The Power of Observation

How much do you - really - know about the people around you?

?? Let us go through the following scenario:

Lately, one of your colleagues, Mo, comes in every morning in a good mood and joking. His mood doesn't change throughout the day. While working, he funnily teases people, creating a great atmosphere. He's not a top achiever nor not performing - pretty average at work.

What you don't know: Mo's having a hard time in his private life. His sister is very sick and goes through tough treatment. Mo is financing this treatment. Meanwhile, his fiancée just broke up with him.

Well - you could say now: "How can I know about this? He didn't say anything."

That's partially true, you can't know if he doesn't tell. However, you can see indicators that something has changed in Mos' life.

Today's article is about how observing and understanding your team helps you to become a great leader.

Team Observation

To be clear: Observing is not about micromanaging, surveillance, or even spying.

In one-to-ones with leaders in my team, I usually ask: "How is your team doing?" I expect the leaders to know how their team members are doing and not to "think" or "assume".

How to observe?

Actually, it's quite simple:

• ? It's not going to happen by sitting in your office.
• ? Work on your tasks sitting by your team.
• ? Listen to what they talk about (between one another, work-related and non-work-related).
• ? Watch what they do and how they do it, how they interact, and their reactions.
• ? Engage with your team.

Note: Of course, this doesn't work always. There are "confidential" calls or discussions that require a quiet place.

Pro tip: However, even for deep work, I often work within the team, putting up headphones, listening to music, watching people, and feeling the vibes.

?? Let's go back to our scenario with Mo:

Because you are sitting with your team, you have realized that Mo's behavior recently changed:

• ?? He didn't use to be the "funny guy".
• ?? He started exceeding his breaks regularly.
• ?? He more often than usual seeks the washroom.

What do you gain from observation?

Apart from the fact, that you are closer to your people, there are some great benefits:

• ? You are available.
• ? You bond with your team.
• ? You get to know their struggles.
• ? You get to know what makes them happy.
• ? You understand the impact of any changes on your team.
• ? You identify the strengths and weaknesses of each team member in terms of soft skills.

Ultimately, actioning on what you have observed is helping you build trust.

?? Let's go back to our scenario with Mo:

Because you have observed the changes with Mo, you can approach him in a casual one-to-one meeting. If he opens up to you, which ideally happens because you've built trust, you'll understand the root cause for his behavior, and finally are able to provide support.

Note: Sometimes it helps people just to talk or vent.

Pro tip: Sometimes unconventional solutions help - at this stage, I apologize to all people teams/HR. Allow people to work from home, give people a few extra days off (I promise, these things will make people turn mountains for you).

Conclusion

• ?? Observation is about understanding your team and not spying on team members.
• ?? There are (almost always) quick wins that help you expedite the process of fostering team cohesion & trust building.

Call to action

• Did you try to observe your team (regardless if you are leading a team or not)? If yes, how did it impact you? If not, why didn't you?
• As a team member, how do you feel about your leader being around you most of the time?

I'm looking forward to your contribution and to the discussions in the comments.

Best,

Ahmed