THE ONE WORD PEP TALK

I had many jobs where I clocked in and wanted nothing more than to clock out. Partly because of dread, and also perhaps mostly because I was not reminded why I was there. Nor did I feel like I truly belonged to a team. Everyone was there, but no one was really present.

Let me lead, let me lead. I can do an excellent job at supervising and managing people. For a long time, I wanted the opportunity to lead, but I saw that rite of passage only in authoritative or higher ranks in a job. However, over the years of working alongside people, that myth was demystified.

I came to discover that leadership is not about authority or ranks. Leadership comes down to a decision.

It is a decision to inspire others to learn how to be leaders on their own.
It is a decision to equip people with the tools they need to accomplish their objective.
It is a decision to remind people why they are there, and what matters most to them and the team.

This all sounds easier to say than to do, but with practice, there’s a simple tool (of so many) that we can apply to be able to lead others with our decisions.

Many people just go in straight to work, which is why I incorporate this tool before the beginning of our work.

It’s called the ONE WORD pep talk.

First and foremost, I ensure everyone knows we would engage in an activity, and then explain the instructions, which are:

1.) In one word, express how you feel at the start of this meeting/day
2.) The next person goes until everyone has had a turn.
3.) Leader wraps up and reminds everyone why their work is valued and that they matter

I didn’t know what to call it at the time we tried it out for the first time, but all we knew is that by simply having each member of our team share how we feel at the start of the meeting increases team awareness and thus, team morale. Here’s why:

Everyone feels heard.

Everyone has that desire to be acknowledged. By providing an opportunity to let people share how they feel, even if it is just one word, trust is formed as we create a safe space for our team to express themselves.

Working alongside someone without knowing where they are on an emotional level is said to be a good thing… if your goal is to suppress people -people who are in charge of accomplishing certain tasks that we depend on. Contrary to some beliefs, not knowing how our teammates feel can actually cause friction. Have you ever thought your teammate was mad at you due to the facial cues they made earlier that day, but then later find out they were thinking about something else? In many cases, people misread someone’s demeanor, causing the likelihood of incoherent behaviors to increase. Someone might have reacted poorly to their own inaccurate judgement and caused unnecessary conflict to arise, slowing down productivity. Performance becomes obstructed from reaching optimal levels -both in effectiveness and efficiency- from the lack of knowing people’s emotional state.

When we know how our team is feeling, not only are we aware of their state, but we are also empowering each other to accomplish our goal as a team. Let’s say we know a teammate is feeling sad. We will have a base understanding of how their performance may look, therefore, we will also have an opportunity to provide support throughout their day. People love helping each other, especially after feeling heard people are more inclined towards one another. We build camaraderie among ourselves.

Finally, once everyone has had a turn sharing how we feel, I ensure to remind us what our objectives are and why we are here. I also remind everyone that we are not here to work alone, and how crucial it is to depend on one another, emphasizing the importance of how teamwork makes the dream work. I make sure to remind us that we all have unique gifts to bring to the table.

This empowering tool has helped boost team morale. It has helped nurture relationships among the people I work with and take care of, and although it was a bit awkward to get it running on its feet, I have grown heavily fond of this technique for it has led me to meet, understand, and appreciate people on a more profound level.

All it takes is one word from every member to form one powerful team.

🔴 Be Empowered, my friends.