Pierre Battah - Humanity at Work: Leading for Better Relationships and Results

PRAISE FOR Humanity at Work

A clear, compassionate, and thorough exploration of leadership that gets to the heart of being human.

Andrew Lee, Chief Curiosity Officer, Curiousmind

Reading Humanity at Work is like sitting down with a truly knowledgeable friend to discuss real-life workplace problems and how to resolve them with humanity.

John Tivendell, PhD, L.Psych., FCPA, full professor, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Universit de Moncton

Humanity at Work illustrates proven leadership principles with case studies told in a friendly voice that makes them both meaningful and memorable.

Paul Johnson, P.Eng., chairman and CEO, Quantum5X Systems Inc.

The leadership lessons in Humanity at Work are invaluable at every level of an organization.

Thrse LeBlanc, retired Regional Deputy Commissioner, Atlantic Region, Correctional Service of Canada

Pierre Battah speaks to the valuable human side of organizational or business success by using vivid storytelling. A must-read for any leader!

Andre Savoie, president and CEO, Adelin Properties

Pierre identifies the questions we need to ask ourselves to be more effective leaders for our teams and our communities.

David Savoie, president and CEO, Acadian Construction

To lead with humanity, you have to do the work and ask yourself the tough questions. Pierre Battahs book will prompt you to deepen your understanding and shape how you will show up for your team.

Jennifer Meffert, vice president, People and Culture, MetroStar Systems

Copyright 2020 by Pierre Battah

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a license from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For a copyright license, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777.

Cataloguing data available from Library and Archives Canada

ISBN 978-1-928055-74-7 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-928055-75-4 (EPUB)

ISBN 978-1-928055-76-1 (PDF)

Editor: Don Loney

Cover and interior design: Naomi MacDougall

Cover image: iStock.com / Irina Karpinchik

Author photo: Denis Duquette

Published by LifeTree Media Ltd.

LifeTreeMedia.com

Distributed in the US by Publishers Group West and in Canada by Publishers Group Canada

Gabrielle: This book, and so much more, is only possible thanks to you. Je taime.

Alex, you inspire me each and every day.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Plan International Canada, who strive for a just world that advances childrens rights and equality for girls.

Contents

Introduction

LET ME CLOSE my door...

I cant tell you how often Ive heard those words. They usually

foretell a conversation about a challenging workplace-and people-related problem that you or a colleague may be struggling with. Or perhaps we may be talking specifically about you and your leadership practice, whether youre struggling as an emerging leader or are thriving as a seasoned one but are perplexed by change.

The closed door signifies the privacy these matters warrant, but it also signals your intent to make work life better for you and your team. Lets think of this book as one of those closed-door conversations.

In that room, wed likely get down to talking about a scenario, an example, or a story that illustrates a people-related problem that is troubling you or someone else at work. It could be a person or a team that is not living up to their potential or a more systemic employee turnover or recruitment problem reflective of an unhealthy workplace; or perhaps you are wrestling with leading a departmental restructure or company-wide major change initiative. Or, the meeting could simply involve chatting about how you can help others learn and improve.

We would likely talk about other similar situations to give yours some context and then we might draw from our shared knowledge of the research and the best evidence-based practices used by other notable employers. After that, we would compare our experience-based takes and explore practical implications. That is what this book sets out to do. Think of it as a pocket mentor, your personal guide to developing a leadership style that puts humanity front and center.

What do I mean by humanity, and why is it so important for effective leadership? Great question! (As youll see in this book, Im a big fan of using questions as a tool to bring insights to the surface.) The way I define it, leading from a place of humanity means recognizing the human nature of your employeesunderstanding who they are and what matters to them. It also means being realistic about their strengths and weaknessesthe personal qualities that drive them to succeed in their roles as well as the habits and blind spots that might be getting in their way. It means viewing your people with empathy and an open mind, rather than imposing arbitrary expectations and rigid demands on them. Humans are messy and complex animals, and the more you can accept that and seek to understand what makes them tick, the more engaged they will be and the better equipped to contribute to the success of your organization. In this book, I refer to this approach as people leadership, which I believe is the key to unlocking the true potential of an organization.

Of course the bottom line matters, but how you make the numbers is through your people. Employees who are engaged at work have lower absentee rates, treat customers better, stay in their jobs longer, and cheerfully go the extra mile. Put simply, people leadership is good business leadership. Through the stories in this book, youll have the opportunity to learn at the side of leaders who successfully balance people and results to drive the growth of their organizations.

But wait, theres more! Its not just about your employees humanity; its about yours, too. Your own attitudes, motivations, assumptions, and emotions strongly affect the way you show up at work, and your influence on the people you lead is profound. Cultivating self-awareness is key to setting a positive tone and fostering a productive workplace culture.

Okay, so hopefully Ive got you on board with the concept. But how do you do it? What does it look like in real life?

Glad you asked. My experience as a trainer, consultant, and mentor has taught me that leading from a place of humanity isnt something you can learn from a checklist. Its organic. Its personal. Its about who you are and how you show up in all your interactions. It can be hard to describe, but you know it when you see it, which is why these values and habits tend to be learned at the knee of our own wise leaders and mentors.

Thats why in this book I use storytelling as a tool to educate. Each chapter features intimate illustrations of real leaders facing real challenges. Its not just about being friendly and showing your employees that you care about them, although thats hugely importantits also about tackling the tough stuff well. How do you give corrective feedback in a way that inspires people to perform better? How do you handle a branch closure or merger without destroying morale? These are the tests that make a great leader, who in turn makes a great company. Through these stories, youll have the opportunity to look over the shoulders of managers and executives who embody this humanity-focused approach so that you can learn from their example.