How well do you know your team’s true nature?
On a recent autumn morning, I woke early to find my husband Terry standing by the bedroom window gazing into the yard. Terry rises early, happy to greet the day as a high school teacher. Wiping the sleep from my eyes as I turned the light on, I heard Terry say, “Honey, turn off the light and come quickly to the window, I want to show you something.”
In the predawn darkness, illuminated by the glow of garden lights, a small herd of deer is resting comfortably in the middle of the grass. Standing up, gently alert. Exploring and grazing on nature’s bounty near the fence close to our home. The last of the fuchsia and the pink and white cosmos on long green stems wave in the field, as the early morning wind blows them side to side.
Under the sanctity of darkness, the herd roams freely, relaxed in their natural habitat without fear of human intervention. Who is the real outsider here?
We quietly reposition ourselves at the window to appreciate the familial relationships of the deer.
Terry remarks that while we often see deer in the yard during the day, they likely have been resting on the lawn under the cover of darkness for years, but we are not “conscious” to see them. He says he feels "privileged" to experience the herd on this day. It was a special moment.
It got me thinking about perspective and how much leaders know about their teams at work… Are leaders “conscious” of their teams’ true nature?
What happens within our teams that is out of our line of sight? Do we make assumptions about how team members are working together?
What else do individual members bring to the team beyond their knowledge?
Are team members able to be themselves with leaders or do they only let leaders see what they want them to see?
What's your perspective on your team? Go to where team members are doing their work. Engage them. Take time to notice what is often outside of your line of sight.
Sherri McArdle is a wife and mother to adult children and has been a business leader/owner for over 25 years. She is also a Master Certified Coach (MCC) to leaders and executives across the country and a trained mediator.
