How to Advocate for Workforce Needs to Senior Leadership
Effective advocacy for workforce needs is crucial in today's dynamic business environment. This article delves into strategies for communicating these needs to senior leadership, drawing on insights from industry experts. From addressing empty promotion promises to implementing productivity-boosting initiatives, discover practical approaches to improve workplace conditions and operational efficiency.
- Coach Exposes Empty Promotion Promises
- Focus Reset Week Boosts Productivity
- Addressing Burnout Leads to Operational Improvements
Coach Exposes Empty Promotion Promises
As an Executive Coach, I continually survey employees and managers at the request of C-Suite leadership teams. These interviews are confidential but allow me to see patterns, gaps in needed skills, and the unmet needs of the workforce. One such example presented itself when I recently worked in a large company.
Throughout the year, company leaders regularly promised (or hinted at) potential job promotions to their employees. However, they later admitted to me that they had no intention of giving current employees the new positions. It was a proverbial carrot to keep them artificially motivated. Then, the leaders would hire for those particular positions from outside the company ranks, causing tremendous rifts and resentment.
This leadership lapse denied long-term, loyal employees the opportunity to prove themselves and, possibly, be more fulfilled and successful in their work. The empty promises also stirred continual disappointment among employees. The hope of advancement (in a company they enjoyed working for) kept some employees from pursuing opportunities and fulfillment elsewhere. This dynamic inhibited an open, emotionally intelligent, and cohesive culture.
When I brought this inconsistency to their attention, the leaders acknowledged their behavior, expressing a desire to lead differently.
We formed a deliberate promotion track where employees could know the expectations, knowledge, and skills needed for future openings in roles and positions. This new clarity and system created greater employee fulfillment, reduced employee turnover, and provided a more efficient hiring method with a happier workforce.
Small leadership missteps, when redirected and leveraged, can be immensely impactful and profitable!
Focus Reset Week Boosts Productivity
We started noticing a pattern: people were meeting deadlines but mentally checking out. It wasn't burnout in the dramatic sense, but more of a quiet fatigue. I brought it up to leadership and suggested we try a "focus reset week."
No internal meetings. Limited Slack. Early log-offs. The goal was simple: give people room to breathe and get deep work done without constant interruptions.
There was some hesitation at first, mostly around how it might impact delivery. So we treated it as a small experiment. We kept an eye on project timelines and feedback. Surprisingly, productivity actually improved. But more importantly, the team felt heard.
That one week changed how we think about time and focus. It wasn't about doing less; it was about doing it better. And it showed that sometimes, the best way to support people is by getting out of their way.
Addressing Burnout Leads to Operational Improvements
In 2024, I noticed our team was at risk of burnout. We had expanded quickly, and the workload had piled up without enough support to handle it. The pressure was showing in late-night emails, increased errors, and even turnover. It was clear that something had to change.
I took the issue directly to senior leadership. I showed them concrete examples—Slack messages from employees working into the early hours, long client ticket queues, and burnout-related turnover. I explained that the team couldn't keep up with this pace without consequences for both staff and client satisfaction.
I pushed for a two-week pause on onboarding new clients to allow us to catch up, the hiring of three additional support staff, and changes to how we escalated issues internally. The leadership team approved everything within two days. We hired the new team members quickly, which alleviated pressure, and the break from onboarding allowed us to stabilize.
This conversation shifted how leadership viewed our team's capacity, leading to better resource planning and smoother operations moving forward.
