The Most Powerful Leadership Question you are NOT asking
Aseem Puri
Digital CEO Unilever International. Brand Globalisation Expert - building Brands in 200+ markets. ?? Author "10X Productive". ASEEMPURI.COM ??PHD ( Hon Causa)
We often spend as much time with our colleagues at work as we do with our spouses and children. If you count carefully sometimes more. If you stop and think about what we talk about you will realise something startling.
90-99% of the time it’s all about work. It’s about transactions, actions, minutes, follow ups, screw ups, deadlines, deliverables, improvements, presentations, updates, research studies, fast tracking things, discussing the competition.
It’s almost like 2 robots or computers talking to each other. The unintended consequence of this is that we have a transactional relationship with each other. One where why we do things and how we feel is almost never discussed. Hence many times the real reasons for poor or average performance are never surfaced.
What if you could take one simple action ? With everyone who you work with – boss, subordinate, colleague, secretary, take out 10 minutes over a cup of coffee to ask one simple question ?
How are you feeling ?
They might be shocked at why you asked, wondering if you noticed something wrong. Don’t worry. It’s natural. After all you never did it before. So go ahead and ask them.
How are you feeling….about work ?
How are you feeling….about kids and family ?
How are you feeling….about your health ?
How are you feeling….about your hobbies and interests ?
You can keep adding to the list as time goes by. This will give you an insight into the human being behind the work, make them realise that you care about them and not just their output and bring you closer.
This one question can create an enormous amount of positive energy in your team and transform relationships over a period of time. It can help build the spirit of compassion among everyone together.
Just start asking – “how are you feeling”
aseempuri.com
Eye-tracking Solutions for Scientific/Medical/Market Research in Thailand and Vietnam
5 年In a world of KPIs and performance driven culture, personal feelings and priorities are often put on the backburners. You aint hired to speak of your feelings but are very well expected to do your job in spite of it. Most-driven individuals found a purpose to their lives and work is a means to get by. The same can also be said that only those with no other higher calling or priorities are the ones most prone to breaking down at work. Learn to internalise the process, work undoubtedly is a huge facade to life but it is not the only facade.
managing director at Red Dot Entertainment
5 年aditya sir how are you feeling ?????
Digital Commerce Lead APAC @ Haleon | Co founder | Chief Revenue Officer | X Unilever | Commercial Leader |
5 年Nice ! End of the day we are all humans, Emotional Quotient has important role to play in managing relationships in all forms
Business Leader/CEO | Strategy, Growth, Marketing & Product | 0 to 1 to 10 to 100 | Consumer Tech, CPG & Retail | BCG alum | ex-Unilever | IIT (Gold medallist) | Investor
5 年Another masterpiece! I have been doing this for past 2.5 years now and it works like a bullet. Many a times people open about things that they normally wouldn’t