Getting the most out of people...

Or is this a short-term strategy that ultimately does not make sense?

Recently, during a walk, I saw a company's slogan that got me thinking. This slogan suggested that it's important always to get the most out of people (and organizations) An interesting slogan, ' we get the most out of people' . And what does that mean? For example, I initially imagined squeezed oranges rather than optimally performing people.

Maximize

II'm not entirely sure what this company meant by this slogan. What I do know is that it doesn't immediately give me the feeling that it's good for the people who work for this company. Or is that because I often see and speak to people who put in maximum effort at work and then push past their limits until they get sick and burn out?

Optimal

Personally, I would much prefer to talk about getting the optimal or best out of people. I am convinced that this yields better long-term results and probably happier employees, with less absenteeism and turnover. The idea that people can always perform at their maximum is, in my opinion, utopian.

Sustainable

A lot of attention is currently being paid to sustainable business practices. Maybe it would help organizations to also view sustainable business from the perspective of people's resilience. Sometimes, you are more resilient than at other times. Sustainable business then results in not only environmental benefits but also benefits for the people.

Trust

Last week, I facilitated a 'High Impact Leadership' training in Paris. One of the topics discussed there was the importance of trust in organizations. And that this is the basis for building successful teams where people are not afraid to discuss difficult topics. How wonderful would it be if everyone found their work environment so trustworthy that there is understanding for personal situations like illness, home life, or other non-work-related issues that affect resilience? Unfortunately, the reality is often that this safety does not exist. So, people continue to perform maximally until they collapse, quit, or become long-term sick.

Premiere league

See the differences compared to top-level sports. Periods of intense performance are alternated with periods of rest to recover and become stronger. Success is achieved there by finding the optimal balance between hard work and timely rest to achieve top results. With the Summer Olympics approaching, maybe it's a good moment to discuss optimal workload at the next staff meeting. Hopefully, there is enough trust to have these conversations with each other.

My conviction is that everyone wants to be successful, preferably with the right balance to perform optimally.

What do you think?