A few weeks ago I was meeting with the owner of a manufacturing company. Before I could even ask, she asked me if I would like to have a tour of her plant. I could tell she was eager to show off. I knew they had the most updated equipment and state-of-the-art technology, but I soon found out that wasn’t what she wanted to show off: She wanted me to meet her people. As we passed each work station, Kim introduced me to the heads of each section. She talked about their talent and had something special to say about each one. Tell me: What level of trust do you think she has with her team? You are right! A bunch.
In three separate studies conducted by the training team of Patterson, Grenny, and Maxfield, it was discovered that the “single best predictor of satisfaction with supervision is freqeuncy of interaction. And if your actions are infrequent and only about problems, you’re really doomed. Others only hear your position: They never see you as a person.”
When we show a genuine interest and listen well, we connect at a personal level. Once this happens, every subsequent discussion in problem solving, re-direction, and accountability becomes much easier, and we can have more direct conversations without creating resentment. Leaders care!
