The word “sustainability” is encountered almost everywhere these days, almost inflationary. It is primarily associated with global warming and its effects, as well as with the 17 sustainability goals defined by the United Nations, which have increasingly entered our consciousness due to demonstrations and climate catastrophes. However, sustainability goes far beyond the supposed ecological footprint or CO2 compensation. Today, the term encompasses not only long-term responsibility for the environment, which Hans Carl von Carlowitz already propagated for forestry in 1713, but also the sustainable use of the resource employee. In this context, the term “sustainable employee management” or “sustainable leadership” is used.
Soft skills are the trump card
Sustainable” is often equated with “environmentally friendly. But the word actually means something else: namely “lasting and “durable. Accordingly, ecological sustainability stands for a measured approach to natural resources – one that ensures they are preserved. Something similar applies at a different level to sustainable employee management. The central goal is to ensure that employees remain productive, motivated and healthy for their company in the long term.
If you really want to be sustainable as a manager, you should therefore do more than just ride your bike to work. It is much more about the role model function, one’s own attitude, competencies in the social, ecological and economic areas, the ability to motivate, but also the responsibility to promote this change. Especially today, in times of shortage of skilled workers, identification with the company and employee loyalty are enormously important. Good talents are highly competitive and the will to change companies of many young employees is high. High performance pressure in combination with poor leadership not only leads to lower identification, but also to demotivation among employees.
Maintaining motivation
To ensure that employees do not lose their motivation, managers must do more than just offer bonuses and other incentives. For “Generation Y” in particular, these are often no longer enough. Instead, it is crucial that managers maintain a constant exchange with their employees, show them appreciation and respond to their interests and needs. By recognizing the strengths and abilities of their employees at an early stage and providing targeted support, managers can reliably and sustainably increase their motivation and support their striving for success, progress and creativity.
The manager of today is no longer just a supervisor with technical and leadership skills, but must increasingly develop into a trustworthy coach. It is the soft skills, such as empathy and communication skills, that today’s managers need. Early recognition and active resolution of conflicts is also an important component of sustainable employee leadership. This is the only way to prevent the quality of work and motivation from suffering as a result of a bad mood in the company. Sustainable employee management not only increases employee motivation, but also improves the working atmosphere and increases the productivity and innovative capacity of any company. Only satisfied employees are able to create added value for their company and thus for customers.
