lonely lunch

 

Do you have lunch with your subordinates?

When we were juniors in a company, we didn't like the idea of having lunch with the boss. They are going to talk about work again; I feel nervous around the boss; I need a break; I prefer to have a relaxing lunch time with my friends. When you now lead and manage a team, the tables turn. You want to build trust and relationships in your team. You want to be treated like a normal person. You just don't want to eat alone. But you also worry about how your subordinates will think and feel. What is a leader to do?

The transactional employee

Definition: The type who do just enough to fulfil their duties. They don't want to do any more than what's in their job scope. They don't care about the company's vision and mission. They are not here to make friends. This is just a job and they do it only for the salary. They want to leave work on time. They don't want to listen to your motivational talks. 

As leaders, our job is to inspire and develop people. How do we handle employees with a highly transactional mindset? 

The first question we must ask ourselves is what kind of organisation we are. Do we have a role where a transactional employee can fit in just fine? Without negatively affecting the morale of the team? Work is getting done and they are productive? Then by all means leave them be and allocate your time on others where you can make more impact. If your organisation needs a creative and innovative culture, or your industry needs nimbleness and fast learning cycles, then you may not want to recruit or retain transactional employees. They will become counter productive. 

How do you currently manage transactional employees? 

A good leader is a great listener

 

A good leader is able to encourage others to speak up. A good leader is alert about when to stop talking and to listen instead. Listening gives us so much power. By understanding people, their motivations and their concerns, we can be much more effective and precise in making the right decisions.

find a job you love

 

要找到理想事业，首先要学会敬业乐业。不懂敬业乐业，再好的事业也不会满足。 Before trying to find a job you love, try loving the job you have.