Latest / The Confident Entrepreneur With Jennifer Ann Johnson / Building Trust and Connection: Daily Habits to Empower Your Team with Melissa Severance
Transcript
- 0:36Jennifer Johnson: We've already touched on habits on another podcast, but this week's podcast we're going to be talking with an expert on using those habits to connect with your team daily and weekly.
- 0:45Jennifer Johnson: The importance of a leader being in touch with their team is very important.
- 0:50Jennifer Johnson: Please join me in the conversation.
- 0:51Jennifer Johnson: Today.
- 0:53Jennifer Johnson: We welcome back into the studio Melissa Severance.
- 0:55Jennifer Johnson: She's a leadership and career coach and is also an HR consultant and training specialist and owns the company Inspire Big Dreams.
- 1:02Jennifer Johnson: Welcome back.
- 1:03Melissa Severance: Thank you, I'm glad to be back.
- 1:05Melissa Severance: I love being here every time.
- 1:07Jennifer Johnson: We always have really great conversations and they usually go many different ways, yeah, and I expect today's to not be any different, because we always have a lot to talk about Daily and weekly habits that we can use to connect with our team.
- 1:22Jennifer Johnson: Yeah, I know, on the last podcast we talked about activities that we can do and all of that, but in a regular day-to-day job, I'm not talking about the things that we can go outside and, do you know, go bowling with our team.
- 1:35Jennifer Johnson: I'm talking about, you know, is there something I can do every day that you come into work that I can do to connect with you on a different level, so that you become more than just a thank?
- 1:48Melissa Severance: you and giving reasons why it's so important to the team and how it's meaningful for them and for everyone around them and for the whole organization.
- 2:09Melissa Severance: I think having that really heartfelt thank you that you do and make it part of your ritual as a leader will go a long way, because people want to feel appreciated for what they do and what they come in for and they're actually doing the work for the leader and trying to make them happy.
- 2:25Melissa Severance: So if you can give that thank you and make it really genuine and I'm not saying thank you for every little thing, but find something that's meaningful that you think they need an extra thank you in a bigger way, you might say thank you in emails all the time, but do something that's even bigger.
- 2:40Jennifer Johnson: You know, somebody had once.
- 2:41Jennifer Johnson: I thank people a lot just because that's just who.
- 2:44Jennifer Johnson: I am, but there's so many times that I've worked for people that that never happened, and I think that's why I do that.
- 2:52Jennifer Johnson: It's like you know, when you're parenting when you're parenting, you always want to.
- 2:55Jennifer Johnson: If something was not perfect when you were growing up, you want to try to fix that for your kids.
- 3:00Jennifer Johnson: I think a thank you does go a long way.
- 3:04Melissa Severance: Yeah, and it's a form of recognition.
- 3:06Melissa Severance: I just saw a quote and it's going to come, but don't keep your compliments inside.
- 3:13Melissa Severance: Let them out.
- 3:14Melissa Severance: You could change somebody's day by giving a compliment or a thank you or a smile, or a smile You're right.
- 3:20Melissa Severance: I love smiles.
- 3:21Melissa Severance: All three of those are very important.
- 3:24Melissa Severance: So smiling, connecting, even just saying hello, and individually going to your team if they're in the office, just saying hi to them.
- 3:30Melissa Severance: How was your weekend?
- 3:32Melissa Severance: We talked a little bit about that last time I was on the show, just really showing that you care about them and how about so?
- 3:37Jennifer Johnson: about them and how about so?
- 3:39Jennifer Johnson: You notice that someone's struggling?
- 3:41Melissa Severance: Yeah.
- 3:43Jennifer Johnson: Is it?
- 3:43Jennifer Johnson: You know, like I just did this and I said you know, if you want help, I'm here.
- 3:48Jennifer Johnson: Yeah, that's connecting right.
- 3:51Jennifer Johnson: Oh, absolutely, that's so important.
- 3:53Melissa Severance: Yeah, I don't think we should assume what their problem is, but I think we should go up to them and say hey, I see you missed a couple of deadlines or you're not yourself.
- 4:03Melissa Severance: I want to let you know I'm here for you.
- 4:04Melissa Severance: Is there anything I can do?
- 4:06Melissa Severance: Do you want to talk about it?
- 4:07Melissa Severance: I think that's the right way of kind of opening the door, like being aware.
- 4:12Melissa Severance: Being aware, yes, and noticing it shows you care too.
- 4:15Melissa Severance: If you're noticing they're not being themselves, sometimes you can notice they're missing a deadline and some things like that.
- 4:20Melissa Severance: But if you notice they're not talking as much in meetings, they're holding back, there could be some underlying things that you need to get to and you need to address it and have that open communication to know that that leader is showing that they care about that employee and that employee feels cared about and feels they're important on the team.
- 4:38Melissa Severance: Because we don't know what people go through, we try to be as empathetic as possible as a leader, that's true, but we can never walk on their shoes, even if we try In the moment.
- 4:48Melissa Severance: I have a whole training on empathetic leadership and in the moment we try our best.
- 4:52Melissa Severance: We try to, you know, not make assumptions.
- 4:56Melissa Severance: We try to not judge and we try to be there for them in that moment.
- 5:01Jennifer Johnson: But sometimes it's hard to Right, you know, speaking of that, how, how can you effectively build that trust with your team so that they go to you?
- 5:11Jennifer Johnson: I mean, I'm sure it's time, but what ingredients?
- 5:16Melissa Severance: I think it's definitely open communication and encouraging people to give feedback, and when they give feedback, thank them for it.
- 5:24Jennifer Johnson: Instead of running for the hills.
- 5:26Melissa Severance: Yes, or even saying no, we can't do that.
- 5:27Melissa Severance: Like just say no, let me think about that.
- 5:29Melissa Severance: Or saying that's interesting, even just saying like, let me think about that.
- 5:32Melissa Severance: Even.
- 5:32Melissa Severance: Or saying you know that's interesting, you know, even just saying like, let me think about that, if we can do something like that.
- 5:36Melissa Severance: Or let me give you a reason why we're doing it this way, just to help with this suggestion and having more open communication, and I think you have to share your experiences and even, as a leader, your failures.
- 5:48Jennifer Johnson: Let's go back to that right.
- 5:49Jennifer Johnson: Yeah, failures never final, because you're always learning from it, sharing, sharing your failures.
- 5:55Jennifer Johnson: What does that do for your team?
- 6:02Melissa Severance: I think it shows that they can try and go the extra mile and if they fail, it's okay, because my leader has done that and they're in their position right now.
- 6:05Melissa Severance: It didn't hurt them.
- 6:06Melissa Severance: It'll let them get out of their comfort zone and it's okay.
- 6:10Melissa Severance: And show that, hey, you would never think maybe Jennifer Johnson found in this area, because look at her now she has an award book out there, she has this amazing business, but we all have our.
- 6:24Melissa Severance: You know, we know success does not go in a straight line.
- 6:27Jennifer Johnson: It doesn't.
- 6:28Jennifer Johnson: It's like you know it's not overnight, yeah.
- 6:30Melissa Severance: So I think people just need to know that Sometimes we move forward quicker than other times and sometimes we're standing still even though we're trying to move forward.
- 6:39Melissa Severance: We feel like we're in quicksand.
- 6:40Melissa Severance: Having these stories and leaders really telling their situations or what they've been through will help people be more inspired to do more.
- 6:48Jennifer Johnson: I like that because it creates.
- 6:50Jennifer Johnson: It doesn't create, but it shows the human side.
- 6:53Jennifer Johnson: Yeah Right, because, again, I've talked about this countless times where people think, oh my gosh, they have this, so they're perfect, their life is perfect, I want to be them.
- 7:02Jennifer Johnson: And in reality, they're walking in the same shoes, they have the same you know, they put their pants on the same way and all of that, and they've got all kinds of stuff under the hood that you have no idea what's happening.
- 7:15Melissa Severance: Yeah, and I think a lot of it too, is like you just got to be present for your people and spend time with them.
- 7:21Melissa Severance: I think we're running so quick right now that I think sometimes we don't really have that communication in the right way and we're not really actively listening to people.
- 7:32Melissa Severance: That's a key component as a leader and for a team Everybody really listening to everybody's suggestions, thoughts, really what they're trying to say, and you can have these opportunities to share your stories if people are really engaged and you have that one-on-one time.
- 7:49Melissa Severance: But if you don't make time and you're just going against the agenda items and you're just doing the to-dos and talking about that what we're behind on where we need to go next and not being in the present moment of what's going on with them, you're not going to be having these deep conversations.
- 8:04Melissa Severance: That's really going to bring the team to the next level.
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- 8:28Jennifer Johnson: Come into the store or check them out on Facebook or Instagram, and that's truefashionistascom.
- 8:33Jennifer Johnson: Welcome back, friends.
- 8:35Jennifer Johnson: We are back in the studio with Melissa Severance, with Inspire Big Dreams, and we're talking about connecting with your team and weekly and daily habits that you have that help you with that.
- 8:47Jennifer Johnson: And something you were just talking about before the break was basically sometimes we just go through the motions.
- 8:53Jennifer Johnson: Oh, absolutely, we're on autopilot and we're running from here to there doing our job, we're in the trenches, we don't take that time to be present, which makes us disconnect from our team, and then all of a sudden, that trust factor just kind of gets chipped away Absolutely, and sometimes, as a leader, we have so much on our plate that we cancel some meetings and we don't make time for our people and I think we need to make sure we make time.
- 9:21Melissa Severance: Even if you don't need that catch-up time, schedule it with your team member and, maybe some of it, just have a conversation with them.
- 9:29Melissa Severance: Maybe have one question that you really want to get to know about them or about the project or about something along those lines and see where it goes.
- 9:35Melissa Severance: You know, sometimes we're too scripted and we don't have that openness to be in the present moment and really get to know each other.
- 9:41Jennifer Johnson: You know, I have an interesting question, that kind of came up just now.
- 9:44Jennifer Johnson: But if that trust has eroded, can you get that back from your employees?
- 9:50Melissa Severance: You can.
- 9:51Melissa Severance: It just takes a lot of time and you have to tell them that you're trying to work on opening up that trust and the leader has to do a lot to get it back.
- 10:01Jennifer Johnson: I would imagine, twice as hard probably as obtaining it the first time, absolutely.
- 10:07Melissa Severance: And sometimes it's lost for a long time and it's going to be really hard working together and that's when you'll see somebody leave.
- 10:13Melissa Severance: But that's why the trust is so important.
- 10:15Melissa Severance: But if they change their ways, they become more empathetic, they listen more, they make more time for that employee.
- 10:22Melissa Severance: If they really show they're trying, the trust can be built back up.
- 10:26Jennifer Johnson: So what is empathy and I know this is off topic again, but what does empathy look like in the workplace?
- 10:31Melissa Severance: I think it's more about understanding where that employee is coming from, really connecting with them, building relationships with them and really trying to understand what they're feeling and what they're experiencing.
- 10:45Melissa Severance: And the only way to do that is really kind of ask some powerful questions and to really be there for that person when they're ready to open up to you.
- 10:54Melissa Severance: And there's a lot of characteristics that you can bring as a leader to really show that you know active listening, like we talked about asking questions and not giving answers, and that's really hard.
- 11:09Melissa Severance: Yes, it's very hard Not giving solutions.
- 11:11Melissa Severance: So it's, you know, empowerment comes into that too, like showing that you got this, how do you think you, you know, how do you think you're going to do that?
- 11:18Melissa Severance: You know I'm doing a training on critical thinking coming up and I was looking for questions to help the leader get the employee to get their own solutions, which is pretty much coaching questions.
- 11:26Melissa Severance: Sure, you know that's all about coaching is trying to get the person to figure out the solution themselves To their own problem.
- 11:31Melissa Severance: Yeah, and I think bringing coaching into your leadership style will be a game changer for a lot of trust and also empowerment.
- 11:40Melissa Severance: And you know we talked about retention in the past as well too.
- 11:43Melissa Severance: All three of that kind of comes together and helps communication, because in most cases, if we always tell people what to do or don't really listen to the feedback they're not going to give it anymore.
- 11:56Jennifer Johnson: No, and once you listen and you use an idea that somebody had suggested I've done this many times they are so proud to own that idea and you as a leader should be really proud to elevate them and say, oh my gosh, look at, she came up with this idea to do this Wonderful.
- 12:16Jennifer Johnson: How do you celebrate that?
- 12:18Jennifer Johnson: What are ways you can celebrate that kind of going into that segue once something has actually?
- 12:25Melissa Severance: happened like that.
- 12:26Melissa Severance: Yeah, I think you need to know everybody likes to celebrate in a different way.
- 12:29Melissa Severance: Some people want you to announce it to the whole firm, to the whole team.
- 12:32Melissa Severance: Some people want it individual, like thank you, and that goes a long way, having an email or something along those lines, or spending time with a leader, or getting something special like a training, like something that they are making their professional growth.
- 12:48Jennifer Johnson: Like their work.
- 12:49Jennifer Johnson: Love language yes.
- 12:50Melissa Severance: Yeah, you got to figure it out pretty much the same exact thing yeah.
- 12:53Melissa Severance: Because you might thinking you're doing all you can to recognize this employee, but that's not what they want, and that's the one thing you know.
- 13:00Melissa Severance: I love celebrating, and sometimes I love to celebrate in different ways.
- 13:10Jennifer Johnson: And that person might not appreciate it as much as I hope they did Right.
- 13:12Melissa Severance: You can alienate them.
- 13:13Melissa Severance: If you did it the wrong way, yeah, and they might not want to be recognized again, you don't want your recognition to go have the opposite effects on what you're really looking to do, so you can try.
- 13:22Melissa Severance: Sometimes you have to do it in a bigger way.
- 13:24Melissa Severance: If they won an award or something you have to and they you know they should be celebrated like that.
- 13:29Jennifer Johnson: Exactly, but again, you know, I like celebration.
- 13:33Melissa Severance: I do too.
- 13:34Melissa Severance: I probably go over the top.
- 13:37Melissa Severance: That's how I am.
- 13:38Jennifer Johnson: Bring me chocolate and cookies and cake and balloons and I am happy, yeah.
- 13:42Jennifer Johnson: But you know I've been on teams where that is embarrassing, yeah, but you know I've been on teams where that is embarrassing, yeah, downright embarrassing to people and you know, they just don't, they don't know how to handle it or don't handle it well, because that's not their language, right, that's not their love language.
- 13:56Melissa Severance: Yeah, and sometimes it's better to celebrate the team together, you know, after projects or milestones, like maybe that helps some people.
- 14:10Melissa Severance: They feel recognized but they're not on the spotlight.
- 14:11Melissa Severance: So it's like everybody together.
- 14:12Melissa Severance: Some people like that more, like the togetherness celebration.
- 14:13Melissa Severance: Some people want to be, you know, recognized individually, because that's better for them and that makes them feel good.
- 14:16Jennifer Johnson: you know, wow.
- 14:18Jennifer Johnson: I just love our conversations together.
- 14:21Jennifer Johnson: They're always so great.
- 14:22Jennifer Johnson: Melissa, if our audience wants to hear more from you as to how they can motivate their team, grow their team, retain their team, how can they reach out to you?
- 14:33Melissa Severance: Yeah, so inspirebigdreamscom is my website.
- 14:36Melissa Severance: You can schedule some time with me.
- 14:37Melissa Severance: Melissa at inspirebigdreamscom is my email comes directly to me and all my social sites come reach out.
- 14:46Melissa Severance: Direct message me.
- 14:47Melissa Severance: I'd love to hear from you.