Friday thoughts – feed this in and let it percolate:
Many of the conversations we have these days would have had our grandparents shaking their heads. Whether they were happy and fulfilled in their work wasn’t something they gave much weight to. It seems a flighty consideration, and yet today, much hinges on it. Do we bounce out of bed filled with passion and inspiration, ready to do good works? Do we thoroughly enjoy the people we work with and for and care deeply about giving our very best to the team? Are we aware of that energy flowing out the other end of the process from happy, loyal, returning clients – clients that have come to be known as “superfans” of our brand?
Wouldn’t it be fabulous if those things were true for most of us on a regular basis? Instead we talk about hard lines such as employee retention, team productivity levels and buy-in, and we worry about our bottom line.
I believe that people that understand and trust each other produce powerful outcomes. I believe we’re high on targets and low on transparency. I believe the “soft stuff” is what oils the cogs of team productivity, employee engagement, customer loyalty and ultimately….that bottom line.
Transparency is something worth thinking about. Transparency doesn’t mean disclosing information that could ultimately be unsafe or even harmful to your cause. Transparency means creating context for the people you’re asking to get involved so that they understand the bigger picture of what’s required. So they understand how and why they should “come along”.
Empathy for those around us is another character trait we can display to affect these same hard lines. Awareness of ourselves and others. This is one of the strongest connectors we have that draws people together and towards us. And yet it’s one of the hardest to display because it requires vulnerability on our part.
Transparency. Empathy. Communication. Connection. Growth. Truth. Team.
Becoming a strong enough leader to display and encourage these traits is something worth giving thought to. Take it home with you this weekend and try it out.
by Christen Killick
29th June 2018