Being Seen is at the Heart of Belonging: My Interview with Jason Lauritsen
This article is part of the Authentic Leader Interview Series created by Breean Elyse Miller.
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Even when he was in grade school, Jason Lauritsen recognized when processes and systems were broken. But, rather than complain, his instinct was to find or create a better way.
As Jason's career unfolded, it became clear to him that the experience of “work” wasn’t a good one for far too many people. And so it became his calling to make work better.
Jason has dedicated his career to helping leaders build organizations that are good for both people and profits--first as an entrepreneur, then a corporate HR executive, then as a consultant, researcher, and speaker.
In this interview, we explore:
How "authenticity" has been hijacked
Why leaders need to focus on building their relationship skills
How to help others increase their "visibility" at work so they can show up as their whole, authentic selves
Making work a source of nourishment and fulfillment
The power of writing a personal manifesto
Without further ado, here's my interview with Jason Lauritsen.
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Breean: From what I can tell, your purpose is to “fix work” by helping people think differently about it so they can make work better. Can you explain what you mean by making work better?
Jason: For far too many people, work is a necessary evil in their lives--something they must do to earn a paycheck, but not something they would choose to do otherwise. And worse, many people work in environments that are stressful and unhealthy. And it's taking a hefty toll. According to research shared in Jeffrey Pfeffer's most recent book, Dying for a Paycheck, the workplace environments in the United States account for 120,000 excess deaths per year, making them the fifth leading cause of death in this country.
Work is killing us and it's preventable.
More than that, I believe that work can and should be a meaningful and fulfilling experience for employees. Making work better is about creating an experience of work for each employee that feels fulfilling and nourishing to the extent possible. It's about making work a place that helps people feel more whole and connected in all parts of their life.
Breean: Expanding on my previous question, what does it look like for leaders to be “better”?
Jason: There are a lot of ways that leaders can and should be better, but for me, it starts with fostering relationships at and with work. That means investing time and energy in your people and people processes to ensure that your employees feel appreciated, valued, respected, trusted, and cared for.
The better a leader becomes at fostering great relationships, the more likely they are to be effective at getting the best from their people. It's not the only thing you need, but it goes a long way.
Breean: You’re an expert in employee engagement. How does authenticity play a role in engaging employees?
Jason: I've actually done some research on this topic. What we found is that the more an employee feels like they can be who they really are at work (i.e., the more they can show up authentically), the higher their engagement. Said another way, being seen and accepted for who you are at work is a powerful driver of engagement and leads to improved performance and loyalty.
One important thing to clarify is that authenticity must exist in the context of our relationships with other people. Some people like to interpret being authentic as "anything goes”. Authenticity doesn't exist in a vacuum. If you are an authentic a**hole without any concern about working effectively with others, then you are probably going to get fired. If you are naturally someone who speaks your mind openly in a way that sometimes rubs other people wrong and you bring that to work, you should probably learn some adaptive strategies for dealing with the impact your words may have on others and how to preserve a positive working relationship--assuming you want to be effective at work.
The authenticity of leadership is also key here. One of the things that I've found to be true about authenticity is that you can't help someone else find and develop it until you are personally on that journey yourself.
So, it's imperative that leaders invest in developing their own self-awareness and acceptance, and then use that as a foundation to ensure that they are showing up in their life and leadership in a way that aligns with their intentions and values. Only then can they lead others to great authenticity.
Breean: You said, “Belonging requires vulnerability, and as a consequence, it is an act of courage.” How might companies create space for people to be vulnerable and, as a result, feel like they belong?
Jason: That's actually me channeling the brilliant Brene Brown. 🙂 It was her writing that first illuminated for me that there is no courage without vulnerability. As for how companies can support greater vulnerability, I think it's about taking steps to make it feel safer to take risks. There are a lot of ways to approach this.
One of the best places to start is in our meetings. At the very least, make sure that every voice is heard in every meeting in some way. For some people, just speaking up and being heard can feel like a big step, particularly when you are new.
This can be as simple as asking everyone to check-in at the beginning of a meeting or to share something that's going on outside of work that they are excited about. Other steps might be to assign a devil's advocate when decisions are being made to ensure that people get to practice what it feels like to be a lone dissenting voice.
The key is to create opportunities for people to take steps, even tiny ones, to show more of themselves at work in lower-risk situations at first. Every time an individual shows a bit of themselves without negative consequences, they become more confident and willing to share a bit more. In time, what feels vulnerable begins to change because people feel more comfortable with being seen at work. This is at the heart of belonging.
Breean: I’ve been thinking a lot about how companies need to build the capacity to embrace their employees as individuals. In my mind, this would require a distinct, individual relationship with each employee.
What advice do you have for leaders looking to embrace each of their team members as authentic individuals? What skills might these leaders need to develop to make this a possibility?
Jason: I think you may have answered your own question. 🙂 It's all about building and developing a healthy, positive relationship with each employee. The skills needed for this are the same skills needed to build a strong relationship in any area of your life. It's things like listening, acceptance, commitment, appreciation, and more.
While it's tempting to say, "just apply the relationship skills you use outside of work to those you lead at work," I've found that it's not that simple. We aren't great at relationships in general, which helps explain why we don't always do it very well at work.
I see this gap in relationship skills as a huge opportunity. If we get focused on developing people's relationship skills at work, it will not only help us create more engaged and productive workplaces, but it will spill over into creating better friendships, marriages, and families.
Breean: Which business leaders are your “expanders” or role models? Why do they inspire you?
Jason: One of the people I really admire is Rich Sheridan. He is the CEO of Menlo Innovations, a software development firm in Michigan. Rich built an organization that rejected much of traditional wisdom around how work is supposed to be done. He believes in people deeply. He believes that work should be a joyful experience. And they are actually making it happen in ways that most people have trouble wrapping their heads around. What he's done is so unique and powerful, he's written two books about it to help others understand their approach.
I tend to admire leaders who crush the status quo and show others what's possible, specifically when it comes to how work happens.
Breean: What is one small shift or tiny act of rebellion that anyone can do to be more authentic?
Jason: Sit down and write out a personal manifesto.
In it, describe the person you intend to be. What do you care about? Where do you spend your time? What kind of person are you? What kind of impact do you have on others? The simple act of committing these things to paper is powerful.
To give it real power, share it with some others you trust and ask them to help you live up to that manifesto. By writing it and sharing it, you create a psychological commitment that will pull you towards greater authenticity.
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Jason Lauritsen is a speaker, author, advisor, and leadership trainer focused on employee engagement and workplace culture.
Where to find Jason: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter
