Do You Listen To Your People’s Opinions?

"Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen." Epictitus

How can one person put up with an extreme amount of pressure from their circumstances and conditions and perform rather well at work and another person breaks down under the smallest amount of pressure?

Obviously, it’s not the circumstances they are in that make the difference. What is it?!?

Their attitude and opinion about what’s happening!

Do you ever take time to listen to your people about their thoughts, feelings, values, opinions, or beliefs surrounding the work you do? Do you know what they’re thinking and feeling in relation to the pandemic and all it’s tangential struggles? If you didn’t answer a wholehearted YES to those two questions, it might be time to backtrack a bit.

Successful leaders take time to listen, understand, and empathize IN ORDER TO move the person and the work forward. If you don’t listen, understand and empathize, your people will be stuck. If you only listen, understand, and empathize without getting the work done, your people will be stuck. There’s a fine line.

Listen. Understand. Move.

When you truly try to understand the inner workings of your team members, especially how resilient they are (or not), you will know how to lead them better. Stop, listen, then move forward- together!