The whole person.
Eric Clemow
Driving strategic results by developing organizations and the amazing people that make them great.
Getting to know the real person behind our teammates allows us to?mindfully delegate responsibilities and better manage?deliverables.
Today's complex projects and initiatives?require?greatness.?To win, we need to understand the strengths of our teammates.?The level of an individual's patience cannot be easily?deemed from a resume or intranet site. We need to look deeper. We need to look at the whole person.?
Knowing that?Janet from marketing?possesses enough leadership skills to be a guild master in World of Warcraft and that?Stephen in legal has the discipline to be a black belt in mixed martial arts matters. How about Pat from payroll who practices mindful meditation and Cho from sales who facilitates family counseling?at church? All of these skills cross over into our projects.
It is easy and fun to identify these incredible skills your teammates possess. Just start talking. Deliberately identify?co-workers' passions and abilities.?You?will be surprised how impressive people are outside of work.?The thing is, this is the same person, the whole person that you work with everyday.?
While?identifying?the amazing skills and passions of your teammates, don't forget to share yours. They need to?understand your strengths as much as you do theirs. I?am certain?that the?grit I gain from mountaineering, the empathy I gain from meditation, and the creativity I harness while playing drums makes me a better employee. More importantly, it makes me a better whole person.
Understanding the whole person behind our teams will lead to better project management, more effective delegation of tasks, and more trust. Plus it is fun and leads to more respect and better relationships with our co-workers. Give it a shot!