Communication barriers among leaders or employees?
Communication barriers among leaders or employees? A super-intense week is over and I look back on a week of joy and inspiration. The best part of the week was to hang out with our lovely commitment friend Johan Book. A full day together where we both got to listen to Johan when he lectured about team building for startups at "Create step" but also talk more over dinner with Hanna at Create, Johan and my colleague Isabelle. Great conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership and a few laughs. Thank you for a lovely day together, always so fun to meet people with the same values, gives energy to everyday life!
In addition, the week has consisted of a lot of lovely customer meetings. Customer meetings with brave managers who throw themselves into Mentor and really want to develop in their leadership and together with their employees develop their organization. That's so funny!
One comment that has been with me a lot in my mind this week is from an HR manager who has been very positive about Mentor and said that it is just right in time for their organization. After meeting with their management team, they come back and say that things are wrong in time right now. That's the way it can be. What is special is that the leaders here believe that employees must first learn to be coached. My thought will be right away, are the employees going to learn how to be coached? Isn't it more the leaders who should learn to coach?
To this I have had feedback with the leaders of two of our new customers who have both chosen to start with the reflection log in Mentor. Their biggest concern before the presentation to employees was how it would be received. When we meet after the introduction with the employees, they tell us that they are surprised that the employees have been so positive. At one company, they had even.m asked why they would "just" run the reflection log and not development plans.
Another exciting customer meeting at a sales company had a very insightful CEO who said that the biggest problem is not the sellers' sales barriers. The biggest problem is the leaders' communication barriers, i.e. the leader's fear of meeting employees where they are right now.
My reflection, then, is it the case that the leaders are afraid of their associates? I don't mean afraid to meet them in the hallway and the day-to-day work. I mean afraid to meet them in the conversation that is about their development, how they feel and how they can develop and perform. If that's the case, then you're afraid for nothing. Because what we see in all our customers and what the research says is that this is exactly what the individual wants. To be seen, challenged and that there are concrete expectations for one's work.
I can understand that people are afraid to meet their co-workers. Meeting people where they are, where you might hear truths about your leadership, meeting people who tell you things that are difficult to deal with. Knowing what to say and giving for advice – IT'S TOUGH!
But if you step over your comfort zone and dare... Oh my! What you get back! Both as a human being but also for the organization you work as a leader in. You build trust. You create space to make demands, you get understanding. You get commitment, which is what we need to succeed.
My reflection question to you today is: Do you dare to meet your employees and coach them where they are – today?
Every week Mentor's founder Pia Nilsson reflects on LinkedIn. Follow her there to read the reflection right away!