Lesson 6: Let People Bring Their Whole Selves to Work | Steve Stoute

“So, what’s your major?” It’s a much-dreaded, frequently asked question college students face when they return home for break. Choosing a field of study can feel like you’re locking in your future. Yet in reality, many people’s career paths diverge significantly from their degrees; your major does not define your full identity. CEO Steve Stoute brings this deeper understanding to the workplace. He believes your job description shouldn’t limit what you can bring to the table. In this video lesson, he demonstrates how to create an environment where you can get the best from people. Major: The job an employee is hired for Minor: A hobby they’re passionate about If money didn’t matter, people might choose other work. Embrace what fulfills them. Learn everyone’s minor and make having one part of your hiring criteria. Let people’s minors inform problem-solving. This can be an advantage in the marketplace. Incentivize people to talk about their minors. For example, by presenting them in town halls. This helps build cross-functional relationships. Trust It’s natural to fear that embracing minors will interfere with productivity. But if people don’t have to hide their whole selves at work, most “A-players” won’t abuse the privilege. Watch for outliers and patterns of people taking things too far. But mostly, allow people to self-manage how they spend their time in your organization. © Freethink Media Inc., All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Youtube Member Get exclusive classes and early, ad-free access to new releases without leaving Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@bigthink/membership/ ►Become a Big Think Web Member Get the entire Big Think Class library, premium print issues, live events, and more. https://bigthink.com/membership/ ►Subscribe to Big Think on Substack Get all of your favorite Big Think content delivered to your inbox. https://bigthinkmedia.substack.com/subscribe/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Steve Stoute: Steve Stoute is an advertising and music industry entrepreneur. Stoute serves as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of UnitedMasters and Translation. With funding from Alphabet, Andreessen Horowitz and 21st Century Fox, the companies are converging music, technology and storytelling