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As an HR manager in the last couple of years, I have observed instances where employees overestimated their own abilities and subsequently underperformed or struggled with their responsibilities. One of these employees was me. I thought I was doing a great job of being in control and protecting my team to ensure they were productive, calm and dedicated to their work. Little did I know, I was actually over-talking and driving them insane!
It wasn’t until our team coach, let’s call her Coach M, pointed out my behavior during our workshops with the team that I realized how much I was blabbering away. Coach M recommended that I start speaking last during these meetings. At first, I was like, “What?! Speak last? That’s like telling a dog not to bark!” But, I decided to give it a try. Life is a never-ending learning journey, right?
And you know what? It worked like a charm! All of a sudden, my team members had a chance to speak up and share their ideas without me cutting them off. The team became more collaborative, and ideas flowed more freely. I couldn’t believe the difference it made.
But the impact of this lesson didn’t stop at work. I started to notice that I had a tendency to over-talk in my personal life too. I mean, who knew I was such a chatterbox! And of course I did not mean to be rude, I was always just super curious and assuming the next topic a person in my private life was trying to tell me more about. But by being more mindful of my behavior, I started to connect with others on a deeper level and build stronger relationships.
So, if you’re leading a team like I did, don’t be afraid to take a step back and let others take the lead. It might just be the key to unlocking a more productive and collaborative team. And who knows, you might even learn something new about yourself in the process!
It’s important to strike a balance between control and listening. And if you find yourself talking too much, just remember to take a deep breath and let others have their say. Trust me, your team will thank you for it! And if you need some more piece of wisdom, drop me a message on LinkedIn, I am ready to listen 😊
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