…Words to live by from Brene Brown.
Just because we are physically distant doesn’t mean we have to be emotionally distant. Now more than ever we need to be highly conscious of one another’s well being, emotions and that which might not be spoken.
We’ve noticed a theme in many (physically present) organizations: the avoidance of important conversations. The reasons for avoidance are pretty simple:
- People don’t know how to have difficult conversations. It’s uncomfortable and far easier to just avoid talking about the issue or issues.
- They’re afraid that if they have the conversation, they’re only going to make the situation worse. Avoiding feels safer. If the problem is at a 5 out of 10, they fear that addressing it will transform it into a 10/10.
- Fear of losing their job. People don’t speak up for a fear of losing job security.
The bottom line having a difficult or courageous conversation is usually just too much work. However, when you and your team can see that by avoiding the conversation that is the heavy lifting, that is what creates more work.
What conversations might you or your team be avoiding at this moment? What can you as a leader start implementing now to ensure that you are being conscious of your team’s emotional well being as well as ensuring you are getting to the root of all tension points?