Last week I caught up with a client I worked with last year. She’s doing great. She’s had a huge shift in energy that was a joy to see.
She had hired me because she wanted to up-level her leadership skills.
She’s a star performer who’d enjoyed multiple promotions and once created her own job because she saw a need the company wasn’t meeting. During Covid, she stepped up to handle a job one level above hers, twice.
But within a couple of sessions, our work shifted from leadership training to job search. And now that she’s in a new job that she loves, she understands why.
Her new organization offers mental health days, while her old one barely mentioned Covid stress.
Her new organization offers a healthy bonus, while her old one had none in a business that thrived during lockdown (think healthcare, wine & spirits, home furnishings, or scented candles).
Her old organization stayed quiet in June 2020, while her new organization made public statements and provided managers with guidelines on how to check-in and support their teams.
What’s most interesting is that many of the policies her new company implemented are recent.
So instead of laying low and waiting things out like so many have done, they responded in real-time under extreme circumstances.
And because of that they are holding onto, and on-boarding, star talent, while her old company is losing their best people.
What we can learn here is twofold:
- Supporting your team like human beings pays dividends
- It is possible to rethink and improve your approach, even when things feel impossibly chaotic
What if instead of dead quiet from your team — a team you know is talented because they had a great resume when you hired them — you had real communication.
A dialogue that lets you know what’s going on so you can support and connect with them.
Think about it. My client hired a coach to gain the leadership skills that her company was not providing.
You’d have access to the productivity you know is trapped inside them.
You’d feel like a good boss and mentor.
They’d solve bigger issues.
They’d STAY at the organization.
You’d have fewer surprises.
And your team would be more willing to work with the imperfections that exist anywhere.
This client admitted that the new organization has quirks, but she’s undaunted.
And based on what I observe in my work, I bet her boss is calmer, enjoys a greater sense of control, and has the freedom to focus on their own bigger picture strategic work.
I love this work. And the last two years have reinforced for me how vital it is. I do my programs 1:1 with individuals, with groups 15-50 in size, and with teams.
If you want to learn more about how to generate these results for yourself or your team, please set up a time to talk.
My best,
Claire