A monologue similar to this happens thousands of times a day. A leader, after having a conversation with a team member and said team member is out of earshot will say something akin to: "Well, that 30 minutes of my life is gone forever. . now I can get back to doing my job."
Truth is. . .that leader, by spending 30 minutes in conversation with a team member was doing their job. Truth is. . .that the leader both did something very good (spent time with a team member) and didn't recognize the true value of what they had done ("now I can get back to doing my job").
Truth is. . .spending time in conversation with our team members is one of the greatest expenditures of time we can make as leaders. It is both an investment in our team's future as well as an investment in our own careers.
Spending time with team members builds bonds. The familiarity that develops through conversation allows us to activate with the team more effectively when push comes to shove - because we know more about the team member and they know more about us.
Listening is one of the best ways that we can communicate to our team that they really are important, not only to the business, but to us as individuals.
When you spend time with team members. . .really, truly listen for things you can learn. . .both about the individuals and about the business. Contemplate the conversation afterward: "What did I really hear? What did I really learn?" Then think about what you can accomplish with that information.
Since conversations are two way streets, it is also an opportunity for you to communicate to team members what is important to you. . .both as an individual and as a professional.
A waste of time? Nope. Spending time your team members is doing your job. . .and doing your job really well.
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My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available for e-readers, tablets and PCs on Amazon Kindle.
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