Many years ago I was an Area Manager in one of Australia’s big four banks. To get to know the staff in my branches, I would hold one-on-one interviews with everyone. One morning I was interviewing a 19 year old teller who, the manager told me, was unmotivated, not performing well, and may not last long in the job. The conversation with him about the job and his career aspirations was going nowhere, so I decided to change tack and asked a question I have often found produces the most interesting insights into people. I asked him:
What is the achievement in your life so far that you are most proud of?
He thought for a while and after some prompting, started to tell me about his volunteer work on weekends in the Air-Sea Rescue. His face lit up as he spoke and he told me about the thing he was proudest of – a few weekends ago he had saved a woman’s life when he was out on patrol.
I sat there listening and amazed that this young man who was seen as unmotivated and lacking potential at work was clearly passionate, mature, committed and extremely motivated in this role he was doing for free. One role was giving meaning and purpose to his life, the other role was not. What did this tell us about the role of leaders in creating the opportunity for people to shine and perform at work?
His story completely changed my views on “under-performance” and human “potential” from then on. I learnt a lesson that day – not to underestimate the capability that is hidden in so many people when they come to work – particularly in jobs at the bottom of the organisational hierarchy or where the job or leadership does not give people the opportunity to contribute and make a difference.
What do you do in the rest of your life?
As leaders bemoan the lack of motivation, capability or poor performance of staff, do they notice what those same people have done elsewhere in their lives? This gives an indication of what they could bring to work - if given the chance.
The lesson I learnt in that conversation with the teenage teller many years ago has been repeated over and over again in my work across organisations, particularly when looking for ways to engage people and significantly improve organisational performance. There is huge unused human potential in organisations. And for those looking to achieve transformational change – this can be a gold mine for achieving what others think is impossible.
The organisational pyramid of potential
So for those interested in solving organisational problems and improving performance - look to the bottom of your organisational pyramid for the greatest untapped human potential to create transformational change.
This works in three ways. Firstly, the greatest number of people are at the bottom of an organisation, so you have the force of numbers on your side. Secondly, the people with the most underutilised potential are usually at the bottom of the organisational pyramid. Their jobs are often the most disempowering, so they have the greatest potential to contribute significantly more value. And thirdly, these people are also most likely to be close to your customers and your service delivery and have insights that can significantly improve performance that rarely permeate through the layers of the organisational structure.
Leaders who can unlock this treasure-trove of potential in organisations have access to a wealth of skills and opportunity for improving performance and delivering results.
The key to accessing this potential is often simple. So simple you wonder why everyone isn’t doing it. It just requires ingredients like - job design that produces meaningful work, respecting people’s capability regardless of their organisational position and status, asking questions and listening, and leaders creating the opportunity for people to contribute and make a difference.
Many of the approaches I now use with clients incorporate ways I have learnt to access this underutilised potential and tap into this treasure-trove of knowledge and ability to improve organisational performance.
If you are thinking this wouldn't work for you - ask a few of those people that question - "What is the achievement in your life so far that you are most proud of?" - then sit back and consider what you are missing out on.
Susan Kehoe
Consultant | Mentor | Change Leader
Work with Susan
Susan provides consultancy advice, mentoring, program leadership and interim executive support to leaders and organisations where there is a need to challenge the status quo, engage people, shift culture and lift performance.
What is the achievement in your life so far that you are most proud of?
He thought for a while and after some prompting, started to tell me about his volunteer work on weekends in the Air-Sea Rescue. His face lit up as he spoke and he told me about the thing he was proudest of – a few weekends ago he had saved a woman’s life when he was out on patrol.
I sat there listening and amazed that this young man who was seen as unmotivated and lacking potential at work was clearly passionate, mature, committed and extremely motivated in this role he was doing for free. One role was giving meaning and purpose to his life, the other role was not. What did this tell us about the role of leaders in creating the opportunity for people to shine and perform at work?
His story completely changed my views on “under-performance” and human “potential” from then on. I learnt a lesson that day – not to underestimate the capability that is hidden in so many people when they come to work – particularly in jobs at the bottom of the organisational hierarchy or where the job or leadership does not give people the opportunity to contribute and make a difference.
What do you do in the rest of your life?
As leaders bemoan the lack of motivation, capability or poor performance of staff, do they notice what those same people have done elsewhere in their lives? This gives an indication of what they could bring to work - if given the chance.
The lesson I learnt in that conversation with the teenage teller many years ago has been repeated over and over again in my work across organisations, particularly when looking for ways to engage people and significantly improve organisational performance. There is huge unused human potential in organisations. And for those looking to achieve transformational change – this can be a gold mine for achieving what others think is impossible.
The organisational pyramid of potential
So for those interested in solving organisational problems and improving performance - look to the bottom of your organisational pyramid for the greatest untapped human potential to create transformational change.
This works in three ways. Firstly, the greatest number of people are at the bottom of an organisation, so you have the force of numbers on your side. Secondly, the people with the most underutilised potential are usually at the bottom of the organisational pyramid. Their jobs are often the most disempowering, so they have the greatest potential to contribute significantly more value. And thirdly, these people are also most likely to be close to your customers and your service delivery and have insights that can significantly improve performance that rarely permeate through the layers of the organisational structure.
Leaders who can unlock this treasure-trove of potential in organisations have access to a wealth of skills and opportunity for improving performance and delivering results.
The key to accessing this potential is often simple. So simple you wonder why everyone isn’t doing it. It just requires ingredients like - job design that produces meaningful work, respecting people’s capability regardless of their organisational position and status, asking questions and listening, and leaders creating the opportunity for people to contribute and make a difference.
Many of the approaches I now use with clients incorporate ways I have learnt to access this underutilised potential and tap into this treasure-trove of knowledge and ability to improve organisational performance.
If you are thinking this wouldn't work for you - ask a few of those people that question - "What is the achievement in your life so far that you are most proud of?" - then sit back and consider what you are missing out on.
Susan Kehoe
Consultant | Mentor | Change Leader
Work with Susan
Susan provides consultancy advice, mentoring, program leadership and interim executive support to leaders and organisations where there is a need to challenge the status quo, engage people, shift culture and lift performance.