in perceptions of inclusion increases work attendance by almost 1 day a year per employee, reducing the cost of absenteeism. Employees WANTto come to work! Inclusive Leaders
Employees are involved and treated as customers and consumers instead of assets or resources. This is what is needed to enhance employee well-being, retain and attract talent, increase employee engagement, and foster high performance teams — The essential ingredients for individual and business success!
Providing leadership with the skills and practices to become a people centric organization are the pathways to make this happen.