As a leader, you are not a psychologist. When we spend too much time trying to get into the heads of our people we are destined to drive ourselves and everyone else crazy.
That is the message I tell leaders in almost every class or coaching relationship I have had for the last 15 years.
Your goal: Getting people to tell us where they are with things and what they need. More simply put: An honest conversation, leading to thoughtful actions, and resulting in higher performance.
There are some questions that help create momentum towards an honest conversation. Are you asking any of these?
- What is energizing you now?
- What is frustrating you now?
- What do you need me to keep doing? Start doing? Stop doing?
- What are the things you are hearing that I should know?
- What should our team be celebrating in 6 months? What do you want to be celebrating in 6 months?
After over a decade of watching intentional conversations happen in companies I am convinced of two things:
- It is impossible to get good answers to these questions without intentional one on one time with your team.
- In order for these questions to work, it takes a 3-6 month commitment to stick with one on one time and follow-up on any actions.
If you are looking for a great focus for next year, spend the first part of the year creating these conversations with your team.
Honest conversations | Thoughtful actions | Higher performance
fyi: Here are some templates that might help