Bringing the F-Word to Work
I was facilitating a leadership seminar outside of Philadelphia when a manager approached me to ask whether this was a training about the F-word. Blushing and confused, I asked him what he meant. "You know," he said "feelings." Relieved and humored, I assured him I'd keep it mostly cerebral, but that I might integrate some heart and humanity into the workshop. Of course, this brainy, burly boss was the first to give me a huge hug at the end of the program.
What's often missing from the leadership landscape is a toolkit on engaging employees with empathy. I was speaking on the subject of Email Etiquette to managers in San Francisco recently when a supervisor asked if it's truly necessary to include "pleasantries" in email exchanges. An executive recently shared that his chief didn't care about how he was going about his tasks and only wanted to know what results he achieved. Despite all the research on the importance of relationships and positivity in the professional world, there's a robotic, transactional nature to the workplace that leaves many unsatisfied and disconnected. Ultimately, this hurts performance and the bottom line.
Today's talent craves authentic connections and caring collaborations. Recruitment and retention studies show that every year, a quarter or more of the workforce leave directive, cold and competitive cultures for autonomy-supporting, employee-centered and empathic environments. Lack of trust, respect and rapport are consistently cited as the reasons for dysfunctional, disengaged teams; and this greatly hurts productivity.
So....while it may seem counterintuitive to managers to focus on relationships in order to improve results, or to slow down and meaningfully, humanly and heart-fully connect with colleagues to increase productivity...this is truly the missing link to enhanced leadership. In your next meeting, email, call, etc. intentionally focus on bringing in the F-word (i.e. feeling) to elevate your team's success.
Lee Broekman is a communication coach and trainer with expertise in presentation, persuasion and interpersonal communication. Her company Organic Communication works with high level leaders and trains decision makers in top organizations to communicate, collaborate and innovate naturally and effectively. Delivering programs in concentrated bursts, with high intensity and elevated engagement, Lee turns powerful content into actionable, applicable tools. Her recent book, Stop Blocking, Start Connecting: 8 Key Skills of Successful Communicators, is available on Amazon, iTunes and Audible.
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