People First

Thoughts and ideas from Dunnington Consulting
PEOPLE FIRST
On Building a Powerhouse Workforce - Capable, Driven, Friendly and Fun

Start With the Value Proposition for People - Example: ServiceNow "People Pact"

" Live our best lives, do our best work, and fulfill our purpose together "


People First -Toward Better Ways, Increased Value and Secure Futures

Organizational health comprises three elements: how well the entire organization rallies around a common vision and strategy, how well the organization executes its strategy, and how well the organization innovates and renews itself over time – toward better. It’s about people.

Over the long term, healthy organizations deliver three times the total shareholder returns (TSR) of unhealthy organizations, regardless of industry.1

According to our research, organizational health – “people first” - is the strongest predictor of value creation and a critical factor in sustained competitive advantage. In one evaluation of 1,500 companies in 100 countries, for instance, we saw that companies that had improved their organizational health realized 18 percent increases in their EBITDA after one year.

Healthy companies keep winning, but there’s a sea change in “people first” principles.

1. Move from vision to a common purpose: articulate the ‘why’

A common purpose helps connect people emotionally and intellectually to an organization’s direction

2. Authoritative leadership is obsolete.

In this era of disruption, leaders can be challenging and decisive while being supportive, consultative, and empowering. Badgering, micromanaging, using positional authority is no longer effective.

3. Navigate uncharted territory with facts and data, not intuition.

There’s no pattern recognition for what’s truly novel. But using good data and facts creates an accurate feedback loop that can lead to innovation, with less risk, even given uncertainties.

4. Help people do their best work, be their best selves, live their best life every day.

Support employees’ sense of well-being, commitment, and professional growth to create the conditions for employees to thrive – the best way to attract and retain talent.

5. Spend on technology only when there’s a strong business case.

Invest in technology when it enables value creation, augments capabilities, automates busy work.

6. Act responsibly. Employees want to know that their organization is doing its part to make the world a better place by acting responsibly. Social responsibility and sustainability should be recognized as strategic and operational imperatives. You can’t hide behind “shareholder value only” any longer.

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    PEOPLE FIRST LEADERSHIP
    November 30, 2023 at 6:00 AM

    Start with yourself.

    Learn more

PEOPLE FIRST
The approach that creates a powerhouse workforce, and hard-to-copy competitive advantage.

MINDSET – If you hire the right people, and create the right conditions, they will gladly deliver value to customers – which will then produce profits. (Profits are the dependent variable.) If you want your colleagues to be there for customers, you need to be there for them. What you build is a powerhouse workforce, in which people are so well trained they could work anywhere, and so well led they stay and grow – and recruit wisely. Turns out this is very good for business – the impacts ripple through the P&L and balance sheet. The magic starts by getting the best people in the jobs at the right time in their careers.

FRAMEWORK – 6 Key Levers

What is a people-first business culture?

A people-first business culture is an organizational philosophy and approach that prioritizes the well-being, growth, and satisfaction of its employees as a central focus of its operations. In a people-first culture, the needs and interests of employees are placed at the forefront, and the organization values and supports its workforce in various ways. Leadership is viewed as a set of behaviors, not a position.

You can’t out-train bad nutrition.

You can’t out-manage a toxic culture

According to Glassdoor:
70% of employees would feel better about their work and themselves if their boss showed appreciation
81% would up their efforts
53% would stay put and not look for other work if they felt more appreciation from their boss
Fast Company reported that a lack of gratitude from their supervisors and the company is a major factor driving job dissatisfaction, turnover, absenteeism, and poor performance.

Here's what People First Looks Like Through the Employee Lens

Here are several companies that are often cited as exemplary "people-first" companies:

Southwest Airlines – arguably the most people-first business out there. https://careers.southwestair.com/ Check out their website recruiting page.

  • A career <br/>by you, for you
    A career
    by you, for you

    At Southwest®, you're empowered to create your own career; one that fits the goals–and lifestyle–you want.

    Apply for job opportunities
  • A job built on <br/>partnership
    A job built on
    partnership

    Give this job your all, and Southwest will reward you in ways that allow you to support yourself and your loved ones.

    Learn about our benefits
  • Two middle age business workers smiling happy and confident. Working together with smile on face hand giving high five at the office
    A Culture of
    caring

    People come first. We're a Company that takes care of its People and its communities, and our People take care of each other.

    Experience our Culture
  • Festive holiday office party in #WindowsUglySweater Softwear by @Windows
    A part of a
    ​​​​​​​winning Team

    The name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back. One Team. All Heart.

    Meet our People

Salesforce: Salesforce is often lauded for its strong commitment to its employees' well-being. The company offers various benefits, including generous parental leave, health and wellness programs, and a strong corporate culture that emphasizes giving back to the community.

Patagonia: Patagonia is a well-known outdoor clothing company that places a strong emphasis on environmental and social responsibility. The company is dedicated to reducing its environmental impact and offers benefits such as on-site child care, paid time off for volunteering, and an inspiring work environment.

Zoom Video Communications: Zoom gained recognition for its emphasis on employee happiness and flexibility, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company implemented remote work policies and provided additional support for employees' mental and physical health.

HubSpot: HubSpot, a marketing and sales software company, is known for its people-centric culture. They offer flexible work arrangements, unlimited vacation policies, and a strong commitment to professional development for their employees.

Costco: Costco is often cited for its employee-friendly policies, including fair wages, excellent benefits, and a strong belief in promoting from within. They have a reputation for low turnover and high job satisfaction among employees.

Etsy: Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade and vintage items that values the well-being of its employees. The company offers numerous perks, such as paid volunteer time and flexible work schedules. They also have a strong focus on diversity and inclusion.

A few ideas for building culture w/ hybrid work

  1. Hire people for values first, then skills - from wherever
  2. Don’t skimp on the onboarding, coaching or mentoring
  3. Job design / fit so that people do a lot of what they do best, and feel their work is intriguing and challenging
  4. Get the OKRs right, and if needed, fix them quickly
  5. Support job sharing /cross training for learning and variety
  6. Support peer recognition often, both formal and informal
  7. Every Monday, invite people to share fun photos (eg on slack, etc)
  8. Hold book clubs, or share good books, podcasts people found helpful
  9. Everybody has individual growth plans reviewed quarterly
  10. Quarterly get togethers – as in sports, everybody needs to know what the score is, how much time is left on the clock, and the playbook
  11. Consistently-cadenced client reviews
  12. Measure NPS scores and relentlessly improve them
  13. Gather customer needs, expectations, priorities into planning inputs
  14. Retros / after action reviews - what was done, achieved, learned
  15. Relentlessly stick to boundaries, values, conditions of satisfaction
  16. Fire colleagues and clients who aren’t in sync with these – sooner, not later
  17. Leadership is understood as a set of behaviors, not a position
  18. Make sure to align customer perceptions of brand, process capabilities, learning and development programs, rewards, recognition and advancement, resourcing decisions - with purpose
  19. Ask people “what would you have to see us do?” in order to stand up and say “it’s about time!” …. then act
  20. Run the business so people (colleagues, clients, suppliers, partners) can become better versions of themselves