“Get out of your head and into the hearts of the people you are training or coaching.”
I believe when you work with people in the arena of training, coaching, or leading, it is imperative you meet them where they are. There is a lot of management theory that suggests “business isn’t personal.” I don’t think that’s right. Most people spend more time working than they do in their “personal” life. I believe many of the business relationships we create become meaningful on a personal level.
As a leader, I wonder what you are doing about the business versus personal challenge of the people in your organization. Do you know what matters to your people? I am not suggesting you have to be everyone’s counselor or that you spend valuable productive time shooting the breeze. What I am recommending is that you get out of your head and lead more with your heart.
Let people know they matter.
Be bold with your expectations.
Tell the truth immediately when you are disappointed with behavior.
Be generous with praise and recognition.
I know when I get out of my head and seek the heart of the people I’m serving, everything is clearer. I know I lead better. As the leader, I quit making up stories about others and go straight to the source. I honor the thoughts I have. Some would say, “I trust my gut.” I know this is not a popular theory. I’m not a scientist and don’t have any data to suggest I am right. I do, however, have a lot of experience and am a terrific observer of what works and what makes things messy beyond measure!
Yesterday I was thinking about all of this stuff and the thought “Everything Matters” popped into my head. One of our clients has the core value, “Everything Matters.” You know what I did? I picked up the phone and called the business owner. Guess what? It mattered, a lot, that I called. It sounds like I’m bragging about my own behavior and I don’t mean to be. I simply wanted to give an example of how leaders can honor that small voice in their head and make great things happen when they translate that into getting into someone else’s heart.
People matter. People matter the most. In everything I know and am learning on a daily basis as a leader, it’s all about people. It’s about how to show up and serve, help, grow, lead, and all the other words I can’t think of now.
When I work with business owners and managers, I often request they start a journal titled, “It’s hard to be the Boss.” We have sub-sections labeled, “It’s fun to be the boss,” “It’s exhausting..,” and on and on. Today, I added the section, “I am so grateful to be the leader of a dedicated team.” I look at the people in my company and watch how they work with the clients we serve. They are part of the client’s team. Sometimes I think my coach may want more for the customer than they want for themselves.
I love the journey we are on. Maybe it sounds boastful but from my heart, I am so grateful this community sees value in what we do at TrainerTainment. We have a core value in our company that says, “We believe we are in service to others.” That value drives everything we do. Thank you for being a part of this journey.
