Employees are big babies!

After the recent birth of my second child, I can’t help but see the similarities between bambinos and employees. Firstly, finding top talent can be as painful as childbirth. Secondly, whilst the phrase ‘big babies’ has negative connotations, babies are simply wonderful and should be treated with respect: understood, listened to and responded to. So should employees.

There are many lessons we can learn from exploring these comparisons and I’ve outlined 6 below:

1. They're ready when they are ready.

The due date is a bit of a myth, really there is a due ‘window’ of about 5 weeks where most babies decide they are ready for this world. I love this fact because it goes against the hyper-productive world we live in; businesses want to know when new dads will start their pat leave, self-employed mums want to know when to close their doors and grandparents want to know when to book visits.

But no matter how much we all want to know when our babies will make an entrance, they come in their own time.

When it comes to employees, often we want to promote someone, or hire someone asap so they can fit into our business strategy.

But I always advise business owners not to push too hard. There is a fine line between giving someone space to stretch, and setting someone up to fail by asking too much of them too soon.

The best approach is to actively listen to someone when they are sharing their readiness (or lack thereof). Often people are aware of the areas they still need to grow in, or their 'skills gap', so work with your people, let experiences guide you, and resist the temptation to play God.

2. They will disengage if they don't get responded to.

If babies get left to cry, they will eventually stop bothering making any noise at all, because they learn that no one is going to respond to them. This is demonstrated by eerie videos of overrun orphanages, where babies are silent.

Responding consistently leads to all round happier humans (babies and parents!)

The same is true for employees. If employees are ignored, they'll stop bothering communicating what they need.

If time is taken to pause and listen to what they are saying, and more time is taken to consider an appropriate response, then businesses will be rewarded with a more engaged, trusting and secure workforce.

This doesn't mean leaders need to agree to every pay rise request, but it simply means they need to not ignore their employees and proactively consider how to meet their needs.

I find that more often than not, employees are crying out with precisely what they need, but leaders are ill-equipped to identify the message.

3. They are individuals.

Now that I have two babies I can confidently say no two are the same!

Every baby has a completely unique experience of life because of who they are and the environment they are thrust into.

Employees are grown-up babies, they are whole individuals with unique experiences, traits, quirks, beliefs, skills etc. We need to be embracing these complete individuals and not assuming we understand their abilities or concerns or personalities based on our own preconceived notions.

It is crucially important for business leaders to take the time to understand the individuals that work so hard for them, to really make the most of that working relationship. For example, what p*sses this person off? What do they love? What do they feel they need to learn? When do they work best in the day?

Getting curious leads to a mutually beneficial understanding of how to make work work for everyone.

4. Your sanity benefits them.

Finding time for some 'self-care' is hard when you look after young babies, and hard when you run a business, or a team of individuals.

However, babies don't have fully developed brains and as parents we need to 'lend them our calm' when they are having a meltdown. This is not easy when our energy reserves are depleted and our toddlers are demanding a third bag of quavers. However, to truly be in the state of mind to help others, we must first help ourselves.

Similarly, business leaders need to look after their employees when they are feeling the strain.

To be able to do this, take the break, have the lunch break, do something fun! Find the village or network to lean on, in order to give to others what they need.

5. Your decisions impact them.

Babies don’t yet have the ability to make decisions for themselves, that responsibility lies entirely with the parent. *gulp*.

Similarly, whether it's deciding on which role is needed in the business, or choosing between two excellent candidates, business leaders often make calls that greatly impact other people's lives.

This responsibility felt by parents and managers can be overwhelming, but there is a reason managers have been promoted, and why they have been trusted to make decisions.

When making a daunting decision, whether at work or at home, it's important to note that one can only make judgements based on what they know at the time. When more is learnt or understood, different decisions may be made.

6. They crave security.

Babies need to feel safely attached to their care givers in order to feel secure and feeling secure is the first step to a happy life.

Employees also crave security and need this feeling of safety in order to blossom into high performing team members. If you're constantly wondering if you're going to get sacked, you don't feel much like investing in your role, or company.

Asking employees outright what would help them feel assured can be a smart move, but for most people, putting some essentials in place will get you at least half way there. For example contracts of employment, employment policies, trained managers, open leaders and having all of the right equipment are some fundamentals that help people feel safe at work.

When we look at employees as big babies, we remember that in cases where a manager feels frustrated at someone, most likely that individual does not intend to be a nuisance or to be underperforming. Maybe they don't want to complain or resign. Sometimes that unique person just needs a different type of support and understanding in order to flourish.