Take the Time
Take the time to get to know your direct reports. Find out what makes them excited, happy, uncomfortable, energized and unsettled. The more you show them that you’re interested in each of them individually, not just as pieces of an assembly line, the more they’ll want to give. The more they’ll care. The more they’ll offer.
Show you’re interested in them by asking open questions, ones they can’t answer with a “yes” or “no.” There’s no bad answer in this conversation; it’s a non-judgmental space for sharing. Solutions aren’t sought; learning about each other is the goal.
Is your team fun or serious or an incredibly private group of people? This affects how you approach the getting-to-know-you conversation.
- Individual, private meetings can create a deep connection that lasts forever. They can also be intense.
- Sending out a questionnaire to the whole team is playful and people tend to have fun with it. If the individual meeting is Deep Bonding, this is Lite Bonding.
- If you have a small enough team, go out to lunch and take turns answering the questions. Just being together outside the office makes a huge difference. (A few beers might loosen up the crowd, too, but I’m not suggesting a wild, drunken event.) Funnily, this approach can create individual bonds as well as bringing the team together.
- Be prepared to answer the questions you’re asking. It’s respectful to reciprocate.
Some questions to get you started:
- What makes you happy in your life?
- What energizes you at work now?
- What would you like to have at work that you don’t have now?
- What leaves you unsettled at work?
- What makes you uncomfortable in your life?
The more you understand what makes each person tick, the more likely you are to have the right person in the right position. That means less counseling, less frustration and more joy. Woo hoo!