People make your business, so it helps to treat them like humans, not robots

I have worked with people who know this so intuitively that it almost seems too obvious to even discuss. And I have also worked with people whereby this is their kryptonite. Where they are so comfortable in task‑mode, EBITDA and productivity, that they totally lose sight of the people making their business and the way to get the best out of them.

Everyone wants to feel like their contribution matters. That they feel challenged, stimulated and significant at work. That they are seen, heard, cared for, listened to and clear on how they and their work connects – to the bigger picture and one another.

We can whittle people down to numbers on a P&L, or we can flip the focus, so both people and the business grow.

I have had the privilege of working with businesses who have won countless awards for being a ‘great place to work,’ ‘employer of choice,’ ‘best of the best’ and the difference is often leaders and systems that recognise how people make businesses. That they are not there to be another robot on a conveyer belt. (This post might not age well, but you get my point!)

We want to feel safe. We want to matter. We want to be recognised for the humans we are, not just the productivity output we bring. Although of course, feeling productive, challenged and doing great work is motivating in itself!

Businesses who show this, prevail. Those who panic and lose sight of this quickly lose their people and their customers. Being human is as commercial as it gets – People drive performance, innovation, loyalty and pretty much every meaningful outcome a business has. Starting from EBITDA and working backwards is like building a roof first, very quickly you realise you don’t have the foundations for a home!