We have a Keurig coffee maker in our breakroom. There is nothing special about it, but if you open the drawer where our selection of K-Cups is located, it can reveal some interesting insights for managers.
Everyone likes having choices
The variety of flavors in our coffee drawer is a telling illustration. While dark roast coffees might be the favorite for a team’s leader, most team members will be glad that is not their only choice. The freedom to make choices will enhance satisfaction, but choices will also be limited by the size of the drawer. Every organization needs to decide what their limits are for choices or decisions. Team members will work more efficiently when there are parameters to guide their responsibilities.
Work and personal preferences vary
Employees don’t always like the same flavor of coffee — some might not even like coffee, which makes the machine’s ability to produce hot chocolate important. If everyone had the exact same preferences, it would make ordering really easy, but the team would miss out on passionate discussions about why other flavors are worth trying. A team member who enjoys light roast coffees would not be pleased with a drawer full of dark roast flavors. Managers need to remember that one size does not fit all. Your team can provide a variety of perspectives to help improve operations or make work group decisions.
Nothing stays exactly the same over time. This presents a challenge for managers. After working successfully with an employee for five years, you might expect performance to continue on the same track. But, after five years you might find that an employee who previously enjoyed hazelnut coffee is now drinking medium roast decaf. If you continue to fill the drawer with hazelnut flavors, you are missing ways to increase employee satisfaction. And worse, your behavior is saying you aren’t paying attention to their needs. A team member who used to be motivated by money, might now prefer paid time off. Activate your eyes and ears. Make it a habit to actively discover what is affecting your team members’ work and lives.
Some are driven by organization
Banking is generally a regimented profession. We have policies and procedures for virtually everything. For some team members this creates a work environment where they can thrive. Effective organization of daily tasks, projects, meetings and schedules is their domain. Do you know which of your team members will excel when things are well-organized? Do you also know how they will feel when things are out of place?
Your organized team members will be offset by employees who prefer to have an unstructured schedule. The manager’s challenge in this situation is bridging the difference in your team’s work styles. It would be easy for the organized employee to get frustrated with the outcome. It would also be easy to develop tension within the team over a very small team dynamic.
Varied approaches to the same challenge could be the catalyst needed to find a new way of doing things. Use your role as the leader to help the team see how other team members are viewing the same situation.
Comfort levels are influenced by consistency
Knowing what to expect at work will build confidence through your team. That confidence is influenced by what managers do and don’t do. It is easy to be comfortable and confident in the coffee drawer if, every time an employee opens it, the drawer is properly stocked with the right variety of flavors. As a manager, what are you doing daily to help fuel comfort and confidence? It might be something small, like greeting employees, or something bigger, like always supporting them when they are learning a new skill. Be a manager with consistent, dependable practices, and you will see your team’s confidence grow.
New things can be a growth experience
Perhaps the greatest benefit of having choices in the coffee drawer is the exposure to alternatives not previously considered by team members. There is tremendous growth potential available when we are open to new options. Team members with different views can share insights that would never occur to a coworker set in their ways. Until you test some things, you cannot pass judgment on the best way to complete activities. If you are a paper and pencil checklist person, try using a digital checklist to compare the methods. You might be surprised by the benefits. As a manager, encourage your employees to try a fresh flavor of coffee — not something dramatically different, but they might be surprised by the outcome.
Every employee needs guidance
No matter how many team members are using the coffee drawer, there are some basic expectations. Whenever possible, managers need to develop practices that support the entire team. If everyone would benefit from a well-organized coffee drawer, then a standard should probably be set. You may not need to have the pods in alphabetical order, but labels should be visible. Your entire team can benefit from an organized work area, even if it isn’t everyone’s preference.
If your performance goal is an organized drawer, help your entire team see how the outcome will support that achievement. Unify your team around common goals that focus on their customers, their coworkers, the bank, or perhaps the community. Managers are coaches. They help their teams visualize a desired outcome and help each team member see how their role contributes to success. Lead your team so they will have a positive impact on your entire organization.
Kyle Hershberger is president and jack-of-all-trades at Cross Financial in Omaha, Neb. With decades of banking expertise, he is a member of the faculty at the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also a third-generation banker and a second-generation consultant.