Bank of America

Algrish C. Williams

As I ponder about the engagement of leaders and human resources (HR) professionals, I find myself asking the question, are we engaged enough? Do we, as leaders, truly consider the people in our organizations as our most precious resources? For over 26 years, I served as a senior human resources leader and advisor in the military, and for me, “people first” stood paramount in my mind and actions. In July 2022, I transitioned into the corporate environment; it was the culture that drew my attention to Bank of America. My talent acquisition team’s consideration of who I was and what I could contribute to the team, along with their engagements, drove my decision to join the financial industry.

Can you envision the mindset difference across the industry? In the military, engaged leadership is pivotal as we lead to serve others on- and off duty. In doing so, we selflessly put the people we lead ahead of ourselves; thus, “people first” inspires and motivates our employees to do the impossible.

In the private sector, I’ve witnessed that a job has a varied approach to engaged leadership and is not as structured as the military. However, each approach is to inspire and motivate to achieve objectives. Putting people and the team first requires the mindset that ‘we and us’ must accomplish a desired outcome and be accountable to one another and our deliverables. Simply put, “people first” means “Together we can achieve excellence.”

Accountability and deliverables

When leaders establish clear expectations and clearly define goals and objectives from the onset of new employees joining an organization, it sets the ideals and creates accountability. Teams are only as strong as the weakest teammate. Therefore, engaging with each member of the team and getting to know them and understand their strengths and weaknesses helps leaders build an effective team around the idea of “people first.” Below are four things I consider vital to a strong “people first” team dynamic:

a.Have an “us” instead of “them” mentality
b.We succeed and fail as a team
c.Failure is an opportunity to learn and grow
d.Address issues at the onset and do not let them fester

The leader sets the organization’s tone and is responsible for the success or downturn of the organization as well as the development of their people. There is an enormous variance between a leader and a manager. Those differences are as follows: a manager controls a group of individuals or processes to achieve a specified objective.

" Leaders should deploy their teams to check the pulse of their organization’s engagement through various methods such as annual surveys, onboarding surveys, or trends from data analysis that depict sudden changes in turnover rates or an increase in complaints within the organization "

Whereas a leader balances the art of influencing, motivating, and enabling others to contribute to the organization’s success.

When you develop a trusted team around the people, the workforce embodies the “people first” and team mindset.

Leaders should deploy their teams to check the pulse of their organization’s engagement through various methods such as annual surveys, onboarding surveys, or trends from data analysis that depict sudden changes in turnover rates or an increase in complaints within the organization.

"The leader sets the organization’s tone and is responsible for the success or downturn of the organization as well as the development of their people"

An organization’s HR leaders are the honest brokers that support the well-being of people and the leaders to ensure the success of the organization. HR should be synchronized with performance, acquisition, employee engagement, and more. Everyone enters and exits the organization through HR, so it’s fitting those advising leaders and employees in safeguarding the organization’s most precious resources beginning to end with considering “people first.”

Establish trust, verify, listen, and be genuine

It’s important to show your employees that you care. Showing them you care will motivate them to deliver and go above all expectations to ensure the success of the team and/or the organization. Donald Laird says it best, “Always help people increase their own self-esteem. Develop your skill in making other people feel important.” When you listen to your people, they feel valued and acknowledged. As a result, your organization will have a productive, engaged synergetic team, and strong retention with low turnover rates will follow. Start with these three things and develop your own authentic techniques:

a.Show your team that you care about them
b.Be approachable and be genuine
c.Recommend career development opportunities

Invest in your organization by placing “people first” and develop a team mindset, thus ensuring a strong workforce.

Engage employees often by purposely setting aside 10 to 15 minutes a few times during the week to get to know something about someone on your team creates camaraderie. Sharing your story with the team in a way to connect and show that you have walked, or are willing to walk, in their shoes creates a connection. This is a simple technique that has proven to be successful for many leaders. Sending a typed or handwritten note to thank an employee for sharing something about themselves or their family allows the employee to feel valued. Learning employees’ names and family members, special occasions such as a birthday/anniversaries as well as recognizing accomplishments/achievements of your fellow teammates, allows them to feel appreciated. This is an example of a dynamic way to develop strong relationships and help to build trust within the organization.

Ask yourself, are you engaged, and does your organization value its people first? If yes, keep achieving, and if not, the change starts with you! Remember, “together we can achieve excellence.”