A leader I’m working with had an aha moment when he realized he dreads hard conversations with his team because it feels like he’s calling them into the principal’s office. I asked him how he typically starts those conversations. “You fell short on X” is his typical starter. Yep, that doesn’t feel great. Puts most humans on the defensive right away.
I love that he’s going to them and having the conversation. We simply nuanced his performance – he’s going to practice leading with curiosity rather than correction. His productive action this week is to go in curious. Are they aware of the standard they fell short on? If not, why not? And are they ready to do something about it? What’s standing in their way? There’s a time for a tougher approach, but most often what’s needed is to help them get to the root and figure out what THEY want to do about it. Be on their side through that process rather than an antagonist.
Where do you need to slow down and practice some curiosity?
BUILT TO LEAD 