I have been around the development of people for over a decade, and one thing still surprises me – the reaction of people when asked “What do you NEED?”
In leadership transitions – it is the key question after defining the immediate goals for the role and how success over the first 6 months will be measured.
The Birkman Method assessment measures it, and people are often surprised to see their NEEDs named in the results and how accurate the stress behaviors are defined when those NEEDs are not being met. Minimizing stress opens up a whole new world of performance and engagement.
Leaders seem relieved when they have the opportunity to tell their teams what they NEED from them to be successful – after hearing the NEEDs of their team.
It is a cornerstone of great Followership. When we know the needs of our leaders we can help them be successful.
What is leadership? is a big question and many resources are poured into helping people be successful at this difficult role. Remember that it is in the conversations where leadership happens, not in the powerpoint slides or emails.
Ask the NEED question and agree on one thing that you can make happen. Are you surprised at what you hear and see in their reaction? I still like good surprises . . . . . .