Why Employees DO Need Hope

An authentic and slightly irreverent blog on the applied dimensions of leadership & change...

• My Crap

• Your Crap

• Our Crap

• Everybody’s Crap.

The “hope of the harvest” is a common concept. Farmers work their butts off. They weather literal and financial storms, all for the hope of the harvest. When their crops are in and off to market they can rejoice in the fruits of their labors. They have achieved something against the odds and countless people benefit, including themselves. Ah, how rewarding. How inspiring!

Do you experience hope in the harvest of your efforts? Do you even know what the fruits of your particular labor are or will be? If you do know, will many people in the community (local and/or global) benefit? Do you feel gratified and inspired by your work? You can each receive this hope, but probably don’t. Here’s why…

We have been disappointed in the workplace—abused by self-absorbed, insensitive, clueless, or ill equipped supervisors and leaders—so much so that we’ve come to expect this behavior and don’t allow ourselves the hope for anything better. We become just like those bosses. We may even take their place.

We’ve got to cut the crap. You know how, when driving, you head toward what you focus on? Yeah, you’re doing the same thing at work. (Aw, crap!) It is time to change your expectations and where you put your energy. Plant seeds of hope for your organization’s harvest and hope for our shared future. What you focus on grows.

Those around you who have also been focused on disappointment, want hope even though they may feel or act hopeless. They won’t judge, they’ll let go of the old ways as soon as they’re confident the hope—the new way—is real (aka reliable and accountable).

The dysfunction to which we have become accustomed is based on fear. We fear the unknown because we want to do well and don’t know the rules of the new way. If you show people how they can perform their roles (how to be successful) in “the new way”, they’ll more readily embrace change. It is not the change they actually fear. Change inspires hope; the concern they won’t be successful in the changed way of doing things inspires fear. People want a meaningful purpose and to know how their efforts matter, how they matter. They even want to work together if there are clear guidelines on what success looks like.

Crisis may indeed be society’s motivation for coalescing into action, but hope is the glue that binds us together to endure change, put forth our best selves, and sacrifice our wants for other’s needs. Inspire hope and you can cut through any crap that may come your way and lead your employees through any change, no matter how complex or unnerving. Dismiss this need for hope and you will only manage to get by and the costs will be incredibly high.

© 2019 Stacie L L Morgan. All rights reserved.