The midterm elections in Mexico are approaching. On July 5th Mexicans will vote for and elect mayors and other representatives. There is a developing story: A movement is gaining momentum – one where people are encouraged to vote “nulo.” Nulo means “no one”, as in “I’m checking the box that says ‘none of the above candidates will do for me.'”
Many Mexicans are prepared to share their discontent with the people they have elected in the past to represent them.
What does this have to do with you? Consider the possibility that millions of people show up for work every day and vote “nulo.” They are saying, “I’m here for the paycheck. I’m not giving any more than the required effort to get the job done. Oh, and when is it Friday?”
Too many people have lost faith in leadership.
And here’s the HUGE elephant in the office: How does leadership respond? Too many leaders get upset – angry – at the lack of accountability on their team. They can’t understand why people won’t take responsibility, won’t give the extra effort, and won’t make decisions quickly. So they make the fatal mistake of demanding more. They make more policies. They attempt to falsely motivate. And they stoop to blaming others.
And the cycle continues, because employees shake their head – and vote “nulo” even more often.
This ageless doom-cycle has to stop. Companies big (such as O-I) and small (such as TP Mechanical), and in every sort of industry, such as software (LearnShare) and food (Nestle) are proving that there’s a more effective way to have employees vote more than “nulo.” The companies mentioned above (among others) all start with an understanding that:
- Everyone wants leadership, but they don’t want to be bossed around;
- Everyone wants to succeed, not so they can make other people rich, but so they can feel successful;
- And that leadership status in an organization has nothing to do with levels of intellect, wisdom, or the desire to win.
This has nothing to do with “just being nice,” or lowering standards. In fact, it has everything to do with raising results. Because people will come to work and vote with every ounce of energy they have – but only if you give them a reason to.
