If you are in the United States and live in the greater Boston area, you know about “Storrowing.”
Even if you haven’t heard the actual term, you can probably envision the carnage – a truck whose roof was sheared off while the vehicle’s operator tried to drive under one of the notoriously low bridges on Storrow Drive.
The bridges are typically 10 -11 feet in height. Box trucks are about 12 feet in height. It doesn’t bode well for the driver, the truck, or other motorists in the vicinity.
Commonly, those unlucky souls are college students moving into new apartments over Labor Day weekend.
Now, you may ask yourself, “Aren’t there signs telling people the bridges are low clearance?” Yes, in fact, there are. Many.
And yet, somehow, drivers miss the signs. Or think (maybe) by sheer force of will, they’ll figure it out? Or (maybe) think the sign doesn’t apply to them?
Image courtesy of NBC Boston via Google Images
Whatever the cause, it’s a great metaphor for what happens in organizations.
Leaders also miss signs.
Do you?
Some of these signs you may overlook include:
Your people aren’t speaking their truthYour people are saying what they think you want to hearYou (or your peeps) are on your way to burnout (or perhaps you’re already there?)You don’t have support for your initiativeYou think you have an agreement on a course of action (but you don’t)You missed the mark in a meeting (but think you nailed it)You read the room wrongYou didn’t pick up on body language, tone of voice, or what wasn’t saidAnd the list goes on…
There are many reasons you might miss a sign:
You’re on autopilot and not paying attentionDenial – you don’t want to see what’s in front of youYou’re anxious about something – and still not paying attentionYou’re focused on yourself and not othersYou’re new to an organization and unclear on the culture and “language”You’re overwhelmed and just trying to “power through”You’re sleep-deprived (see above – burnout)You’re trying to do too much at onceAnd the list goes on…
Here are four things you can do to get better at reading the signs.
(Really, all of these suggestions could come under the umbrella of, “be curious” but we’ll break them down).
- Be curious. Hands down, being curious and asking more questions is one of the best tools in your leadership toolbox. It provides the opportunity to gather more data and hear others’ perspectives, ensuring you’re not operating in a vacuum. (Some coaching clients have committed to asking a minimum of three questions before making a decision or forging ahead in a conversation. Bonus points if you ask open-ended questions.)
- Listen. With step one under your belt, now it’s time to zip the lip and listen to the responses. Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who you know is just waiting for you to finish speaking so they can share their two cents? Yeah, don’t do that. Your stakeholders are sharing information and opinions. Hear what they have to say before you craft your next comment.
- Request (or send) confirmation. If you want to ensure you and your stakeholders are on the same page, it helps to confirm what everyone heard or committed to. You may do this in real-time in a meeting (“To confirm, we all agree that adjusting this policy is the best path forward? Are there any concerns we haven’t addressed before we move ahead?) Similarly, you may ask others to send confirmation of what was discussed and agreed upon. This is especially helpful if you want to ensure that you and an employee are in alignment. Ask them to send you a recap of the meeting and next steps. If what they send you is misaligned, you have the opportunity to course-correct before it’s too late. (Especially helpful if you are having performance management discussions!)
- Enlist the help of colleagues. Objective perspectives can be helpful. Ask trusted work buddies to share what they heard in the meeting or what they see as the next steps and accountabilities for the project that was discussed.
It takes very little forethought or energy to be curious. You can do it in the moment and save yourself some headaches down the road. Try it and let me know how you make out.
With that, go forth and conquer! 🙂
