Last week, we focused on dealing with people and how to know who should be on the boat. Today, we bring this to life and discuss some real-life examples of our consultancy work.
Saarrah shared a story about a healthcare professional who was seen taking a pin from a coworker’s pocket. Nick took the time to understand the employee’s perspective and discovered it was more of a cultural difference. The male employee saw his female colleagues as his sisters, leading to the misunderstanding.
It’s important to have one-on-one conversations and ensure all team members are engaged to understand what motivates them.
In another case, a team member took a lot of sick leave, leading the company to consider firing them.
However, upon further investigation, it was found that the employee had a sick wife and a daughter with severe mental health issues, requiring his full-time care. The employee never took sick leave for himself, only for others.
Therefore, the essential rules are:
- Have difficult conversations when necessary.
- Show empathy.
- Have a curious, inquisitive and open mind.
- Most importantly, have frequent conversations to understand individuals on a human level.
Ella asked why leaders are sometimes hesitant to be curious. Nick explained that some leaders are highly skilled technically but need more people skills, resulting in the loss of a great technical person and the gain of a poor leader. Additionally, leaders often prioritise results over people due to time constraints or fear of overstepping boundaries. Nick emphasised the importance of sharing enough to be an effective team player.
Your Hosts
Saarrah
Mathinthiran
Nick
Marvin
Ella
Barwood
