Most business leaders see their job as managing results. Results are important, but they’re only half the leaders’ job.

The other half? Managing respect.

Our experience and research lead us to this core truth of business leadership: Employes of all generations desire and deserve a work culture where they are respected and validated for their aligned ideas, efforts, and contributions, every day.

When employees experience respect and validation, they bring their best. They proactively solve problems, work cooperatively, and wow customers. They feel a part of something positive and powerful - and they love working for you. So, they stay.

When employees are discounted, dismissed, and demeaned, they disengage. They invest little. They spot problems but don’t fix them. They do the minimum - and look for ways out of the organization. Many quit and leave. Some quit and stay.

Respected employees build your business. Disrespected employees have no compelling reason to do that - so they don’t.

How can you build a culture of respect in the coming months?

Define exactly what you mean by respect - then model it, celebrate it, measure it, and hold everyone accountable for it.

A definition alone isn’t enough. You must formalize tangible, observable, and measurable behaviors that specify how you want people in your organization to demonstrate respect.

Valued behaviors are “I” statements that describe how you want people to treat each other - in every interaction, every day.

Here’s how one client formalized the valued behaviors that embody respect.

1. I communicate directly with the people involved at every opportunity.
2. I seek and genuinely listen to others’ opinions.
3. I come prepared and actively participate in every interaction.
4. I validate each person’s talents and contributions within the organization. 

When you read these valued behaviors, there is no question about how staff must interact to effectively model respect. Nothing is left to individual interpretation. There is no confusion about what “respect” means - it’s defined in behavioral terms.

To build credibility and confidence, leaders must be role models of these behaviors. By demonstrating these behaviors, validating the demonstration of these behaviors by others, measuring these behaviors, and mentoring those who struggle to embrace these respectful behaviors, leaders 

Learn more about our proven approach and how to measure values alignment in our Amazon bestselling book, Good Comes FIrst at https://goodcomesfirst.com.

We’re not yet over the “Great Resignation.” The latest job report indicates that another 4.2 million US workers voluntarily quit in August 2022.

LinkedIn’s 2022 Workforce Confidence Index found that nearly 25 percent of Gen-Z respondents and Millennials plan to change jobs in the next six months. This study found that Gen-Zs and Millennials deliberately seek careers that offer:

1. Better alignment with their interests and values
2. Opportunities to learn and practice new skills
3. Better compensation and benefits
4. A new industry or job function
5. Opportunities to move up or increase responsibilities

If your business doesn’t address these needs, you’ll lose talented people and have a tough time attracting younger generations.

Here are three things business leaders must do to create a great place to work for Millennials and Gen-Z’s.

Pay equity. Close gender and racial pay gaps. Pay at the top of the range. How will people know where they are in the ranges? Be fully transparent with ranges and with your compensation strategy. Some states now require compensation transparency, including Colorado (here’s one county’s example.

This will cost your business money. You may have to raise prices or focus on products and services that are most profitable – and which can help cover extra costs. Ask staff for their ideas on reducing expenses.

Career dynamics. Create job flexibility. Allow people (who want to) to change departments or divisions where they can learn new skills, work with experts in a different part of the business, and embrace new responsibilities.

By creating career opportunities within your organization, Millennials and Gen-Z’s won’t have to leave your company to satisfy these development needs and desires.

Love your people. Thanks to Tamara McCleary for this key strategy! Too many bosses over the past four decades don’t like their people much less love them. In today’s marketplace, if you don’t love your people, get out of leadership. You won’t be able to implement the changes noted above if you don’t demonstrate authentic care for those you work with.

A month ago, the term “quiet quitting” hadn’t made much of a mark. A social media post on the concept went viral – and now everyone is talking about it.

I was delighted to join BBC News’ The Context broadcast and speak to host Nuala McGovern about quiet quitting – and how business leaders can address it.

This podcast includes the audio from the live broadcast on August 25, 2022.

What is quiet quitting? It means employees are no longer going “above and beyond” – they’re doing exactly what their job description says they should do. They’re not taking on extra work; they’re doing what they’re paid to do.

The pandemic – across the globe – has put tremendous stress upon employees, no matter the industry. People have been asked to do way above normal because of staffing shortages, people quitting, etc.

Employees are emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted. We used to talk in the HR industry about people “quit and leave” and people who “quit and stay.” Quiet quitting isn’t the same as “quit and stay.” It is team members literally doing only what you paid them for.

Nuala McGovern asked if quiet quitting is just a new term for an age-old problem within the workplace of having perhaps a non-motivated workforce.

What’s different today is the impact of a crappy culture – and the choices available to employees in this market.

Most business leaders don’t pay attention to the quality of their work culture, but employees really do. And so here in the US, we’ve had 60 million Americans voluntarily their jobs since January 2021. It’s particularly different now because people aren’t going back to work for companies or leaders they don’t respect. They’re not going back to work for companies where they were mistreated. For people who have not resigned – yet – quiet quitting gives them space and time to reflect. They’re doing the bare minimum because they don’t think they’re being treated fairly. They aren’t being respected or validated daily.

Nuala asked how bosses and companies can turn that around.

Business leaders have no choice. They must pay attention to the quality of their work culture. And again, most leaders have never been asked to do that. They’ve never been taught how to do if they find their work culture is lacking.

The single best way to retain and attract talented, engaged team members is for business leaders to shift from a work culture where results are the only important thing to a work culture where respect is important as results.

When employees feel respected, they bring their best thinking. They solve problems proactively. They go beyond the minimum because they love the company. They feel respected by their bosses and their colleagues in every interaction.

Employers and bosses must take a hard look at the degree to which their people are treated civilly every day, and at the degree to which employees are respected every day for their ideas, efforts, and contributions. The reality is that many, many more organizations demean and discount employees rather than validate and respect employees.

Thank you for listening! Learn more at DrivingResultsThroughCulture.com.