Nurturing is Good Managment

? Steve Whiteford 2024

Employee survey numbers continue to tell us that the old command and control and motivate-by-numbers approach to management doesn’t work. It appears that the quality of nurturing may be the best solution to productivity and ease in the workplace.

In Hidden Potential, Adam Grant discusses the effect of nurture over nature in supporting the engagement and learning of students and professionals to result in their success and satisfaction. He cites the paramount importance of the attitude of the instructor. Particularly a nurturing approach to coaching that avoids pre-judging a student based on intelligence, perceived aptitude, initially demonstrated ability, and numerous elements of personal bias. They transcend Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) in their assessments of potential.

(FAE) is when we judge a person’s nature (or ability) as inherent, instead of a product of circumstances, or a learning opportunity. As an Emotional Intelligence Coach and Trainer, I’ve noticed this is rampantly common in organizations within leadership, management, and teams/workgroups. We often start with judgments based on first impressions, uncomfortable interactions, or inconveniences based on a lack of assumed skill and pigeonhole people as incompetent. Then we hold onto that assessment, build resentment, and look for proof versus offering assistance - nurturing.

If you’re truly an old-school, emotions-don’t-belong-in-the-workplace, and nurturing-is-for-sissies kind of person, you’ll be inclined to deny the research, and the results you could achieve with a little curiosity and empathy. But the real-life examples in Grant’s book will inspire you.

What Nurturing is Not:

·??????? Being Soft

·??????? Being their best friend

·??????? Avoiding feedback and correction

·??????? Not holding accountable

·??????? Dismissing targets and timelines

·??????? Singing Kumbaya

What Nurturing Is:

·??????? Being curious

·??????? Looking for what engages individuals

·??????? Letting people innovate their own methods

·??????? Trusting and communicating Helping them clear obstacles & enjoy the work

·??????? Building their character (encouragement to act and learn from mistakes)

It takes a lot of courage to mentor with nurturing over critiquing and punishing. Courage founded in empathy is contagious. It catapults individuals, teams, sports teams, and military teams to notable results. In teams, it creates the conduit of cohesion. Quite often analysis of the resulting success points to an empathetic and nurturing leader.

Many of the qualities of a nurturing leader can be developed through training and coaching in Emotional Intelligence. It begins with self-awareness, moves you to emotional self-awareness, and enables numerous qualities: self-assurance, curiosity, empathy, grounded good-will, and more.