"I manage a global team, and we come to the office twice a week, on different days for different teams and countries.
I reached a point where I hadn't met one of my employees for a few months. Until recently, everything was going smoothly as this employee consistently met his goals. However, over the past two months, his performance has gradually declined.
At first, I thought he was just having some bad days, but then I started thinking he might be getting tired of his work and not wanting to put in the effort to achieve the best results. I decided to give him a month or so, and if his performance doesn’t improve, I will consider replacing him”.
➡️ Does this story sound familiar to you as a manager?
When we notice a behavior, we tend to jump to assumptions and conclusions based on our own perspective rather than data.
“But how can I get the data? I don’t want to intrude on his personal life!”
➡️ I'm sure you’re familiar with this thought as well. 😊
Well, the only assumption that should guide you when working closely with others is that you only see the tip of this person’s behavioral iceberg!
The only way people will collaborate with you for the long term is by building a relationship based on trust, care, and authentic communication.
Caring was found to be a competitive advantage. When employees in a high-trust culture experience a caring workplace, they are 44% more likely to work for a company with above-average revenue growth.
“So, I scheduled a one-on-one meeting and this time, I didn’t cancel on him. I told him in advance that we would use our cameras because I hadn't seen him for a long time, and I asked him with genuine care how he was doing.”
➡️ It starts with you genuinely caring about your employees' well-being and fulfillment, not just the results they bring.
“But what if I don’t care?”
➡️ Then you should fake it until you make it because it’s your responsibility as a manager to take care of your team.
To do so, you need to know what’s going on in their lives, both in and outside the workplace. Once you understand what motivates and bothers each of your employees, you can respond wisely and assist more effectively.
“So, after having a real talk with my employee, I found out he was being bullied by one of his teammates and was too ashamed to talk about it. I told him I really appreciated him telling me and that I would do my best to resolve this difficult situation discreetly.”
➡️ As we work with other people, we usually see only the tip of their behavioral iceberg. The only way for us to effectively collaborate, motivate, and influence others is by communicating with care and authenticity.
Have you ever experienced something like this? How did you handle it?
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