4 Things Great Leaders Say
SIMPLE BELIEF:
Every member of your team plays a part
in creating the culture of your organization.
HARD REALITY:
You, as the leader, have the power
to make or break the culture.
Why?
Everyone is looking to you as the standard of what is acceptable and what it takes to succeed in your culture. After all, you are at the top. You have the authority. You make the final decision. You tip the balance. Your voice carries more weight. Your actions set the tone.
What you do and say announces what words and behaviors are permissible and prized, and these are the things your team will mimic and perpetuate…and what is mimicked and perpetuated becomes culture.
So, at the end of the day, whether you want it to be true or not, you are responsible for creating a culture that is safe, healthy, thriving, and successful.
And the good news is there are 4 simple statements you can add to your repertoire that are guaranteed to create the kind of culture where everyone can flourish and bring their best.
“Our team is better because you __________________!”
This is you telling a member of your team 1 or 2 specific things they do that you genuinely appreciate. And more importantly, it’s not a one-time thing, and it’s not something you do the same way with everyone. In fact, the more variety the better…the greater the personalization the greater the impact.
The key is for it to feel genuine and for people to walk away feeling seen and known. You want your team members to know they are appreciated, that you’re grateful for their contribution, and that the whole team functions better when they play their part.
So, it could be anything from the simple, 30-second conversation in the hallway where you mention the way they navigated a difficult moment in a meeting…to the lengthy discussion in their one-to-one about the unique skillset they bring…to the 2-3 minutes you take to recognize them publicly at the Staff Holiday Party…to the millions of other things in between.
Simple, honest (sometimes awkward) praise creates energy in the workplace and has direct impact on overall results. In fact, in a recent Harvard Business Review study, it was determined that 40% of employed Americans would put greater energy into their work if their supervisors simply took the time to recognize it.
Think about it. How much better would your culture be 3 months from now if your team was giving 40% more energy because you took a few extra minutes each day to say, “Our team is better because you ________________”?
Next…
“What are you seeing that I’m missing?
You may not realize this, but you are scarier and more intimidating than you think.
In hierarchical social systems like the workplace, people generally have firmly established, well-entrenched beliefs that it’s dangerous to disagree with someone in authority or point out their blind spots; so, without you intentionally asking for feedback and creating space for others to show you what you’ve overlooked or are ignorant to, those things will stay hidden (from you), creativity will be stifled, and a culture of timidity will be the norm.
But when you humbly acknowledge that you don’t know everything, ask questions designed to promote critical thinking, seek feedback from everyone around the table, regularly act on fresh perspectives, and consistently reward their courage in speaking up…all without ever getting defensive…you will find ideas multiplying exponentially and morale skyrocketing.
So, again I ask, “How much better would your culture be 3 months from now if your team felt free to point out just 1 thing each week that you overlooked, didn’t know, or hadn’t considered?”
And, as a first step in breaking down the walls of hierarchy, start asking…
“May I come in?”
A fairly normal, but mostly ineffective, policy many leaders attempt or purport to employ is an “Open Door Policy” – the idea being that the leader’s door is always open, all a team member has to do is swing by and conversation will flow and no question or topic will be off limits.
In theory this sounds great, but in practicality it is fraught with problems.
It puts the onus on the employee to create the conversational opportunity, which most employees will not naturally feel safe or comfortable doing.
It creates constant interruptions and disrupts your rhythm and doesn’t take into account the work you need to produce or the other meetings you have.
It often results in 1 very annoying employee, 1 super talkative employee, 1 favored employee, or 1 attention-seeking employee getting all your time and energy.
But if you create space in your calendar to walk around checking in on your team, asking about them, seeing what they need help with, and showing genuine interest in the things they’re excited about, they will feel valued and you will be able to control the frequency and duration of your time investment.
Doing this will inevitably reveal topics that require more intentional discussion.
It will unearth obstacles to growth that need to be addressed. You’ll find out about things happening outside of work that you may be able to offer support for or suggestions about. And from this information, you’ll be able to better plan trainings, retreats, and development opportunities while also recognizing and being able to adjust for upcoming seasons when your team may be distracted by outside events.
And these are the things that allow you to balance strategy and compassion, each of which is essential to creating a healthy, sustainable culture with high retention and satisfaction. And high retention plus high satisfaction equals off-the-charts loyalty and contribution.
But while these are “good enough” reasons for you to create a little walk-around time in your calendar, they’re not the best reason.
The best reason for you to start asking, “May I come in?” is the shift in hierarchy and power dynamics it creates. Because…REMEMBER…you’re asking…REALLY, TRULY, HUMBLY ASKING…if you are welcome to enter their space.
This will (probably/possibly) be awkward for both you and your team at first, but you have to find a way to let them know in these little stop by’s that they control the room, the tone, the conversation. You are no more than a curious visitor to their world.
It’s up to them if they have time. It’s up to them whether or not they share about what’s happening in their life. It’s up to them to decide whether you sit or stay standing in the doorway. It’s all up to them.
Unless it’s already part of your normal practice, understand that your team might be skeptical at first. They may even feel like Big Brother is checking in on them. You’re going to have to stumble into a healthy rhythm and a healthy trust over time, and that’s only going to happen if you take the lead.
But imagine how much better your culture will be 3 months from now as people are more and more comfortable being themselves around you and seeing you as a real person who’s genuinely interested in the things that matter to them.
And then, imagine how surprising and how freeing it will be when they hear you say…
“You won’t be able to reach me until _______________.”
As a leader – and for that matter, as a HUMAN, you need to learn to loudly, publicly, and regularly announce to your team that there will be a fixed period of time during which they will not be able to contact you because you are…
Spending time with your family.
Going to the gym.
Getting on the trail.
Smelling the flowers.
Taking a trip.
Watching the grass grow.
Taking the boat out.
Going for a run.
Enjoying a quiet evening at home.
Reading a great book.
Taking a cooking class.
Going to a concert.
Going for a drive.
Learning a new skill.
Having an introvert day.
WHATEVER!!!!!
What’s important is that your team knows that you know that work is only a means to an end…it’s not the end itself.
Your teams needs to know that you have a right perspective on life-work balance.
(Notice: I put LIFE before WORK as opposed to the more traditional way companies talk about balance. That’s because work shouldn’t dominate life…Having a wide open, enjoyable, satisfying life should determine how much, how often, and where you work…not the other way around.)
Your team needs to know that you have a life outside of work so they feel comfortable having a life outside of work.
They need for you to model and prioritize your REPLENISHMENT CYCLE until they feel free to develop and activate a REPLENISHMENT CYCLE of their own. This will ensure that ALL OF YOU have the energy to bring your best and accomplish the things you should so that TOGETHER your team makes the greatest contribution while experiencing the greatest satisfaction.
Do that for 3 months and tell me how much better your culture has become!
If you’re not familiar with the idea of a REPLENISHMENT CYCLE, do two things:
Look for an upcoming blog post entitled “The Energy To Should.”
Schedule your Free Discovery Call and let us explain how replenishment cycles work and how to get yours started.
So, back to the SIMPLE BELIEF and the HARD REALITY…
SIMPLE BELIEF:
Every member of your team plays a part
in creating the culture of your organization.
HARD REALITY:
You, as the leader, have the power
to make or break the culture.
When you regularly say the 4 things we’ve discussed, you naturally and effortlessly remove two words – “or break” – from the HARD REALITY, and it becomes a really positive, encouraging truth…
You, as the leader, have the power to make the culture!
And when you exercise that power, the SIMPLE BELIEF becomes a self-perpetuating reality…