❓ ❓ Do you actually talk to your team members? ❓ ❓
This sounds like a far fetched question to ask a leader/manager/supervisor or other people leader right?
I think that most 'leaders' chit chat with their teams to keep friendly relations going but that's not exactly what I'm talking about.
I'm asking about real conversations on topics that establish a deeper connection and have a positive impact on the participants.

Research shows that:
😃 82% of employees felt they would be more engaged if they had more meaningful conversations with their bosses more often
🤓 78% said they’d be more likely to share their ideas
☺️ 76% would more likely look for career growth in their company, and
🥳 75% would more likely stay with their company

If a real conversation are that impactful on the employee experience and the organizational loyalty factors, what is getting in the way?
Many managers avoid conversations because they:
🤦‍♂️ Aren’t trained to have the conversations
🤦‍♀️ Aren’t prepared to dig deep
🤦 Are concerned they can’t meet expectations established in deeper conversations

Many of us avoid the things that we don't feel equipped to do. We continue to skim across the surface so that our knowledge or status isn't questioned EVEN THOUGH it is much easier being a regular human that doesn't have all of the answers.

I've coached managers through difficult team situations where communication was non-existent, not even the chit-chat was happening with some team members. After rebuilding many bridges, this became clear to me: it is so much easier to have the hard conversations when the easy but meaningful conversations happen regularly.

Conversations matter! Connection matters!

Learning to communicate with your team is a process that can only be perfected with consistency; so I encourage you to start today.

Here are 3 lead-in questions that can help you get beyond the chit-chat and open the door to more meaningful engagements:

1. "What’s one thing you’ve been working on that you’re really proud of—but that might be flying under the radar?"
This gives you insight into what motivates the team member and highlights areas that you can show appreciation for their contributions.

2. "Is anything slowing you down right now that I might not be aware of?"
This helps to identify obstacles or frustrations without putting the person in defense mode. If you have a way to assist them, it can also set you up as the manager advocate that will help their work lives be a little easier.

3. "What’s one thing I could do more—or less—of to support you better?"
This changes the conversation from performance management to partnership and gives the employee permission to give upward feedback.

These tips can help you go beyond the break room banter and dig deeper (professionally) faster.

Check out the Resources page for the downloadable Manager's guide.

📢 📢 Hiring SMART is the BEST choice. 🎆

Organizations trying to scale their business and workforce often rush to fill seats when demand spikes.

We all can agree- growth is THRILLING.
But if your hiring process is reactive and vague, you're building a house on sand. Rushing to get the warm bodies that you'll 'train along the way' is not a strategy, it's a bandage.

I've seen this play out:
- No clarity on role outcomes
- No structured interview process
- Lack of alignment between the hiring manager and the recruiter

Three months later, the same role is open again. Team morale is down 😔 and everyone is frustrated 😫.

Here's a quick rule of thumb:
1. Do the internal work first; get everyone aligned and ready to hire.
2. Don't hire the perfect fit, hire the candidate also ready for growth.

AND MAKE SURE that your onboarding process is NOT an afterthought.

💡 Want a quick start hiring audit? DM us. It's proven to save a lot of churn and cost.