For leaders today, the conversation often revolves around the big ideas: catalyzing with purpose, driving motivation, fostering innovation, and creating a culture of excellence. These are the outcomes we aspire to achieve and the legacies we aim to leave behind. However, what frequently gets overlooked are the foundational elements that enable these higher-level goals—the hygiene factors. These are the basic yet critical conditions that prevent dissatisfaction and create an environment where productivity and engagement can flourish. Without focusing on these hygiene factors, even the most inspiring leader will struggle to make a lasting impact on productivity, engagement, or culture.
The term "hygiene factors" originates from Frederick Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of motivation, which he developed in the late 1950s. Herzberg, a psychologist, conducted research to understand what causes satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the workplace. He concluded that there are two distinct sets of factors that influence employee motivation and job satisfaction: motivators and hygiene factors.
Motivators (also called satisfiers) are intrinsic factors that lead to higher motivation and job satisfaction when present, such as achievement, recognition, meaningful work, and personal growth.
Hygiene factors (also called dissatisfiers) are extrinsic factors that don't necessarily motivate employees when present, but can lead to dissatisfaction if they are absent or handled poorly. Herzberg likened these to hygiene in the medical sense: just as good hygiene prevents illness but doesn't necessarily make someone healthy, hygiene factors in the workplace prevent dissatisfaction but don’t actively create motivation.
Understanding hygiene factors is crucial because they must be managed properly to avoid dissatisfaction, creating a stable environment where motivators can then thrive and drive employee performance. The truth is, leadership isn’t just about inspiration; it’s also about ensuring that the basic needs of employees are met so they can fully engage with the vision of the organization.
So, let’s take a closer look at what these table stakes are and why they’re non-negotiable for leadership success.
Reliability: The Bedrock of Trust
For those familiar with the trust equation (credibility + reliability + professional intimacy / by self-orientation) - we understand why reliability is a huge factor in garnering trust for leaders. Being dependable and consistent in your actions is crucial. Employees need to know that they can count on you—whether it's delivering on promises, meeting deadlines, or being present when they need you most. Without reliability, trust erodes, and with it goes the engagement and willingness of your team to go the extra mile.
To increase reliability as a leader, it's crucial to focus on several key areas.
First, consistent communication is essential for aligning the team and avoiding ambiguity, ensuring everyone knows what is expected. Following through on commitments, delivering on promises, and setting realistic expectations help build trust over time. Effective time management allows you to meet deadlines and be available for your team when they need support.
Reliability also stems from being accessible, maintaining a consistent leadership style, and staying organized to manage responsibilities efficiently. Regular self-assessment and feedback from your team further refine your reliability, ensuring that you're continuously improving. By consistently demonstrating these behaviors, leaders can earn the trust of their teams and create a stable environment for success.
Accountability: Owning the Outcome
Leaders are responsible for setting the tone, and that tone must include accountability. At the end of the day someone must make decisions, take action, and ensure impact. Dodging accountability is a very toxic trait for a modern leader. Equally as toxic is lacking the ability to assign and ensure accountability of others. When accountability is present, employees feel a sense of fairness and integrity, which encourages them to hold themselves to a higher standard as well.
Increasing accountability as a leader starts with setting clear expectations and creating a culture where ownership is valued. Leaders must lead by example, consistently demonstrating that they take responsibility for their decisions and actions, fostering a similar attitude within the team. Establishing transparent goals and defining individual roles helps team members understand their responsibilities, making it easier to track progress and hold themselves accountable.
Regular feedback sessions, both formal and informal, create opportunities to discuss progress, challenges, and areas for improvement, reinforcing a sense of ownership over tasks. It's also important to ensure that accountability is tied to outcomes, meaning individuals should not only take credit for successes but also work collaboratively to resolve issues when things go wrong. Empowering the team by giving them the autonomy to make decisions builds confidence and reinforces accountability, while establishing clear consequences for both meeting and missing objectives ensures that accountability is felt across the organization.
Finally, creating a supportive environment where accountability is not about blame but about learning from mistakes ensures that everyone remains engaged in the process of continuous improvement.
Clarity in Communication: Eliminating Ambiguity
Communication is fundamental for leaders. The ability to not only clearly convey information but to also ensure high understanding and alignment is key. Miscommunication is a breeding ground for inefficiency and frustration. Without clarity, employees can’t prioritize effectively or understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture. A leader who masters clear communication ensures everyone is rowing in the same direction.
Increasing clarity in communication requires deliberate effort and consistent practices from leaders. First, it’s essential to tailor messages to the audience, using language that is direct, simple, and free from unnecessary jargon. Leaders should ensure that the purpose of the communication is clear, outlining key objectives and expectations in a way that leaves no room for ambiguity. Invested listening is equally important—leaders must encourage questions and be open to feedback, ensuring that everyone has understood the message correctly.
Visual aids, summaries, or written follow-ups can also help reinforce verbal communication, providing clear takeaways for complex topics. Regularly checking in with the team to address any confusion and adapting the communication style based on their feedback helps maintain transparency and alignment. By fostering an environment where open dialogue is encouraged and clarity is a priority, leaders ensure that their messages resonate effectively, enhancing team performance and cohesion.
Work-Life Integration: Sustaining Long-Term Success
Leadership isn’t about pushing your team to the brink; it’s about managing their energy so they can deliver sustained high performance. Prioritizing work-life integration creates an environment where employees feel valued as individuals, not just as resources. Leaders who promote balance protect their team's mental and physical well-being, reducing burnout and turnover.
To increase work-life integration within a team, leaders must first model this balance in their own lives. By prioritizing their own well-being and setting clear boundaries between work and personal time, leaders demonstrate that it’s not only acceptable but essential for long-term success. This approach creates a culture where employees feel empowered to manage their time more flexibly, knowing that their leader values a healthy work-life integration.
Leaders can encourage this by promoting flexible work schedules, supporting remote work options, and setting clear expectations around availability, so employees don’t feel pressured to be "always on." Additionally, regularly checking in on employee workloads and adjusting expectations as needed helps prevent burnout. Open communication about work-life challenges also fosters a supportive environment, where employees can discuss their needs and find solutions without fear of judgment.
By leading by example and creating an environment that supports balance, leaders pave the way for increased well-being, productivity, and engagement across the team.
Hygiene Factors Are the Key to Influence
These hygiene factors are not just “nice to haves” or administrative checkboxes—they are the table stakes of leadership. Without these elements in place, even the most motivated team will fail to thrive. The reality is that leadership influence is built on the foundation of trust, respect, and support. When hygiene factors are emphasized and consistently maintained, leaders unlock the potential to truly inspire, influence, and drive higher levels of engagement and productivity.
In today’s fast-paced business world, leaders must go beyond visionary thinking to focus on the fundamentals. The true measure of leadership is not just in the big wins but in how well the everyday table stakes are managed. Great leaders recognize that these hygiene factors are non-negotiable and essential to creating an environment where people can do their best work. Only then can you lead a team that is engaged, empowered, and primed for success.
If you want to investigate and improve your hygiene factors, executive coaching is a very effective strategy to understand where you are, where you should be, and how to bridge the gap.
Omar L. Harris is the managing partner at Intent Consulting, a firm dedicated to improving employee experience and organizational performance and author of Leader Board: The DNA of High-Performance Teams; The Servant Leader's Manifesto; Be a J.E.D.I. Leader, Not a Boss: Leadership in the Era of Corporate Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Leading Change: The 4 Keys; Hire the Right W.H.O.M.: Sourcing the Right Team DNA Every Time; and The J.E.D.I. Leader's Playbook: The Insider's Guide to Eradicating Injustices, Eliminating Inequities, Expanding Diversity, and Enhancing Inclusion available for purchase in ebook, print, and audio on Amazon.com. Please follow him Instagram, Twitter, and/or his website for more information and engagement.
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