5 minute read
The Intentional Leader
WITH ANNIE FRISOLI, CFEE
CREATE BELONGINGNESS WITH AN APPROACHABLE LEADERSHIP STYLE
I am continually amazed at the impact event professionals have on this world. I am also continually amazed at how much these professionals GIVE to others. Event professionals dedicate themselves to their communities, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, performers, teams, cities and to so many more.
I started my business Creating Community LLC in hopes of dedicating myself to this wonderful group of professionals and to serve them. As a former university instructor of nearly 20 years in recreation and event management, I had to serve this group of professionals the best way I knew how, through education and training.
My goal in providing education and training for recreation and event professionals is to provide quality leadership content and to connect them with other leaders in the profession to ultimately assist them in their professional development. It is a great honor and privilege to serve this group of professionals, so they can continue to make BIG impacts on communities around the world.
This column hopes to be an extension of the work I do in my live training sessions and provide small checklists of leadership content that is meant to keep these important leaders in our communities inspired, connected, and supported.
We all know that if we want a great workplace, we need to foster of sense of belongingness. But according to the Harvard Business Review, 40% of people feel isolated at work.
That leaves a lot of room for improvement, especially when you consider that employees who feel they don’t belong are less happy and may be less motivated and productive than those who feel at ease in their workplace.
Thus, one of our biggest challenges and opportunities is finding ways to foster belongingness amongst your team. For some leaders, this probably feels like a catch-22. After all, your team members may hesitate to open up around you simply due to your title. The “boss” can be a bit intimidating.
How can you let people know their opinions matter when they aren’t willing to share their opinions with you? How can you let your team know you’re approachable and open to hearing new ideas?
As a leader, it’s your job to make this happen. Here are some tips to open the lines of communication so your team feels more welcome in the workplace.
1. Set aside time during each meeting to check in with individual people
Time may be of the essence, but time spent making people comfortable gives back in the form of happier employees. Allow team members five minutes at the beginning or end of each meeting for fostering connection.
Challenge yourself and others to sit by a different person in meetings so you have the opportunity to get to know everyone on the team. It takes multiple interactions for people to start to feel comfortable with one another, so if you’ve never let your guard down around specific employees, it may take longer for them to trust you.
2. Be intentional with body language
The busier we are, the more closed-off our body language becomes. When you have an emergency issue to deal with, you don’t have time for distractions. In these kinds of situations, closed-off body language is appropriate.
However, the more we rush from place to place or from problem to problem, the more our body starts to develop postures that signal to others we’re too busy for them. This can look like your arms crossed in front of your body, your eyes on your phone while you walk, or speed walking through the halls.
Drop your arms, slow your speed, and smile at the people around you. Say hello and ask them how they’re doing. You’ll be amazed at the difference in how people approach you.
3. Build time into your schedule for getting to know people
Check-in with employees just for the sake of checking in. Ask them questions about their lives, and also how work is going.
While the people you work with may feel too intimidated to come to you with problems and concerns, it’s a different story when you go directly to them and ask them how everything is going. They realize that you’re there for them and that you care about how they’re doing.
Even if they have no concerns at the moment, these check-ins will give many people the confidence they need to go to you later on when issues do arise.
But don’t just ask about work. Find out about their family, hobbies, pets, and whatever else makes them tick. People are more confident letting you know when something is going on outside of work that may be a distraction when you’ve built a foundation of trust.
You Can’t Lead… Without a Team
If your employees feel as if they don’t belong, you don’t really have a team at all—just a collection of employees waiting to go home.
Leaders must go out of their way to let their team know they’re approachable and they want to hear their ideas. Also, as a leader, you must foster opportunities for your team to talk to each other and express their concerns and feelings and lift each other up.
Annie Frisoli is Founder & CEO of Creating Community, LLC. She hosts leadership workshops for individuals and organizations, staff retreats to build cohesive teams, and strategic planning sessions for teams and board members. She is a popular speaker and adds energy to any space she arrives. Annie (CFEE), is also a faculty member at the IFEA/NRPA Event Management School and serves on the IFEA Foundation Board. For more information: www.anniefrisoli.com