It's time to get vulnerable
“Feeling happier and more connected” is probably not the language
most would use when asked what they need from their colleagues. But,
believe it or not, this is quickly becoming the key to being able to
achieve goals and outperform other teams.
Being truly happy and connected means you understand each other, feel safe to be who you are, have one another’s back, and experience joy when collaborating. Sound idyllic?
Unfortunately, in our fast-paced business world,
this connection among team members doesn’t happen nearly as much as it
should. Why isn’t it more common if the results speak for themselves?
Because it requires time, effort, and one more very important thing:
vulnerability.
Historically, being vulnerable at work hasn’t been considered
professional. In fact, decades ago, it was important to do the
opposite-;hide who you are and blend in with the masses. This kind of
cultural norm was the result of a top-down leadership approach,
in which the higher-ups came up with the ideas, then handed them down
to others to execute. In our modern world, though, ideas come from
everyone. In fact, in order to keep up with the kind of change,
innovation, and competitiveness the business world currently
requires-;they have to. New behaviors and norms are needed to yield
better results.
So, what exactly is vulnerability? Dr. Brene Brown, TEDx speaker, author, and host of the upcoming Netflix special “The Call to Courage,”
defines it as “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.” She also
says that “vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy,
courage, empathy, and creativity.” In other words, the very building
blocks of amazing relationships.
When a team can be vulnerable
with each other, deep connections are formed, and the result is feeling
happier and more productive. You ultimately have a sense of calm and
peace about your work environment and relationship with your
peers-;which enables you to do your best work.
So, how do you go about being more vulnerable with your team? Here are a few tactics to explore:
1. Share Stories
Set
up a monthly lunch meeting where you each share an unknown personal
story that has shaped you from your past. Give each person the same
amount of time and set a timer. After each person shares, allow time for
questions and reflections. Through the act of sharing something
meaningful, everyone gets to see a side of you they didn’t know, and
they’ll feel more connected and familiar as a result.
2. Talk About Confidence
Use
an already booked regular team meeting to focus on confidence barriers.
Confidence is something that everyone struggles with, but few people
share how it manifests for them. Having a vulnerable and open dialogue
with your team about confidence issues can easily bring everyone
together and have the added bonus of helping you feel more confident.
Often, just talking about your confidence issues helps you realize that
they aren’t real.
3. Have a Zone of Genius Off-Site
For one of your quarterly leadership team off-sites, get everyone to do the work on their own to identify their Zone of Genius.
Have a few sessions where each person shares what it is and how they
are using it (or not) in their roles. This is another exercise that will
allow everyone to not only get clear on what they’re best at but also
be able to learn that same information about each other. (A couple of
books to help with this option are The Genius Habit, The Big Leap, and Flow.)
4. Work With a Coach
Hire
a performance coach to take your team through a 3-6-month process in
learning how to get to the next level in their performance. This process
should involve everything mentioned above categories and more. With
this option, you can hand over the reins to an expert that will ensure
that the end result is that your team is firing on all cylinders and is
happy and connected. The right performance coach will map out a process
to ensure that the process is delivering that result.
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