I love my work, my company, and my staff. In serving my global clients, my staff works on interesting challenges and learns from experienced and talented leaders on the client side.
This week, I am working with a few team leaders who are struggling. Each of them worked alongside the client from scratch and has helped grow and lead the team to 10 people.
Today, instead of the usual detailed notes before our 1-1 notes, one report wrote:
You know my situation, teach me something â¤ď¸
I feel grateful in a situation like this. However, I am also nervous about the weight of responsibility, trying to coach my direct reports to be more effective and happier at work.
My team lead has made it this far, and the challenge they are facing is really stressful. He is not bringing his best to work these days, and he knows it and canât help it.
âWhat are you struggling with?â I asked, checking in on personal, work, and family issues. The most important thing is not to rush through these questions. We took time to explore different angles, starting from the initial answers. Then I would go back and ask, âOut of these struggles, what bothers you the most right now?â
I notice people tend to talk about the past and how that may influence the present. They are also keen to explore many factors why they are now not in an ideal state. What got you there, wonât get you there. I believe in changing ourselves so we can have changed outcomes. Imagine a future when you donât have this problem anymore, what does the future version of you at that time look like? What has changed?
Next, I get them to agree with me that they have to make some changes in themselves. We canât expect our client or our teammates to change, because thatâs outside our control.
We identify what changes they can make at work in order to be more effective. I narrow it down to one kind of activity they can do daily. I add one more request: do not increase your work hours so that you can make this change. I want them to figure out how to make time, deprioritize other work tasks, or be more productive so that they can focus on an activity that helps them change.
Why do I not want them to increase their work hours? They are already working hard. Increasing the hours only crowds their brains and limits the success of change-making. Make time for family. Look forward to your gym workouts or social get-togethers. These non-work activities help us recharge our bodies and minds.
Whatâs one thing that you are committed to changing this week?
Next: Doing $1k work