What is the business definition of vulnerability?
You may already know the standard definition of vulnerability, but what does vulnerability mean in the workplace? Workplace vulnerability doesn’t mean being weak or wimpy, nor does it involve acting like a pushover. Being vulnerable at work shows employees you are candid, compassionate and authentic.
When it comes to workplace leadership and management, vulnerability is a strength. As a vulnerable leader, you can connect with employees on a personal level and share honest insights about business-related uncertainties. You may find that this style of leadership works better for your company than aggressive leadership or micromanaging employees.
What are the benefits of practicing vulnerable leadership?
Authenticity builds trust. You aren’t fooling most workers when you fake confidence or knowledge, as they can identify leaders who aren’t genuine. Lack of authenticity can make employees suspicious of your intentions. Workers may fear you are keeping unnecessary secrets or behaving in a deceitful manner. If this happens, your company may experience more management problems as supervisors attempt to establish or regain trust.
Vulnerable leadership encourages transparency and respect in the workplace. Some of the best examples of vulnerability involve supervisors who connect with workers on a personal level. These leaders understand their teams, and they aren’t just learning about employees’ lives to be polite. They truly care about their employees and want them to succeed.
Being vulnerable during employee management may provide the following benefits for your company.
1. Improved productivity
Employees who work in a positive environment are more likely to be productive. Think of it this way: If a friend constantly demands favors but never thanks you for your help, how would you feel? People are willing to do more for those who value them.
2. Excellent team work
Workers who dislike supervisors or other team members generally aren’t thrilled about collaborating on projects. Being vulnerable in the workplace can help build camaraderie among employees and reduce gossiping or bickering. This makes it easier to share brilliant ideas and work together as a team.
3. Reduced turnover rates
A toxic workplace typically doesn’t attract hardworking, ambitious employees. Reduce employee turnover by treating employees well and showing that you care about them. Dedicated workers will often stick with a company for the long haul, even if your business goes through a rough patch.
4. Increased sales
When employees are happy, your customers are often happy too. The effects of a healthy workplace benefit everyone involved with your company, whether they’re mopping floors, assisting customers or purchasing your products.
How to practice vulnerable leadership
As you focus on incorporating more examples of vulnerability into each workday, let leadership values guide your choices. For example, respect, authenticity and integrity are common core values that companies have. You may also feel it’s important to exhibit courage in the workplace.
Being vulnerable and honest at work is a great way to demonstrate bravery. It takes courage to be yourself and connect with others. In fact, professor and vulnerable leadership advocate Brené Brown believes courage and vulnerability are synonymous. Weak people aren’t vulnerable.
Behaving in a vulnerable manner also demonstrates authenticity and integrity. There are no pretenses; you aren’t masking your true intentions. Employees know they can trust your word, and as a result, they may feel better about working at your company.
7 examples of vulnerability in the workplace
Review these seven examples of vulnerability for ideas on how you can make the most of each workday.
1. Apologize when you’re wrong
Supervisors and other employees in leadership aren’t immune to mistakes. If you do something wrong, accept responsibility and apologize to your team.
Don’t just mutter a quick “I’m sorry” and carry on with your day. If you want to deliver an effective apology, you should:
- Reflect on your actions
- Schedule a meeting with the employee(s) involved
- Express remorse as soon as you begin the meeting rather than waiting
- Accept responsibility for your behavior
- Rebuild your relationship with the worker(s)
Some employees may need time to digest an apology. Take steps to repair your relationship right away, but don’t pressure an employee to forgive you.
2. Share new or different ideas
It’s easy to fall into a rut at work, especially if you or your employees hate change. However, sometimes change is necessary for growth. A vulnerable leader understands this, even if they’re scared to take risks.
It’s okay to tell coworkers, “Look, this might not work, but I think we should try it and see.” You can even explain that you don’t have much experience with a new technique but are open to learning more about it with your team.
3. Discuss sensitive matters
Sometimes leaders want to discuss controversial topics but are unsure how to approach them. Examples of this include workplace discrimination as well as community issues that may impact your employees outside of work, such as racism and sexism.
Your HR team can help you broach these sensitive topics in an authentic, respectful manner. You may also want to hire a diversity coach or a similar type of expert for help. In the meantime, consider telling employees that you want to help raise awareness but are still learning the best way to approach important matters.
4. Set and respect boundaries
It can be scary to set boundaries, but it’s important to let others know what you won’t tolerate. Your boundaries may be simple, such as asking employees to knock before entering and requesting that nobody call your cell phone after 9pm.
You may also want to set boundaries about how much time you’re willing to spend helping others when you have your own workload to handle. Don’t be afraid to say, “I’m here for you, but I’m unavailable between 2pm and 4pm today while I tackle my own workload.”
Make sure you also respect the boundaries others set. An employee may say, “Hey, I know you mean well, but I hate when you email me throughout the day to ask if I’ve finished a project yet. Can we establish some scheduled check-ins to prevent this?”
5. Don’t expect perfection
Even the best employees can make mistakes at work, so an employee should never fear that a minor mistake will cost them their job. Don’t judge or belittle employees when something goes wrong.
When an employee makes a mistake, it’s fine to say, “That’s okay, I have made mistakes at work too. Let’s work on fixing this so we can move forward.” Use mistakes as learning opportunities and to work on helping employees learn how to prevent future problems.
6. Get to know your employees
Don’t pry into your workers’ personal lives, but make it a goal to learn a bit about everyone at your company. If you notice an employee has a photo on their desk, offer a genuine compliment, such as, “I’m impressed that you managed to get three kids to look at the camera at once. My kids never seem to do that!” Your employee may simply smile and say thanks, but some workers will share a bit about their family.
You can also share some details about your personal life. Bring in cake for the office if you just got engaged, or show off pics of your new grandbaby when your team isn’t busy.
7. Call out inappropriate behavior
Some supervisors look the other way when something unethical happens at work, especially if the incident involves long-time customers or loyal workers. Don’t let that happen during your workday.
If a customer asks a worker to violate company policy, defend your employee. When you hear coworkers sharing inappropriate jokes that make other employees uncomfortable, say something about it. If a customer harasses your team, ask them to leave. Calling out inappropriate behavior requires vulnerability, but it’s important.
Effective supervisors should lead a team, not dominate it. Consider implementing these examples of vulnerability into your workplace and watch as employees thrive.
