A manager’s job is to rally people around something bigger than themselves.
It’s like the old story of two men cutting rock in a quarry. The first, when asked what he is doing, answers, “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m breaking big rocks into little rocks.” The second man, on the other hand, answers, “I’m part of a team building a cathedral.”
Who do you think has more passion for their work?
A manager’s job is to connect people to a higher purpose. Look at the difference between flying on Southwest Airlines versus any other airline. The people at Southwest know that their job is to make flying accessible and enjoyable for the general flying public. They are in the customer service business—they just happen to fly airplanes. That’s their mission and that’s what they do. As a result, they come across as being regular people having fun, people who take their work seriously but themselves lightly. Southwest flight attendants are famous for their freedom to ad lib and do fun-loving things that lead to passengers having fun and returning time and again—and all of this happening on planes with no frills, no food, and just the basics on board.
A manager’s job is to rally people around something bigger than themselves. At Southwest the goal was to democratize flying. It’s a part of their “warrior spirit” that continues to this day.
What’s your organization’s rallying cry? How well is it known throughout the organization? Is it something framed on the wall, or is it lived day-to-day? The best companies understand that the most important work is the work that happens the furthest from the top of the organization and the closest to the customer.
As managers, it’s important to not only identify the work that needs to be done, but also why the work is important and why it matters
Companies get the level of engagement that they deserve. Make sure that you’re working as hard at creating purpose and meaning as you are at directing the activities that people need to engage in. Constantly remind people of how their work fits into the bigger picture. It is the manager’s and the organization’s job to make people feel important and to make their work feel important.
If something is meaningful and purposeful to someone, they will take care of the details. Give your people something to believe in. Identify and live your mission and purpose today.
About the Author
Scott Blanchard is a principal with The Ken Blanchard Companies® and the cofounder of Blanchard Certified, a new cloud-based leadership development resource and experience. You can follow Scott through his monthly column at Fast Company or via The Ken Blanchard Companies’ LeaderChat blog and @LeaderChat Twitter stream.
