Winning Wednesday #2

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As a leader, one of your main roles is to empower your team. To unblock them when they're stuck, build their confidence when they're down, and challenge them when they need a push.

The foundation of doing any of that well is a strong relationship, and relationships are built on the back of good communication and connection.

The simplest way to improve the quality of any of your relationships is to make other people feel heard.

That requires 3 steps:

1. Pay attention. For the other person to feel like they've been heard, you have to demonstrate that you're paying clear attention to them - not your phone, computer, e-mail, or the last meeting you had. Your mind needs to be here, now, with them.

2. Show your understanding. People don't just want to be listened to and then talked over, which is often what happens when you start formulating a response to someone else's points while they are still talking. For someone to feel heard, you need to show that you're both attending to them AND that you understand what they are saying.

3. Demonstrate that you've listened. Have you ever talked with someone who's just changed the subject in the middle of what was an important conversation to you? It showed that they weren't really listening. If you want your team to feel heard, you need to show you've listened by repeating back the main points, clarifying anything you don't understand, and checking your understanding of what was shared.

This simple 3-step formula will bolster the relationships you have with your team and make them feel more connected to you. In turn, you'll increase motivation, cohesion, and performance.

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