As leaders, we often consider how to get the most out of our teams… But we don’t necessarily approach it with the right tools or attitude. If you’re thinking from the top down, about extracting value instead of inspiring it, you’ll never build a dream team that makes your organization thrive.
Every team member has unique abilities, perspectives, and ideas that can make the whole operation more dynamic and successful. More importantly, they also are each full human beings with emotions, minds, spirits, challenges, baggage, and beyond.
Your goal as a leader is (or should be) to let each team member be more of themselves, and this means not only recognizing the full spectrum of who they are, but treating all of these aspects with admiration and respect.
To truly understand your people, and to use that understanding to help them do their most fulfilling, most enjoyable, most effective work, you have to truly get to know them…
And that’s where the neverending interview makes all the difference. You are in collaboration with your team, not in command.
In the audio presentation below, I do a deep dive into this topic and provide context for collaborative relationships, why they matter so much, and how to develop mutually trusting partnerships with your team members.
Instead of performance reviews or standardized personality tests, use Career Development Conversations (CDCs) to get to know your team members, their goals, their strengths, their fears… Get to know where they’ve been and where they’re headed, and how you can help them thrive.
If you build a deep understanding of what makes each team member shine, then build the organization around letting people do what they do best, the work practically does itself.
You can find a downloadable CDC worksheet here.
Have these essential conversations with your team at least once per year, as part of the staff onboarding process, and any time people seem to be struggling, disengaged, or otherwise having a hard time.
This is all about empathy, connection, and building trust. When people know you care, they’ll feel empowered to open up, get engaged, and give you their best. Without this kind of trust, it’s not a relationship – it’s just a transaction.
The point is this: you’re building a cause, not a company. When your team members are collaborators who feel seen, valued, and understood, it gives everyone the freedom to ask “what do I want to create?”
Empower your people by seeing the whole person, embracing their individuality, and establishing collaborative trust – built through the open honesty of Career Development Conversations.
How you treat them is how you see them, and how you see them is who they become.
