In this issue: Why do so many employees now seem to confuse team with family? How can you develop a highly effective, results-focused team while still relating to their personal needs? How does your workplace keep this balance in place?
Experience
I recently met for lunch with the CMO of a multi-billion dollar firm. In the course of the conversation, she shared that she senses a deep disconnect between what is expected of her and other key leaders at the firm, vs what her mid-level and junior-level staff expect of their leaders and themselves.
In particular, she told me that some of her team continually make the mistake of expecting to be treated as part of a family rather than a team at work.
This CMO is empathetic to her team. She believes in being real with her people, in sharing her vulnerability. She cares deeply about everyone at her organization.
She also is under enormous pressure to deliver results. Her CEO, Board and investors expect them. Demand them, in fact. We live and work in a capitalist society, after all.
Reflection
We need to think about the many ways families and teams are different.
Does our family – our parents, siblings, aunts or cousins – expect us to generate Value in the context of the relationship they have with us? Obviously, they don’t. That’s not how families work.
But our career, even one that’s most fulfilling and amazing, isn’t conducted in a family. It happens in a team. They’re very different things. Successful teams generate Value.
Teams are goal focussed. Families are relationship focussed.
References
PR experts Edelman have been running an annual Edelman Trust Barometer since 2000.
In their recent 2024, report Edelman shared that globally:
- Government and Media are perceived as being ‘Less competent’ and ‘Unethical’
- Business is increasingly seen as not just ‘Competent’, but also ‘Ethical’:
Pew Research has been running an annual report about Public Trust in Government since 1960.
Trust in government as an institution, has been on a steady decline (from ~75% in 1960 to ~20% today):
Moreover, according to another piece of Pew Research, almost one third of all Americans are religiously unaffiliated:
When we trust the government less, and leave behind our religion, then our workplace is the one institution that’s left standing.
We start to regard work as our community, or our extended family.
And yet the shareholders measure and care about only one thing – financial performance.
Self-reflection for this coming week:
How do you manage the emotional needs of your team vs the financial pressure you are under?
If you’d like to discuss your career journey with me one-to-one, please feel free to email me at Greg@moveupfaster.me or message me on LinkedIn.
Thank you for reading.
If you know someone who you think would appreciate this newsletter, please forward it to them.
