Human-Centered leaders know the value of employee engagement and satisfaction, as well as a fulfilling work environment.
As we sprung into spring this April, we hosted our Impact Breakfast: How To Be A Human-Centered Leader. Attendees were enlightened by the words of our presenter, Jim Mayer. Founder of TCO Strategies, Mayer has spent over 20 years in the manufacturing industry, and is passionate about creating healthy working environments and achieving growth goals.
As the workplace continues to change, whether in-person or remote, it is imperative that leaders become more aware of the needs and well-being of their employees. In turn, it is equally important that employees help their managers and other leadership know how they wish to be engaged with, and what will give them the most satisfaction when it comes to their work and individual development.
What is Human-Centered Leadership?
Human-centered leadership is a management style that values the well-being of employees over the success of the organization. Leaders that take this approach exhibit four key characteristics:
- Effective Communication Skills
- Empathy
- Detail-Oriented
- People-First Approach
By setting these standards in their daily interactions, leaders can show their employees that they value personal growth and satisfaction of individual team members above all else. By implementing this approach, benefits can include the following:
- Increased Talent Retention
- Decreased Turnover Rates
- Increased Innovation
- Improved Data-Driven Decisions
Human-centered leaders help create a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. This can lead to increased productivity and creativity from team members. Employees will become more productive when they feel good about their job, and how their leaders treat them through active engagement. High employee engagement creates higher quality of work and less employee burnout.
How to Engage Employees When Working Virtually
For those leaders who manage remote teams, it can be difficult to engage with employees. Remote work often eliminates face-to-face interactions, and changes the open-door policy to something closer to an open-chatbox policy. While there is no pre-packaged solution, it is important to remember the following: Don’t only ask the right questions, but listen to the answers and act on them. One way of implementing this philosophy is through employee surveys. What you do with survey data speaks volumes to your employees. Actions can speak louder than words, but sometimes words are the call to action.
Ways to Become a Human-Centered Leader
Consider these human-centered leadership elements, and how you might implement them in your leadership style moving forward:
- Make Everyone Feel Heard
- Be Compassionate
- Care About Growth
- Support Without Interfering
- Remember That Everyone Has a Story
- Curate An Inclusive Team
By choosing to become a human-centered leader, your company will be impacted by a positive change brought about by the happiness and satisfaction of engaged employees, and a healthy company culture.
Ready to become a human-centered leader? Learn more about this approach to leadership in the recording of our April Impact Breakfast!