Enough is Enough
For over a decade, I have encountered leaders who want to fight about the merits of people development.
I remember my first conversation in this long-standing battle well, way back in 2006. He was a construction sector executive, privileged by the industry's preference for white males. At the time, I was reshaping my career from clinical to organisational practice in psychology, finding my place in consulting's nebulous hierarchy.
'Marc, all that soft and fluffy stuff you do never works with my people,' he smirked. 'Our staff are pretty much like children. They're uneducated, have low levels of responsibility, and are replaceable. So why would we even invest in them?'
My optimistic, younger self rose to the challenge.
'Well, they're people, and you need them to do what's needed. So why not invest in them?'
His expression widened into a smile as he shook his head.
'That is naïve. It never works, and you're not commercially minded enough to understand that as a psychologist.'
On reflection, I think he was trying to be helpful, to temper my expectations of the work I could do and succeed at.
What he wasn't willing to understand was that treating adults like children, making them feel disposable and undervalued, drives disengagement and low commitment. No wonder they end up leaving.
Sadly, I've had similar conversations far too many times to count. I have found myself drawn into long debates, with endless effort to convince leaders that developing their people matters.
I have attempted to inspire and educate but in the end, it always feels like a battle to persuade influential people that humans are not merely a resource. Doesn't help that we still call it Human Resources.
What I have also noticed is that many leaders often pretend to agree. They know in their heads that they should invest in their people and care, but in their hearts, they do not believe it is worth it. Smart people know what to say and how to act to make themselves look on-trend.
My mission is thus no longer to convert those who seem oblivious to the obvious. I do not waste energy trying to make others see the evidence that supports the importance of investing in people.
Instead, I seek out like-minded leaders and curious partners. I have set clear boundaries for when I choose to walk away, and I spend more time than most trying to establish the true conviction of a decision maker. So if a decision maker talks about their people as dispensable, as resources, as things and not as beings — I walk away. If they use language like 'fix them', 'make them right', 'change their attitudes' or any other disparaging comments — I walk away. If they admit they do not need to invest in their own development — I walk away. If they ask for an exact measure of ROI, insisting they will only invest if we can prove a direct impact on the bottom line — I walk away.
It has become more common for me to fire a client.
If we don't believe in the same things, surely our partnership is doomed from the start.
Thankfully, much has changed since 2006. It has become easier to find like-minded colleagues and make them the focus of our best energy. They are everywhere now, and rising in organisations. A generational shift is underway. Our time is now.