Beyond expanding your bank account or attending the next Taylor Swift concert, can you articulate where you are now against what you desire for tomorrow? If you are an employee like I am, have you considered what you require today versus what’s needed to achieve your long-term goals?
As an owner or high-level manager, how much do you care about where your employees see themselves now versus where they want to be? What’s your role in helping your team understand why this matters?
Every company should have a mission, vision, and values statement that has been defined and agreed on to keep everyone motivated in the short term and to build something special in the future. Have you bought into them, and do you recognize your role beyond getting a paycheck? What drives you, and what defines you? Regardless of whether you are an employer or an employee, do you long for something amazing? Or are you focused on Panem et Circenses?
What is Panem et Circenses?
Translated to “bread and circuses,” Panem et Circenses was first written about in the late 1st or early 2nd century AD by Roman poet Juvenal. Today, it’s expressed through cultural name-calling and by making fun of silly political stuff. But this was not the original idea.
Juvenal wrote, “Already long ago, from when we sold out vote to no man, the people have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions, everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.”
As written, he is lamenting the current self-indulgent desires of his culture and civilization. Once a proud and powerful people controlling their empire as it moved toward a dynamic destiny, they now viewed their needs as short-term desires, quick fixes that came with free wheat from those in charge, and the promise of occasional entertainment designed to keep the powerful power-filled.
“Bread and Circuses” Today
In our world, Panem et Circenses comes from microwavable meals, on-demand ride shares, entertainment found on streaming services via high-speed internet, and a $2 an hour raise from the company down the street.
I’d like to view Panem et Circenses from a historical viewpoint (speaking for the general population or employee) as well as today’s viewpoint on leadership (from the owner or high-level manager in a large organization) to get a better understanding of how it relates to both sides. To do so, I have asked Marcie Richardson, COO of Guarantee Restoration and RIA board member, to weigh in.
First, the negative. Companies that offer employees a standard experience without demonstrating additional value will burn through them like my favorite NFL team does quarterbacks. Employees who only focus on their hourly wage and what they can get for free provide little more than the ability to fog a mirror and fill a short-term seat on a truck or in an office. This is non-debatable.
When asked what she saw as the role of a company beyond the basic needs of a paycheck for buying food and something to keep an employee busy, i.e., bread and circuses, Marcie responded:
“It’s not black and white. As you interact with employees their ages and personal experiences matter. Some employees are set in the short-term and you need to help them understand their long-term potential. For other employees, life changes matter, as having a family brings the need for stability. Employers need to communicate with employees and meet them where they are. A great way to start this is in the interview process. Ask them about their personal goals as they relate to the position. If they are the right person for the right seat on the company bus and they come on board, then provide them with the tools and resources to potentially achieve those goals. Too often, managers are hiring to fill a job. But that doesn’t work. You don’t hire the job. You hire the person, and that person has goals. Respect their goals if they are aligned with your core values. Then help them work to achieve their best version of themselves.”
From an employee perspective, I need to have a realistic understanding of my worth. What do I bring to the table? What can I do from a developmental perspective to bring more value to my employer if my goal is to earn more financially and in other ways? I need to know not just my goal for the upcoming year, but ten years down the line. Then, I must communicate this to my employer professionally, demonstrating how gains in education will help everyone. But I can’t know this until I research my priorities and ensure they align with my employer’s mission.
Aligning Company and Employee Goals
Company leaders need to view employees not as liabilities on a financial report but as people working to better themselves as they strive to reach the company’s goals. A good practice is to routinely ask your employees what is next for them and what they would like. Even if they can’t answer your question today, you have their attention and will make them think. You are reinforcing that you go beyond bread and circuses and that you care. Most don’t.
Too many owners and managers are frustrated because they expect their employees to care as much as they do. But why should they when it’s your name on the wall or the door and not theirs? Demonstrate to them that there are personal and professional places they can hang their name, and be passionate about helping them achieve what they desire. This is your company’s differentiator.
As an employee, the management/leadership team wants you to succeed, but they will be looking for signs that you are not. I speak with thousands of restoration business owners and managers every year and I have yet to hear that they are looking for someone who is only interested in a paycheck and keeping the status quo. Employees are the only true competitive advantage a company has. But while managers want the best for employees, they can’t read your mind. Talk with them about how you can grow and provide more value. Talk with them about how you want to have responsibility in decision-making and more accountability in your success and failure. Ask them to support you. If they don’t, then they offer only bread and circuses. I promise you someone else will offer more.
How Employers Can Support Their Workforce’s Personal Goals
Marcie provides a concrete example of how a company can support their people:
“Often, we have employees with limited formal education and training who want to purchase a home and experience the American dream. We want to support this. Knowing home ownership is expensive and risky, we provide them with the tools and financial management understanding if that’s what’s important to them. It may not directly relate to the technical aspects of their position, but if it helps them accomplish a personal goal, then it’s a win-win for both sides. This matters to us because it matters to them. Think of it holistically. If you give them the training they need to succeed in business and in life, they realize the value you bring to them.“
Evaluating Your Goals as an Employee
As an employee, what are your goals? Maybe it’s moving to salary, gaining a management position, or being able to buy a home. Whatever it is, write it down. Then, take it to your manager and ask them to work with you to develop a plan to reach it. I’ve never met a manager worth anything who didn’t respond favorably to having this type of conversation with a producer in their company.
As an employee, if you are looking for a place to start, consider this list of some of the most common things today’s employees are looking for, according to the Society of Human Resource Management.
- Personal time off to pursue outside passions
- A say in budgets and business planning for their role in the company
- Leave for childcare or adult family care
- The flexibility to work from home
- A set professional development training budget dedicated to agreed-upon skill improvement
But here lies the truth: technically, the company owes employees nothing more than the wage needed to buy bread and a professional environment to find your circuses. And while there are two types of companies out there—ones that only provide Panem et Circenses and those that understand the importance of going beyond—there are also two types of employees. Some have not earned anything beyond bread and circuses, while others understand the importance of going beyond. Know where you fall. If you don’t, then ask. If you don’t like the answer, then change your behavior or leave. Either way, you and your employer are probably both better off.
Jeff Jones
Jeff Jones is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Violand Management Associates. With a broad range of experience in professional sales and marketing involving all levels of decision makers, Jeff works with companies to find the right mix of programs and services to help them develop their people and achieve their goals. Since joining Violand in 2012, he has been tasked with overseeing and executing strategies for the company that include services and market expansion. To reach him, visit violand.com or call (330) 966-0700.
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