If we’re going to hold people accountable to achieving the mission of the organization, they not only have to know what it is, they need to buy in. Unless their hearts are invested as much (if not more) than their heads and hands, we are squandering our most valuable resource.
Employee buy-in cannot be commanded, coerced or manipulated. What options then does the leader have for winning the hearts of the team for the mission of the organization? In this weeks podcast, we discuss three keys to securing employee buy-in:
- Begin well by hiring well. Remember you’re hiring a person not a job description. These initial interviews are your chance to discuss the mission of the organization and gauge understanding, interest and passion. Don’t make the mistake of only looking for skill competence when hiring.
- Provide on-going perspective by continually articulating how an employee’s individual part fits into the organization’s whole. People can get absorbed in the details of their particular role and lose sight of its significance to the organization’s mission.
- Verbalize appreciation. Instead of a general word of thanks, try being more specific. “Thank you for (what was done in specific and concrete detail) because it (it made this beneficial and measurable difference).” What how people come alive and go the extra mile when they feel their contribution has been recognized and appreciated.
You cannot purchase employee buy-in. You have to win it. Earn it. Nurture and sustain it.
How do you go about winning the hearts of your team to your organization’s mission?