Questions About Behavior?

Greetings Friends,

I am often asked questions about behavior and love digging in and thinking through answers.

This is why I am offering a monthly LinkedIn Live "coaching" session where you can ask questions about behavior—personal or professional—no holds barred.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/peopleexplained-realtimecoachin7249104693061165056/theater/

People fascinate me, which is why I got into behavioral science. Most interpersonal and organizational challenges are behavioral. I love the challenge of shifting perspectives and innovating solutions. Sometimes, the questions I get are quickly addressed through behavioral science, but occasionally, I get one that makes me scratch my head.

Like this: "A manager at my company has been earning a reputation for creating a toxic environment. His team says he is generally supportive during the week and promotes collaboration, but in their Friday meetings, he instigates conflict and tries to get the team to "best" each other. He is apparently like Jekyll and Hyde. What the heck is going on?"

Interesting. I had a few immediate thoughts, which included:

• Stress or burnout: He could be burned out or stressed at the end of the week, making him exhibit different behaviors.
• A lack of confidence: A manager who feels insecure or incompetent might try to divide and conquer to maintain control.
• A personal agenda: Sometimes, a manager might try to favor a particular individual or group within the team.

While these could explain his behavior, I always prefer to ask questions to get more details. Human behavior is complex. Could it be more profound than this? Is there something deeper? Perhaps it has multiple stimuli.

Here is the kicker...

The leadership asked my colleague to plan a team-building training to help resolve the issue. Thankfully, my colleague reached out and asked me the question.

Building training, coaching, and talent development opportunities that inspire behavior change requires knowing and understanding the underlying drivers of the issues we are working to resolve. This is what we explore on the Talent Forge Podcast.

I set to work and asked my colleague if anyone had talked with the manager about his behavior.

Nope. No one addressed the behavior other than the indirect approach of preparing a team building training.

I asked more questions about the behavior, the culture, and finally, the difference between Friday and other days of the week.

Bingo.

On Friday at 4 PM, the managers report team results to the leadership.

This wasn't about team building. It was about the pressure these reporting meetings put on the management team. We determined the issue was most likely the following:

• A poor management mindset: Some managers may use this tactic to create a competitive environment, believing it will drive performance. However, it can often backfire, leading to resentment, decreased collaboration, and a toxic work environment.

Imagine if my colleague had just accepted the request to put them through a team-building training. It would have cost money and time, frustrated the team, and certainly wouldn't have solved the problem.

This happens all too often, and the talent team takes a hit to its reputation in the leadership's view.

My colleague ended up talking with the manager, sharing the feedback, and offering some alternative ways to inspire performance in the team.

Sometimes, we need to dig a little deeper, explore different options, and gently resist " obvious " solutions. My colleague appreciated the coaching I provided her.

This inspired me to launch the People Explained LinkedIn Live Coaching Event.

I want to give you a chance to ask questions about behavior—personal or professional—without any restrictions. This is your chance to gain insight, ideas, and solutions to any of your people problems.

Join me on Thursday at 12 p.m. for a one-hour LinkedIn Live coaching session and get answers to your questions about people and behavior.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/peopleexplained-realtimecoachin7249104693061165056/theater/

If you want to send me your question in advance, I will treat it with the utmost confidentiality and change any names to protect the innocent (or guilty)! Send it to [email protected]

Ask questions. Dig deeper. Find answers.

I hope to see you there!