Play with Heart, Work with Passion

Monday, June 28, 2010 | 11 a.m.

Do you ever wonder how people can keep going, even when the odds are stacked against them? Heart or passion is the answer. Passion can overcome all obstacles. In sport, we say, “he has the heart of a champion;” “our team played with heart;” and “he has a passion for the game.” The same is true at work , where passion is also the key ingredient for both individual and company success.

But it seems that passion in the work environment is missing more often than not in many American companies. People are compliant to the company rules, they show up on time, they perform their duties, but they rarely show the “heart of a champion.” Doing one’s job is certainly not a bad thing, but it does not ensure success. Success comes from unleashing one’s passion and taking one’s work to a higher level. So, given that passion is essential to building a successful company, how does a company capture the individual talents and passions of its employees for the benefit of the whole? Following are my thoughts:

Understand the passions of the individuals in the company. Everyone is passionate about something. As a leader of a company, one of our most important roles is to help people find where their passions lie. Once we know their passions and they fit with the needs of the company and its customers, we can align the passions of people with their roles in the company. Ask your employees the following questions:

• What work would you perform for free?
• What sparks your creativity?
• What work puts a smile on your face?

Place people in the right positions. One would never expect a baseball catcher to sub in for the shortstop. Why then, in business, do we expect the technically skilled to also be strong at marketing, management, or other areas where “soft skills” are critical? This is an example; I’m sure there are people who are equally skilled at soft and technical tasks, but they are rare. The point being, just like you would field a baseball team, place people in the positions or roles at work where they can succeed. Start with assessing their skills, but, more importantly, assess your employees’ passions. Match the two with their role and you have the recipe for success.

Employee happiness and company success are closely linked. According to Thomas Wright, Jon Wefald Leadership Chair in Business Administration and professor of management at Kansas State, happy employees perform better and are less likely to leave their job. "The benefits of a psychologically well work force are quite consequential to employers, especially so in our highly troubled economic environment," Wright said. "Simply put, psychologically well employees are better performers. Since higher employee performance is inextricably tied to an organization's bottom line, employee well-being can play a key role in establishing a competitive advantage." I have found over the years that an employee working in areas in which he is passionate tends to be happy and therefore, successful.

Take stock of your company’s collective skills and passion and be realistic with what you can accomplish. Focus on what your people do well, what they love to do and find a way to sell these skills and passions in the marketplace. A staff that works with heart will ultimately breed success for your company.

Until next time…

Craig

¹ Organization's Success, Study Shows. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 27, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2009/02/090203142512.htm