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The power of significance

By Johnny Levy

We are facing an unusual convergence of challenges in the workplace. Many companies are experiencing difficulties attracting and retaining employees. There are concrete reasons for this: economic, generational and cultural. What can be done to separate your company from the pack when employee prospects have thinned? One way is understanding the timeless principle of employee significance. Here are five steps to understand and enhance employee significance. 

KNOW YOUR EMPLOYEES

In the influential book “Good to Great,” Jim Collins dedicates an entire chapter to the idea of getting the right people on your company “bus” and getting those people into the proper seats. This takes for granted that you know your employees well enough to determine if you have the right people in the right roles. Knowing your people is the instrument for unlocking their potential within the company vision. This gives them a sense of purpose and satisfaction. We feel significance when we exercise our unique gifts to contribute our highest value.

Every one of your employees has a superpower. Most people exercise it unconsciously. Few people understand it enough to articulate it in a sentence. Once you identify it, you lean into it for exponential effectiveness. Your employees’ path to significance is proportionate to their success at honing in on this superpower. Tim Tamashiro is an author and advocate of the Japanese wellness concept of “Ikigai” or “Life Worth.” In his book, “How to Ikigai,” he states, “according to studies conducted by Gallup through its Clifton Strengths service, your strengths can be amplified. When you put energy into developing your strengths, your growth is exponential. When you focus on trying to fix your weaknesses, your growth is slow, uninspired and only modestly incremental.” The path to significance is a path to effectiveness. This is each individual’s path to leaning into their own superpower. 

LISTEN TO YOUR EMPLOYEES

Helping your employees to greater significance starts with knowing them. Knowing starts with listening. This is a very inclusive way to do business, and by listening to people you show that you recognize they have something worthwhile to say. This is even more important for retaining younger talent, like Gen Zers. In the Employee Benefits News article, “Gen Z Employees are Struggling to Feel Seen at Work,” Dan Schawbel, managing partner at Workplace Intelligence, says, “When employees don’t feel heard or feel their needs aren’t met, they are less likely to maximize their talents and more likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.” Listening affirms employees and increases their sense of significance. 

KNOW THYSELF 

There are many books that help readers identify their superpowers. I recommend “Unique Ability” by Catherine Nomura and “How to Ikigai” by Tim Tamashiro. There are also many personality tests to help people learn about themselves, including Myers Briggs, Clifton Strengths Finder and my own rapid framework: Superpower Quest. Before bombarding others with tests, choose one, feed your passion and clarity, and then invite others as an outflow of your enthusiasm. Learning more about your superpower will help you guide others into theirs.

CALL OUT THE GOOD 

Praise is effective when it is specific. Don’t just say, “Good job solving that problem.” Tell the employee the specific character quality you noticed and how it affects the team. For example, “I noticed that you showed initiative when you … that motivates the rest of us to look for opportunities to make an impact.” When you call out accomplishments, you give a road map to increased significance. 

CONSIDER THE ORGANIZATIONAL BENEFITS

In order to motivate yourself to play the long game of maximizing employee significance, consider the benefits of a team in which each member feels valued and significant: 

Enhanced Output. Positive psychology demonstrates that people are highly fulfilled and effective when they reach a “flow state,” also called “being in the zone.” It’s the mental state when you are performing an activity, and you become fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus. Imagine that you can help your employees find their “flow,” so you are not only putting them in the right seats but maximizing their effectiveness within that seat. Imagine your team firing on all cylinders and loving it! This is the power of helping them achieve their flow.

Retention. Employees of any generation tend to stay where their desires are met. My company produces “Best Workplaces” campaigns in which we survey thousands of employees, asking them to give feedback about their workplace experiences. High performing companies often have employees who comment that their workplace “feels like a family.” Among other things, the idea of family speaks of a culture of mutual investment; a place where you belong; where you are significant. You can enhance your sense of family by fostering significance.

Profit. Profit is a byproduct. The most sustainable profit is a byproduct of a healthy workplace. When you have high retention and a good reputation in your community, it reduces your costs of talent acquisition, which affects your bottom line. People operating in their superpowers will have a positive impact on sustainable revenue.



Johnny Levy is the president of DataJoe Research, which produces “Best Workplaces” and other research campaigns across the U.S. Johnny uses insight gained from identifying and celebrating highly engaged workplaces and his experience as a business leader to help other business leaders increase workplace health and employee satisfaction. He has a passion for helping people and companies understand their “superpowers” and lean into their areas of greatest joy and effectiveness. Follow him on LinkedIn for tools, book recommendations and more.

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