Facilitating workshops last week re-ignited my realisation about how "hard" leaders find it to have conversations about the things they often label as the "warm fuzzy" stuff. And yet it is this stuff that really makes the difference to the performance of the team and therefore the business.
Leaders come to our development programme with the mindset of not being too sure of whether they want to embrace the warm fuzzy stuff as they keep labelling it and very unclear about the real benefits of employing such warm fuzzy skills!
Yet once we dive into some experiential activities it becomes increasingly clear that this warm fuzzy stuff is critical to the performance of the team - tasks are not achieved and people are stressed and disgruntled!
The warm fuzzy stuff consists of such things things like:
* setting up rules of engagement - agreeing not to talk over the top of each other; to really listen to each other; to value the differences we all bring as individuals
* acknowledging conflict and resolving it quickly
* giving each other feedback on a timely basis
* noticing if people are engaged and seeking input from them if they are not
* being given time to ask challenging questions to produce the highest quality of output
* ensuring you have balanced participation within the team.
I could continue with this list and dive deeper into even more specifics to demonstrate what constitutes the stuff leaders label as the warm fuzzy stuff; the stuff they avoid talking openly about; the stuff they hope just happens with the benefit of time!
In my experience high performing teams don't just happen they need a committed and highly transparent effort from the leader to undertake this warm and fuzzy stuff!!!
Courageous leaders step up and have the "hard" conversations and move their teams into the high performing space more rapidly and in a way that creates sustainable success for each individual in the team, for themselves as the leader and for the business!
