Let’s face it, there’s always more work than you have time to get done. Plus we’re trying to do that from this base level of ongoing chronic stress that we had from shifting to working virtually to maybe working hybrid part of the time or different people working in different ways. People are kind of ragged and our emotional resilience is down. We don’t bounce back,we don’t have that same kind of ability to pick ourselves up when we face a challengeThe challenge is that when there’s tough work to do, sometimes we default to , “We just got to get this work done. Let’s focus on the to-do list and let’s check those things off”. To-do lists are important planning, tools and making sure you’re getting everything organized the way it needs to get organized. The thing is, it’s not just about the checklist. It’s not just about the transaction.

I was talking to a colleague recently and she made the observation that so few managers had learned how to run effective and engaging meetings. To which I said, “You know, that’s true AND it’s not their fault..” Let’s just think about it here for a moment. A lot of  managers used to be colleagues of the people that they’re now managing. Maybe some of them got that promotion because they’re really great at the tech skills, but perhaps not so great at the people skills.
Let’s face it, this isn’t something where you can read a book or even go to a workshop once or twice, and all of the sudden… (snap!) you’re able to run a meeting with a complexity of group dynamics that are always going to be at play.

It’s astonishing how often people are in the same conversation but hear completely different things. The potential for misunderstanding, feeling disrespected and disempowered is huge. Whether you’re leading a team of one (yourself), or a team of hundreds the quality of your listening hugely affects the quality and impact of your leadership.