Through my time at the NBA and my consulting practice, I have seen time and time again how important transparent and inclusive communication is to employee satisfaction, productivity and ultimately retention. In today’s world of hybrid or remote work arrangements, regular and effective communication is even more critical because it is often the only bond or connection between the employee and the organization.
My career has been focused, to a great extent, on preparing an excited and highly motivated audience of young men and women to enter the work force, and then to see them thrive when they are connected and valued — or leave when they feel unconnected, under-valued and adrift. Not everyone is an effective manager, and I have interacted with a number of miscast managers in my business — but there are some simple concepts that can have a positive impact upon any organization.
Informed people understand their role in the organization and the importance of their contributions. To have informed people, the organization must provide access to clear information. The effect of that information creates understanding of the organizational mission, goals and objectives, and how the employees become more active and satisfied in “how they fit” and contribute, ideally leading to becoming more involved, because they have “bought in.” Organizations can facilitate this in a variety of ways, some as simple as an on-site lunch with announcements, birthday and anniversary recognition, etc. Obviously, some concessions would need to be made for remote team members, but tools such as DoorDash can make a meaningful difference by delivering their lunch while they join a virtual meeting. The key is being transparent with communication on a regular basis.
Involved people have a better awareness of the opportunities to contribute and seek out situations providing a higher level of participation and engagement. Most of us are driven by the desire to make meaningful contributions in the workplace and be recognized for our talents and contributions. The organization needs to identify and create opportunities to facilitate participation. One of the best examples of recognition and involvement is the Tampa Bay Lightning Leadership program, launched in cooperation with the Vinik Sport Management Graduate Program at the University of South Florida.
The Lightning Leadership Line Program develops leaders committed to serving, engaging, unifying and empowering others. Participants are selected through an application process and vetted by the program leader and Lightning executives. This competitive process results in a leadership class of 10. Through project-based learning over a 10-week period, participants attend sessions focused on business skills (e.g., finance, sales, partnership, operations, negotiations) and leadership competencies (e.g., emotional intelligence, conflict management, inclusion, change management and innovation). Sessions typically take place for a couple of hours at lunchtime, with additional group work developing the final business proposal. At the conclusion of the program, participants present their business project to executives and facilitators of the program.
Invigorated people begin to form small clusters of talent with a shared purpose. They are aligned with the organization’s mission and purpose and are excited to provide creativity and passion to a higher degree than most because they have a feeling of ownership that has evolved from the perceived value and appreciation of their contributions. They feed off their contributions, and when experiencing success from those contributions, develop a thirst for greater involvement and opportunities.
Inspired workforce. It’s the desired end product of informed people who became more involved in their roles and invigorated by acceptance and recognition. There are several key traits/characteristics of an inspired workforce:
- Secure leadership comfortable with providing increased opportunities for meaningful input, dialogue and responsibilities.
- Allocating resources for training and development, and making that a priority.
- Consistent, ongoing programs that are socially based to disseminate information and provide recognition and gestures of appreciation in an environment that fosters interaction and enjoyment.
- A culture that values talent and hopes to retain it, but is also willing to recommend employees for opportunities in other organizations.
I have seen a number of inspired workforces in my time and four leaders stand out: Baseball owner and executive Mike Veeck (who also authored “Fun is Good”); my former NBA colleague Scott O’Neil (who authored “Be Where Your Feet Are”); Savannah Bananas originator and impresario Jesse Cole (who authored “Fans First”); and Basketball Hall of Famer and sports executive Rick Welts. The commonality of those leaders and why they are able to inspire can be traced in part to their backgrounds. They all started at the bottom rung of the ladder and because of that are able to relate to their team members (not employees) at various levels throughout the organization. In the words of literary figure Atticus Finch, they have “walked in the other person’s shoes” and possess a level of empathy and approachability that is essential in leading an inspired workforce.
The “workforce” has served COVID and isolated employees and is now facing the challenges to morale and development posed by the uncertain applications and impact of artificial intelligence. I’m certain that a workforce founded on the “I’s” laid out in this column are better situated and positioned to survive the challenges of the next evolution of employment.
Note: If you have further interest in creating an inspired workforce, I suggest reading “The Customer Comes Second” by Hal Rosenbluth and “Hug Your People” by Jack Mitchell.
Bill Sutton (billsutton11251@me.com) is director emeritus of the Vinik Graduate Sport Business Program at USF and principal of Bill Sutton & Associates. Follow him on social media at @suttonimpact.bsky.social.
