Creating a Culture of Care: A Cornerstone Practice for Conscious Leaders
The concept of care may seem out of place in a competitive organization, but it should be a cornerstone practice. Care impacts the work environment and meets the highest need that colleagues crave, which is purpose and meaning.
In this post (click to jump to content):
- Embracing Flexibility and Care: The Evolution of Leadership in Today’s Workplace
- Empathy vs. Compassion: Why Active Compassion is Key to Creating a Culture of Care
- From Command and Control to Care and Flexibility: A Conscious Leadership Model.
- Care for the community Meaningful Work, Meaningful Life: The Connection Between Purpose and Productivity in the Workplace.
- What can you do now to make your contribution count?
By Suzanne F. Stevens, Conscious Leadership and Social Contribution Cultivator, Founder, YouMeWe Social Impact Group Inc., Part of the Nobody Wants to Work Series.
To be a conscious leader, one must create a culture that addresses colleagues’ basic needs and their motivational, relational, self-actualization, and transcendent needs. The higher up the colleague hierarchy of needs, the more successful a leader will be in retaining top talent.
To address the multitude of needs, a Conscious Leader must incorporate many fundamental practices to create a culture of “we.”
Yes, you guessed it. The first practice is care.
Embracing Flexibility and Care: The Evolution of Leadership in Today’s Workplace
I used to be a rigid leader who lacked flexibility, but after interviewing 100s of Conscious leaders, I realized the power of care as an essential practice. Now, I encourage leaders to challenge norms and demonstrate care for colleagues by providing flexible work hours and focusing on project progression rather than the hours worked.
Now more than ever, colleagues bring their authentic and whole selves to work. Thanks to the pandemic, uniforms are shredded, hair is untamed, tats are exposed, and our feet are free! (Finally, there are fabulous flats.) Our home life comes to work, and our work life goes home or down the stairs.
Leaders’ roles have changed; they must be visionaries and strategists, mentors, cheerleaders, and therapists.
Empathy vs. Compassion: Why Active Compassion is Key to Creating a Culture of Care
If you look at the values of many organizations, you will find among their values “empathy.” And although an admirable characteristic, it also can be unempathetic. Empathy is understanding or sharing the feelings of another.
For example, a colleague’s family member has cancer. You say, my dad died of cancer… and I remember… Does this scenario sound familiar?
Do you recall what happens next?
You got it.
The conversation starts to be about you. Now, where is the empathy in that?
Worse, we think we understand what someone is going through. No two situations or people are the same, nor do people process information similarly.
Take a colleague who, during the pandemic, was working from home, is a single parent, homeschooled, and has a black son. How can you, a white adult without children, be able to empathize? It would be naive to suggest you could.
Empathy doesn’t consider our intersectional identities and all the unconscious biases associated with them.
So, the next time you are tempted to say, “I know how you feel,” STOP. Because you don’t.
Use active compassion.
Compassion is fundamental to creating a culture of care. You don’t only feel for another or a situation; you’re prepared to do something about it.” A compassionate leader listens with intention, meaning they are present, listening with all their senses to a colleague’s perspective, interests, and issues. Demonstrating intention in all communications will foster respect and loyalty.
Most importantly, it will enhance colleagues’ well-being, happiness, and productivity, empowering them to perform at their best—if you want that.
From Command and Control to Care and Flexibility: A Conscious Leadership Model.
More Conscious leaders are challenging the norms by demonstrating care for colleagues through HOW they structure the organization to benefit the teams’ personal needs by:
- Providing flexible work hours. Millennials have been asking for this for years! Thanks to the pandemic, we know people work at home – often working more!
- The workforce lost many women due to homeschooling. Creating flexibility in the day can reopen opportunities for talent.
- Focus on the project progression rather than the hours to produce.
Conscious Leaders that I have interviewed that thought outside the office:
- A private school owner offers their teacher’s children free education. The belief is that they will keep all their focus on one school.
- A health food manufacturer’s owner ensures employees are fully stocked at home.
- A travel company owner pays medical bills for an employee’s family member.
- A public relations company sets up a daycare in their small business.
When you care, you receive a commitment.
Care is also not limited to colleagues but extends to the community.
Care for the community Meaningful Work, Meaningful Life: The Connection Between Purpose and Productivity in the Workplace.
As the workforce becomes increasingly dominated by millennials, conscious leaders need to understand that 76% of them consider a company’s social or environmental contribution before joining an organization. And as the Z generation enters the workforce, their voices will likely be louder; think Greta Thunber from Sweden or Autumn Peltier, an Indigenous Canadian.
Many colleagues are asking themselves:
- What is my purpose?
- How can this job serve it?
- Or can it?
Put on the breaks, “NOBODY WANTS TO WORK.”
For some companies, who and how your organization services the greater good and the role colleagues play in its realization will fill their purpose. And for some, no matter how you address social or environmental issues, their work is just a job that pays for what they care about.
Conscious leaders take the time to understand what colleagues care about. And assess how to incorporate their passion and purpose into their roles. Even small businesses can offer paid volunteer days so employees can give their expertise to a non-profit or perhaps use their skills to assist a grass-roots initiative that complements their and the company’s mission.
I think it goes without saying, but just in case. Employees who find more meaning at work are more engaged and loyal to the organization.
Result? Less employee turnover, less employee onboarding cost, and more productivity. Oh, a culture with increased trust, performance, and happiness.
In summary, Conscious leaders prioritize care as a fundamental practice to create a collaborative and inclusive culture. They challenge norms by providing flexible work hours and focusing on project progression rather than hours worked. They listen actively to their colleagues and demonstrate compassion to create a supportive work environment. Care is also extended to the community, and organizations need to understand what their colleagues care about and assess how to incorporate it into their work.
Organizations must embrace care and compassion practices to create a supportive and inclusive work environment and make their contributions count to social, economic, and environmental issues.
What can you do now to make your contribution count?
- Take time to meet with each member of your team one-on-one. Ask about their vision, values, aspirations, and any barriers they see to reaching them.
- Ask them how you can help them achieve their goals.
- And share with them what they can do to lead their career and aspirations.
- Check in quarterly or every six months to assess both of your progress to make their aspirations a reality.
Let’s do this! I’m Suzanne F. Stevens, and at YouMeWe Social Impact Group, we grow Conscious leaders, their influence, and social impact—sustainably. 