Musings on Putting People First

Simon says "Don't trust companies that put customers first".

Feb 13, 2025

Image from 1970s of woman using a work processor.

Stories

Most every day I run across some heartening story about a workplace that puts the people who work there first. They talk about flexible hours, inclusion, job-shares, mental, physical, and spiritual wellness, hybrid work, creativity, warmth, diversity, laughter, kindness, and compassion. They also talk about the benefits this has brought in terms of skill and leadersip development, retention, loyalty, innovation, goal achievement, competitiveness, and customer service.

And then right on the heels of that heartening story comes the disappointing story about the continued and even accelerated rat race, recruitment ghosting, tracking apps, inappropriate and useless stretch goals, poorly conceived and implemented productivity hacks, out-dated notions of time management, meaningless wellness programs (mass produced smiley faces stickers and fruit baskets in the break room), and even unethical workplace surveillance. While others might tout the benefits of fearful obedience and performative work, I don’t.

Simon Says

Simon Sinek, says "Don't trust companies that put customers first".

“Our customers are our number one priority,” is the oft heard mantra of so many companies these days. “We put our clients first,” is uttered by so many CEOs one loses track.
But there’s a problem with putting customers first. It means that employees come at least second.
Customers should never be the priority. People should be the priority. Some of those people buy from us, some of those people work for us, and it’s only a behavioral difference. They are all people and all business decisions should be made considering the impact on the people who are on the receiving end of our decisions.

Seems obvious right?

Yet ...

Muse Along With Me

Do your organization's polices, internal and external messages (for example strategic plans), and practices (practices being key) reflect that staff are a lesser concern than customers?

Take a moment, give it another think.

Is staff safety as much of a consideration as the customer experience?
Is staff feedback or input as important as customer feedback or input?
Is staff well-being a top priority in leading your organizational culture?
Is staff belief in your brand and services as high as customer belief?
Do you believe that staff are people or that they are moveable and removable cogs in the machine?

The answers are as easy as "yes" or "no" and are as complex as we are.

Leadership takes time, compassion, and courage.

I'm here for you.
Babs

One Interesting Book and a Few Quick So-So Reads

I did a bit of looking around and my thinking is that no amount of group stretches, yogurt parfait breaks, or inspirational morning emails is going to ease work stress, burnout, or fatigue until we start talking about and evolving how we lead and do work.

The Employee Advantage, by Stephan Meier
1. Kirkus Reviews
2. Author Talks: Why ‘really’ putting your people first pays off, McKinsey and Company

Workplace health benefits don’t move the needle on improving employee happiness and well-being. With one exception. (Fortune - a questionable publication, but this article makes a few useful points)

“Well-being is more than a program, prize or portal. Well-being requires the compilation of an intentionally crafted well-being culture, whereby every member of the organization plays a role not only in their own well-being, but also a role in supporting those with whom they work,” says Safeer, who points to what makes a workplace psychologically safe. For example, beyond benefits, it’s about fostering “human-centered leaders.”

Inc 5000 CEOs Say Burnout is Their Biggest Workforce Challenge. Here’s How They’re Stopping It. (Inc.)

The World Health Organization defined burnout in 2019 as an “occupational phenomenon” characterized by exhaustion, “reduced professional efficacy,” and feelings of cynicism or negativity toward or distance from a job.
…
In 2024, burnout was the most common workforce challenge reported in Inc.’s annual CEO survey, with 49 percent of respondents saying they are seeing it in their workers.

Generational Bias is Tearing the Workplace Apart. Practicing Openness Can Help. (Fast Company)

Sustaining a happy, healthy, and high-performing culture hinges on its capacity to integrate diverse viewpoints. Today’s multigenerational workforce has the power to create limitless game-changing ideas, experiences, and insights. Yet, bias and entrenched thinking have led to an increase in age discrimination and a diminished sense of belonging at work.

Can Workplaces Have Too Much Psychological Safety? (Psych Safety)

…team performance isn’t the only reason that we foster psychological safety. We also do it because we want people to feel fulfilled in their jobs, we don’t want people to leave a team because they don’t feel included, we want people to experience less unnecessary stress and have greater mental wellbeing, we want to foster greater diversity and inclusion. Ultimately, we foster psychological safety because it’s fundamentally the right thing to do.