This one closed-ended question can tell you a lot about your company. What it’s like to work there. What managers are like. The quality of the leadership. Are people happy to work there?

Simon Sinek in his TED talk “Most leaders don’t even Know the game they’re in” described his encounter with Noah who worked at the Four Seasons in Las Vegas. Simon said the people who work there make it a great place to stay. Noah, the barista, was friendly and so much fun, Simon gave him a 100% tip.

Simon asked Noah if he liked his job, and Noah effusively replied, “I love my job.” “Why?,” asked Simon. Noah said, “Throughout the day, managers will stop and ask him if there is anything he needed to do his job better.” Apparently not just his manager, but any manager, including the manager’s manager.

Noah then contrasted his Four Seasons experience with his job at Caesar’s Palace, where he moonlighted. According to Noah, “Managers there patrol to catch us doing things wrong.” “When I go to work at CP I keep my head under the radar to get through the day, so I can get my paycheck.”

“At the Four Seasons, I feel I can be myself.”

In “Leadership is Language”, David Marquet explains that where people comply, managers coerce, and where people are committed, managers collaborate.

Coercion and compliance is a holdover from the Industrial Revolution which amazingly is still operational in many, perhaps most 21st century companies.

Assessing whether the people in your workplace are committed, or merely complying, is easy. In fact, you know the answer already.

If you work at such a place, you are needlessly suffering. Get a new job.

If you are a manager who is OK to have his or her people in compliance mode, note that you are not a leader. You’re merely an authority.

Hotels seem to get this, as I posted about Hilton jobs a few weeks ago. You can read it here.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/peteranthonygales_is-your-staff-committed-or-complying-this-activity-7009306541249941505-xuS0?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

https://twitter.com/PeterGales/status/1603540815434981381?s=20&t=gqmAybzIKJBoopMVIBVRNg