Article 5 in a series on each element of the 5Cs
The workplace is facing a Contribution crisis.
In 2024, Gallup found workers are seeking new job opportunities at the highest rates in a decade, with overall satisfaction with their employer at a record low. Additionally, US workers’ connection to their company’s mission and purpose reached an all-time low at only 30%.
When people don’t understand the impact of their work, feel acknowledged or connected to the company culture, they have low job satisfaction and, not surprisingly, turnover increases.
Yet, people increasingly confirm they want to work for a company where they can thrive. To reach the optimal level of team and organizational thriving, Contribution is essential.
It’s our responsibility as leaders within organizations to change this negative trend and focus on the importance of Contribution.
Contribution is where people get the deepest levels of fulfillment from their work. In the 5Cs, Contribution encompasses the subfactors of impact, core values, meaning and mattering, and shared vision and purpose.
The 5Cs tool is an evidence-based model that captures the five critical elements to create high performing teams and thriving cultures. The elements are: Connection, Candid Communication, Clarity, Collaboration and Contribution.
This is the fifth and final article in a series where I have been diving into each element in depth. The previous articles focused on:
- Connection: having the foundation of trust and care is the most important element at the heart of improving team cohesion and culture.
- Candid Communication: sharing openly and honestly is the best predictor of performance.
- Clarity: acting as a force multiplier by amplifying the effectiveness of the team and culture.
- Collaboration: uplifting teams to achieve exponentially greater results than what could be achieved individually.
This article will focus on Contribution.
Overview of the Contribution Element of the 5Cs
The final factor in the 5Cs model is Contribution, which is optimized through the four other 5Cs elements. The four rings of Connection, Candid Communication, Clarity and Collaboration build to the Contribution ring.
What it means: Contribution reflects how team actions align with the organization’s core values and goals. It incorporates the impact that the team and organization have on the broader community, the existence and acceptance of key core values that drive actions and discussions, the recognition of meaning and mattering and their importance to people thriving, and creating company-wide alignment on a shared vision that provides direction and purpose.
Subfactors
- Core Values measure the clarity and integration of team or organizational values into daily actions and discussions.
- Impact refers to the emphasis on generating meaningful outcomes that benefit stakeholders and the broader community.
- Meaning & Mattering refers to the recognition and sense of value of each individual’s contributions to the team or organization.
- Shared Vision and Purpose refers to the alignment and commitment of all members to a unified organization or team direction and purpose.
In the 5Cs tool, the Contribution dimension evaluates how meaningful employees feel their work is and whether they believe their efforts are recognized. By highlighting areas where employees feel disengaged or underappreciated, organizations can implement more effective recognition programs and align individual roles with the company’s broader mission.
Challenges when Contribution is Low:
When Contribution is low, employees and teams don’t feel like their work is meaningful or recognized. They don’t have an understanding of how their contributions align with the bigger picture. They tend to be disconnected from the company and the impact of their work.
Let’s face it, nobody enjoys doing work that they feel doesn’t matter. This can result in disengagement at a team and organizational level, higher turnover, and not attracting and retaining the best people.
At an organizational level, low Contribution negatively impacts the customer, which as a result, has a negative impact on business results. When employees don’t put the customer at the center, the customer experience suffers.
Employees may lack an overall understanding of the customer or the impact of their work on the end user. This could lead to not prioritizing or putting in the necessary effort for the customer to have an exceptional experience.
Benefits when Contribution is High:
High levels of Contribution drive organizational performance, directly impacts engagement and morale, and leads to a positive work environment.
Contribution, when optimized, connects people to something greater than themselves and makes them feel that what they do everyday matters. People understand their impact and believe they create impact through their work. They feel like what they do matters to their team and organization, and that they’re acknowledged for it.
When organizations recognize employees effectively and align individual roles with the company’s broader values, goals and impact, the results are increased motivation, satisfaction, retention and performance. Contribution at high levels improves business results because customers are happy and receive an exceptional customer experience. The outcome is a positive work environment where people feel seen, heard, and valued.
How to Improve Contribution
Leaders can start by aligning their behaviors with the company culture and creating an environment to encourage both recognition and appreciation.
1. Align your behaviors with the organization’s core values and shared vision
At times, company core values and the shared vision end up as statements on a wall or words on a page without actual meaning. To be most impactful, core values must be truly a compass for team and organizational culture. When effective, the company’s shared vision anchors people into a collective sense of identity and inspires people to act towards it.
Leaders can start by intentionally demonstrating the core values with every opportunity. In addition, leaders can ensure they are clear and connect with the company’s shared vision.
Reflection: How do the behaviors I live and lead align with the core values and vision of the organization?
2. Encourage Both Recognition and Appreciation
Unfortunately, organizations often don’t realize the importance of both recognizing and appreciating their people for the work they do on a regular basis.
Recognition is about acknowledging what people do well and their accomplishments; it is often tied to someone’s performance or results. Appreciation is focused on the person’s inherent value and their qualities and contributions as a human being, regardless of specific outcomes.
In the workplace, we tend to overfocus on recognition without enough emphasis on appreciation. It’s important to balance both for people to feel fully acknowledged. When celebrating successes, acknowledge both people’s qualities and efforts as well as the results achieved.
Reflection: What do you appreciate about others and yourself? How could you recognize others’ contributions and accomplishments? Make sure to share with others!
Contribution maximizes creating an environment where everyone thrives in the workplace. People flourish because they have a sense of meaning and purpose every day. They understand their impact and why their work matters. They feel grounded in the core values, vision and something greater than themselves.
