What are you good at that we are not using?
A great question I heard recently by David Epstein. Great questions can be the trigger to a conversation where little by little the layers can be peeled back and the answers to your frustration will more than likely be answered. Too often we get impatient with a person who isn’t performing, who looks disengaged and who is driving your stress levels through the roof. Our thoughts can run wild with negativity or jumping to conclusions where nobody wins. The “we” becomes “I” the team is disjointed and the energies are low.
But what if a chat over a coffee is the first step to an answer. Time spent getting to the root cause is a long term investment whereas putting a plaster on it will lead to more frustration down the road. Taking the time to unwind, distress before a meeting is a must so that the person is given a safe space where you listen. A simple question to start with might be ‘how are you’? When we genuinely ask how a person is it shows we care and want to help.
We have no idea what is going through a person’s mind so when we see someone is out of sorts it’s imperative to take the first step as quickly as possible so that it doesn’t fester and affect the whole team. You might be finding life tough at present, you might be looking for another position in the firm or looking for a more leadership role on the playing field. These are all questions that can be answered when we invest in our team. Having open, honest questions and answers is the backbone to future brilliance.
There are times where the quiet ones have the answer but are maybe fearful to speak up for fear of standing on other people’s toes. Everything about a team is “we” and handing out the question ‘what are you good at that we are not using’ on paper might just be a great way of getting great answers back. The quiet ones can see this as their chance to be heard and it’s also a great way to get information and answers that drive everyone forward.
There is nothing more satisfying than finding your gift and sharing it. In all great team environments everyone’s job is to bring the best out in the person beside you.
