4 Ways Business Leaders Can Support Their Employees' Goals

Over the past two years, we have all watched the evolutionary processes in the workplace brought about by the Great Resignation. Take flexible working hours, for example. They are now the norm in many industries that claimed jobs couldn't be done well remotely. However, one result of the mass exodus of employees has yet to be explored and examined: how to help employees feel that their work matters.

Do employees really care about progressing one way or another? According to research, yes. Of those who left their jobs in 2021, the Pew Research Center found that 63% cited no path to advancement as the reason. In other words, they had no way to achieve their goals in their business. So they left in the hope of finding new employers who would not compromise their growth.

If you're a leader, you have to pay attention to numbers like these. Even if your team members seem content and aren't giving up quietly, they may still feel like they're going in circles. In this case, they might not be members of your team for a very long time.

Rather than risk avoidable attrition, consider implementing the following management strategies. Each is designed to transform your workplace into a space where employees can name, claim and surpass their personal goals.

1. Recognize and accept that everyone has different goals: Tonya Towles, Founder and CEO of the PCS Pro Team

You already know your personal goals as an entrepreneur, CEO or leader. Don't assume that all of your employees share your goals. It's a huge mistake, but it's one that many very successful artists make. What makes it so potentially disastrous? You'll get the carrot wrong and you won't realize that your employees lack inspiration until it's too late.

Tonya Towles, Founder and CEO of Team PCS Pro, admits that realizing that her team members didn't share her big goals was a revelation. However, she used this realization to improve the way she leads others. “My mother had an expression,” she explains. "'If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.' Not everyone's contentment or success is the same Remove the bias of what you think is a good goal Who wouldn't want to win a million dollars It surprised me when someone told me said no."

The best way to find out your employees' goals is to ask. Of course, as the boss, you may not have time to do this with every person. Ask supervisors to discuss personal goals with their direct reports. The more you know, the more you can help everyone around you grow.

2. Allowing Team Members to Make Mistakes: Melanie Clark, CMO at Abstrakt Marketing Group

Have you made many missteps in your career? Sure. We all have. That's how we make discoveries. Those of us who are lucky end up not repeating the same mistakes twice. And those of us who are really lucky end up working in companies where mistakes go unpunished.

How can you make sure your team members know it's okay to trip? Melanie Clark, CMO at Abstrakt Marketing Group, has an answer: provide support so employees feel comfortable stretching. "Whether it's emphasizing the importance of risk taking or encouraging team members to speak up and take ownership, we've been able to develop a corporate culture that rewards ambition and creativity,” says Clark. “When I took office, I knew that it was up to me to set the tone. We had to be ready to take risks and serve as role models for our teams. This meant encouraging them to take ownership of the projects. It also meant providing support when things didn't go as planned. »

The thing is, you can't tell your employees, "We're helping you achieve your goals," if you don't let anyone fail. Victories are great, but failures can become stepping stones to greatness. Everyone has heard that Thomas Edison's journey of inventing the light bulb was a slow and arduous process of experimentation. The reason was simple: Edison knew that to get closer to his goal, he had to break a few eggs (or bulbs!).

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