Why it's important to take the time to meet your people

Managing down is just as important as managing up.

Everyone always talks about the importance of managing up, going out of your way to make sure key influencers know your face and name.

I’ve talked about it before here, but what you don’t see mentioned enough is the importance of managing down.

Your company will only go as far as the “doers” can carry it, so while it’s in the staff’s best interest to manage up to advance their careers, it behooves management to establish relationships with the people executing on the strategic vision set by leadership.

You have to earn employee loyalty.

I hear people who came up in the “old school” consistently complaining about the lack of employee loyalty these days, you know, the whole story of everyone selling out to the highest bidder chasing the almighty dollar.

Not so fast.

What’s really happening is the perspective of the world has changed. Gone are the days of employees staying through thick and then just because you happened to be the first place they worked. Employees now stay in organizations where they feel valued and have a personal connection with their employer. What this means is top executives and people of interest within the company have to make time for their people if they expect them, especially the milennials, to hang around for the long-term.

The sooner you recognize (and embrace) the fact that running a business is not all about younger employees paying their dues and suffering what fundamentally amounts to corporate hazing, the sooner you’ll be able to maximize your organization’s employee motivation and ultimately, performance. The world is changing and ignoring the shift in how the world operates will just accelerate your extinction.