The Battle Of Needs
There is an unspoken battle of needs occurring at work. Gen Z is challenging leaders to think differently about human needs. Leaders still are still responsible for performance and moving the business forward. How might leaders respond? Read on for recommendations.
Since COVID challenged the way we view work - new terms and experiences in the workplace have become more commonplace. What was once a “perk” or a “benefit” is now expected by employees - particularly Gen Z. Organizations are beginning to prioritize mental health and wellness, people are demanding to be/feel seen and heard, employees are prioritizing themselves over their work, and there is a strong pull to work in a place where there is a strong alignment with individual personal values.
Organizations are doing their best to keep up with this pivot, and yet there are questions around how to maneuver this prioritization on the employee. Leaders are unsure how how to manage the work expectations if someone calls in unexpectedly due to a mental health day. Work still has to be completed so how do they hand off the additional work. And when someone takes on another team members duties…is that too much on the other players on the team? Not only are we working to manage workload but there are fears around the repercussions based on how a leader responds to employee requests - if they deny a mental health day or unintentionally disregard an employees suggestion (making them feel unseen) what happens? The truth is, social media is not the employer’s friend.
The employee has needs. And employers aren’t sure how to maneuver these sensitive requests. They’re still responsible for results - AND any wrong move may result in an organization being “canceled.”
I LOVE that we’re having this conversation because it IS so confusing to maneuver. I’m naturally a people pleaser so, in the past, I would allow my needs to take a backseat to my work, my boss or teammates, my family. I allowed the needs of those aforementioned people/things overshadow my own needs. And it’s no surprise that as a leader, I would prioritize the business needs over what the people on my team might have needed. I judged people who didn’t have the same level of “grit” as I did and yet I was feeling the impact of sacrificing my own well-being - for what? Honestly, nothing worth mentioning.
Needs are needs. My needs are important. The teams’ needs are important. The business needs are important. No one need takes priority over another.
So, what do we do?? What is a healthy way to create boundaries and have productive conversations about getting both needs met?
Remember that a working relationship is a partnership. Employees and employers have an agreement to provide a duty or service in exchange for money. They are not, however, paid to give the business their well-being. Business needs and goals have to be met - and employees are humans…and humans have needs that have to be met as well. Businesses need good humans and humans need businesses to fund their lives - there is mutuality in this relationship.
Clearly define. 1) What are the business’s expectations around results and team play and 2) How will the business honor human needs. Defining these items clearly and articulating this upfront can help ensure that you’re getting into business with people that choose to be in relationship with the business culture you’ve established. They will clearly understand the business needs and it will also show individuals how the business will support them with their needs. Ideally, this is best to define before you hire team members - but once it IS defined, what a great opportunity to reset expectations to your team.
Be curious. If an employee approaches you stating they need a sudden mental health day - how can you, as a leader, stay in curiosity around what they are asking for. Engaging with them and understanding what they actually need might lead to a better solution (for the business and for the team member). NOTE: don’t get too personal around their WHY - but try to understand what they actually need.
Communicate in an unemotional way. Explain to your team member - what does this decision impact - what is it that you need (as an employer). How do you communicate the business need to the employee so that they become a part of the solution.
Work together to find a solution. Compromise is important. This is a negotiation. Sometimes the business might need to flex more - and sometimes the team member might need to flex more. This isn’t about keeping tally on who’s sacrificing more - but finding the best solution for both parties. This might be an opportunity to look back at what parameters we defined and exploring how to keep inside of those boundaries for the business and for our people.
Humans are complicated and there really is no one size fits all solution. If your organization clearly defines what results are expected - this allows some flexibility in how the job gets done and how the employee is cared for. Employees are drawing a line in the sand on how they show up at work - and businesses still have to do business (especially with the economic climate we’re facing). These conversations aren’t going away. We can keep fighting the battle of needs or we can focus on balancing needs through compromise.
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