What Employees Really Want
Employee: Once again, in April 2016, I find myself in India. More precisely, at the Dheradu Airport. I have almost lost track of how many times I have been traveling in one of the most important and exciting growth markets of the world over the last 10 years. According to my rough estimates, it could easily be close to a hundred times. During my numerous stays on this unique subcontinent, I have come to know and appreciate it very well, despite all the professional challenges that this time repeatedly brought with it. Even during this journey, I have had conversations with more than fifty leading entrepreneurs, CEOs, and spiritual leaders about leadership, management, and of course, the meaning of life. These conversations always bring new insights and enrich me on various levels.
Because, for many years, I have been on an intense global search for the answer to two burning questions:
- What are the success recipes of successful and satisfied people?
- How can leaders mobilize the maximum energy of these people in the workplace? In essence, it is not only about advancing and making various companies more successful in a globalized world but also about shaping this world with all its huge current challenges sustainably.
I have not yet found all the answers in their entirety, but I come closer to them on every journey - especially the trips to India. As usual, this stay also includes many appointments in various companies. During a first visit to a large company that produces electronic components for Phillips in New Delhi, I am amazed when most leading employees tell me that they have been working satisfactorily in this company for over 20 years. A similar picture presents itself at a university hospital in northern India: Leading employees also confirm here that after 15 years of service, they would not consider changing the company at all! I encounter similar cases at one of the most successful manufacturers of solar collectors. Everyone declares themselves happy, everyone wants to stay. In a dynamic market where job-hopping is practically the order of the day, this fact seems all the more astonishing to me. I want to know the reasons behind it and I ask!
Upon my direct questioning about why these many employees feel such a strong emotional attachment to their companies, I hear answers like: "I feel as comfortable here as at home with my family." "Enormous appreciation has always been shown and continues to be shown to me." "My performance is highly recognized and rewarded." And consistently, this word is mentioned throughout: Appreciation! Surprisingly, few talk about salaries and bonuses. These important monetary aspects do not seem to be the reason for the general loyalty to the company. I find that India is extremely fascinating for our job market for various reasons:
- The opportunities in a market with 1.2 billion inhabitants and a still existing GDP growth of over 5 percent are enormous. The risk of talents leaving the companies relatively quickly is therefore much higher than in a market like Europe, where work opportunities are limited.
- The still prevalent management method of commanding and controlling, as well as the very specific social structures in India, could easily lead to the assumption that Indian employees are "forced" to be motivated.
- However, despite these clear facts, Indian companies have excellently managed to bind their employees to themselves in a special and effective way.
- Many employees who are loyal to the company also attest a high level of appreciation to their superiors in return.
- Also in India, as in many other cultures I have personally encountered, appreciation and recognition are among the factors that employees most yearn for.
Due to the above factors and the fact that in Europe more than 70 percent of employees no longer feel a genuine connection to the company, it is all the more interesting to learn how managers in India meet the most important of all demands - showing appreciation. I have been able to make the following observations:
Rapid and genuine feedback desired!
Employees appreciate quick, honest, and above all constructively critical feedback; they do not want to be spared. They want to maximize their potential for improvement. It is probably mainly due to the fact that the developing country of India brings with it the fact that people are truly hungry for knowledge and constantly want to develop. Therefore, Indian managers never hold back from telling their people in an appreciative but clear manner what they can or must do better. I have always noticed the tremendous ambition of the people there in India, an additional factor that directly supports the prevailing feedback culture. For this reason, Indian executives also enjoy the reputation of working hard and ambitiously when they lead globally significant corporations.
Presence makes an impact!
In all companies - even in larger organizations - top managers are constantly on the move in the operation to personally get to know their employees and their way of working. In conversations with people here, I always hear that a regular "presence" of the boss and their clear interest in the processes and employees is desired as genuine appreciation, but unfortunately is often not lived. In this respect, Indian executives are a step ahead...
Caring - being there for the employees
Many Indian leaders have recognized that productivity in their environment only works when they connect professional life with personal life. Therefore, they often support their employees in solving complex private problems. For example, they pay for their children's school or bridge other financial gaps. They are even promptly available in the event of personal tragedies within the immediate family circle. This is very much due to the Indian culture and would probably not work to this extent in our regions, but could be a leadership approach in some (rare) cases and in a diminished form.
The leader as a friend
Surprisingly, even in government circles where a strict hierarchy is still the order of the day, I have met managers who are always striving to build a close emotional bond with employees, for example through regular conversations, voluntary information events, and an open-door policy.
Self-reflective employees
Many of the managers I had the pleasure of meeting in India are strong and extremely self-reflective individuals. I think this is because they practice intense self-reflection. They regularly turn their attention inward and look for ways to constantly improve themselves. Or they reflect on their mistakes without blaming others first.
These are my insights, gathered over an extended period of time. I find them very important and probably also groundbreaking for many other economic regions.
However, once again, it becomes clear how far the gap between theory and effective implementation can be. What sounds simple in theory is often an almost insurmountable hurdle in practice. However, asking the right questions can often help. A question that could help many companies is, for example, this: "How can I show more appreciation to my employees?" Only those who ask will receive answers. And you don't necessarily have to travel to India for that.
More about our Top100 entrepreneur Andreas Dudas and India can be found HERE:
http://www.excellente-unternehmer.de/redner/andreas-dudas-global-leadership.html
