What’s Your Pocket Problem?

In the early days of leading teams, I had a direct report who I had a story in my head about. I had purchased branded company polos for the team to wear, and he wouldn’t wear his. The story in my head was that he was disengaged, not a team player, and disrespected me. Maybe a step too far, but like I said, these were the early days of my leadership.

Finally, I decided to broach the topic with him. I said, “Hey Joe (name changed), I see you are not wearing the company polo when you are client-facing. Tell me more about that.” And you know what he said? “It doesn’t have a pocket.” He didn’t say he hated me or the company; he simply needed a pocket for his phone. New polos were ordered and the problem was solved.

A few leadership lessons learned as I think back on this experience:

1. Ask your people what they need. I could have saved some money, angst, and time had I simply asked Joe what type of polo he needed to do his job. Of course, not every problem has a simple solution like this one, but you won’t know the solution if you don’t ask people for their input.
2. Don’t assume you know what’s going on with them. I like to use the Crucial Conversation format (“The story in my head…”), but there are other effective ways to move past assumptions and ground a conversation in two-way dialogue, such as Brene Brown’s Rumble or Kim Scott’s Radical Candor.
3. Have the hard conversation and be open to learning something new. Sometimes we just avoid hard conversations. It’s natural to do so! They can be exhausting (and the anxiety leading up to it can be harder than the actual conversation). But when we lean into the discomfort and have the conversation, it almost always results in more clarity, more communication, and more trust.

I’m reflecting on the pocket problem  as I walk alongside CEOs and owners rolling out strategy. The most effective strategies are ones that are informed by team members’ perceptions and experiences. This doesn’t mean leading by committee, but it does mean intentionally soliciting feedback by asking about what people need, and making them a vital part of the process. Team members will choose to help with your business’s goals when they feel included, responsible, and accountable for the outcomes.

At UnPause, we help leaders do this by integrating team members into every step of the strategy process. From pre-retreat surveys to post-retreat town hall meetings, I get to watch leaders open themselves up for dialogue, questions, and even pushback about the future direction. And that’s a good thing!

When it’s living and breathing – activated and tested by team member input –you can really set strategy in motion.