Tell me more

Colleagues,

This week: Five things to do to ease into a productive fall
​

1. Get some feedback.

 
Solicit people you trust for feedback. Having informal conversations is probably the best way, but you could also email people. Just pick 3-9 people. Here’s an easy script:
 
I’m going to be very intentional about growing as a leader this fall. I have some ideas about what to focus on, but we all have blind spots, so I need your help. [It is very important to ask for help and to use the word “help.”]
 
What are three things I did well as a leader this past year?
 
What are two of the biggest challenges we are facing as an organization? [Or that they are facing in their jobs, or that they want you to focus on.]
 
If you could snap your fingers and make me a tiny bit better at one thing, what would it be?
 
If you’ve chosen the right people, you will get some good feedback.
 
During the process, you are only allowed to say two things:
 
“Thank you.”
 
“Tell me more.”
 
That is all. If you say more, you risk messing it up.
 
We’ll come back to the answers you get on Friday.

Cheers!

Frederick