Every team has three types of employees…those who listen to it, believe it and live it. My hope is that by the end of this article, you have a clear idea of ​​which group of employees has the most potential to help the team achieve its goal of being world class. First, let me explain that the “it” in hearing it, etc., has nothing to do with one’s proficiency or years of service in a given role. “It” refers to the level of commitment employees have to their role, team, and organization. I mean how emotionally invested they are.

Let’s start with the employee audience. They basically have a “it’s just a job” mentality. They come to work, do what they are supposed to do, take the required break, and go home. These audience employees are capable of performing in this manner for long periods of time, contributing nothing more than the bare minimum. As I mentioned, the “it” has nothing to do with tenure. So the employee who has been on the job for 30 years can easily be just listening to you. Also, a new employee who may be justifiably apathetic because of a horrible previous supervisor, may also just be listening.

Over time, and with the right supervisor, that employee listening to you may come to believe it. These employees who believe they have accepted the company culture and enjoy their work. They understand the “purpose” of their role, team, and organization. They do their job duties, and more. Keep in mind, however, that while these employees believe they are reliable and stable workers, they are not “star” workers…yet.

These star performers are the living employees. These employees always come to work early and leave late. They look for ways to contribute more. They have a burning desire to improve performance… not just for themselves, but for the whole team. They tend to be the informal leaders that others follow after meetings end and memos are sent. These are the employees who truly create exceptional memories and build customer loyalty through their exceptional service delivery. While the manager may design the strategy, the employees who live it embrace that strategy as their own and are dedicated to implementing the strategy. The manager trusts them. In fact, these employees living it can easily do the equivalent work of three or more teammates hearing/believing it. They are so good.

Now that I’ve explained the three types of employees, let me ask a question. If your goal, as a manager, is to build a team full of living employees, which group would you spend most of your time focusing on? By focus, I mean who should get the most training, feedback, recognition and development opportunities. Every time I ask this question in my keynotes and workshops, most people say they hear it, then a smaller # say they believe it, and the minority say they live it. While it is true that focusing on any one of the three groups will likely lead to improvement, one group in particular will stimulate the best results in the shortest amount of time with the least amount of energy from the manager.

Here’s a brief analogy to illustrate my point. The winner of the 2009 NBA Finals was the Los Angeles Lakers. They were the best team in the National Basketball Association (NBA), considered by many to be the dominant basketball league in the world. On many occasions, Head Coach Phil Jackson could be seen giving additional instructions to Kobe Bryant, who is the Lakers’ top star player (living employee). The same pattern is obvious during meetings, locker room chats and practice sessions. Why the hell would this legendary coach, who has won ten NBA championships, spend more time with the player who is already playing the best? Keep in mind that this player already scores the most points, leads the team in many other statistical categories, and is the undisputed leader on the court.

On the surface, this leadership approach of spending the most time with living employees seems strange to most leaders because the norm is to spend the most time with those who contribute the least. Paying the most attention to employees who live it first, then believe it, and so on, will require a major shift in how managers manage and how leaders lead. This point has to do with a basic but powerful concept that can revolutionize the way you manage yourself and others. It is often referred to as strengths management or positive organizational scholarship. Essentially, it means that in order to get more of what’s right, you have to focus on what’s right. If you want great performance, then talk about great performance. If you want more employees to exceed customer expectations, talk about exceeding customer expectations.

Focusing on those employees who are underperforming only sends the message that underperformance, not excellence, is your focus. One of the quickest ways to demotivate your employees is to accept the poor or mediocre performance of others. Employees who live it long to work for a manager who demands excellent performance. They go from job to job hoping that this manager will ultimately be the one to model great performance, talk about great performance, reward great performance, and punish anything but great performance. These employees who live it want to be empowered and they want you to ask their opinions.

However, an interesting point is that employees who live it will often tell you that they do not need any additional recognition, that they are motivated and that they do not require anything more from you. Do not believe them! It isn’t true. Please read the following very carefully. Everyone who works hard craves appreciation and recognition. They want…not…they need to know that their hard work and dedication is appreciated. If living it employees don’t feel appreciated, they will either quit and leave, or quit and stay. Neither option is desirable.

One key takeaway after reading this article is to rehire your live employees. By rehire, I mean spending one-on-one time with your employee (or employees) living it up.

Ask questions like:
or what motivates you?
o How would (or would you like) to be recognized?
o Who do you like to receive recognition from? (they may prefer recognition from their customers or co-workers)
o Do you prefer public or private recognition?
o What are your personal/professional goals?
o What are your hobbies/special interests?

Please understand that this approach does not mean that you should ignore being heard and believed by employees. This approach emphasizes that before you do anything else, make sure the employees who are contributing the most (your people living it) stay motivated, recognized, challenged, and involved. It is much more catastrophic for the living person to lose motivation than if the hearing person were to lose motivation. Unfortunately, too many managers overuse and undervalue their employees who live it. In fact, there are many employees listening to it and believing that, at some point, they were living it. They are just waiting for their manager to focus on excellent performance and be consistent in demanding excellent performance. Living it employees take exceptional pride in their work and it hurts when less than excellence is demanded of all team members.

Here’s a quick management self-assessment:
o Do I meet with my living it employees at least once a month (to discuss their personal/professional goals, strengths, areas for improvement, department goals and company goals)?
o Have I recognized them for their excellent work (in the last week or two)?
o Have I customized the recognition for them?
o Have I asked your opinion about anything (in the last one or two weeks)?
o Have I used them to help recruit and/or interview new employees? (Who better to identify and help select more living employees than your current employees?)
o Do they have the appropriate tools and resources to do the best job possible?

If you want to attract living employees, then BE a manager who values ​​living employees. Being known for valuing excellence and treating the best the way they deserve to be treated. Excellent companies that are revered for their excellent performance have large numbers of excellent employees. Focusing on excellence breeds more excellence. Living employees generate more living employees. Therefore, I urge you to self-evaluate and rededicate your entire team to the standard that matters most: excellence.