About a month ago, a client of mine shared with me an HBR article on what leaders gain by being vulnerable. The article detailed benefits such as being viewed as courageous, authentic, human and “connectable”. All great, all of which we know to be benefits of developing the true skill of leading with vulnerability.
Yet lately the conversations I’m having with my clients are less focused on what it means to BE vulnerable, with our teams and those around us, and more focused on HOW to DO it, HOW to SHOW it or WHAT it LOOKS like in practice.
For some it seems like a daunting task illustrated by a seismic gap between wanting to and knowing how. So this TPF aims at closing that gap by offering one easy take-away for you to implement today – THE RETROSPECTIVE.
When we are planning a major project, event, pitch etc…it’s understandable that there will be several planning meetings before we’re off to the races and moving forward. However, if you compiled the number of planning meetings you have with your team at the start of a project (or even yourself, if you are a team of one!) to the number of meetings you have at the conclusion of the project, I would guess those numbers would be far from even, if not quite lopsided in favor of planning.
Understandable. We’re usually on to the next once we’re done with the first…
However, implementing retrospective meetings serve your team well and they don’t have to be painful or arduous in their processes.
Take a look at the two examples shown below…Both show four simple concepts that solicit useful information from your team in a safe, productive manner.
The benefits of holding retrospective meetings:
- Invites “voice” – you are literally asking for what went well and what people want the next time
- Allows opportunity to share praise and pits in a reflective, positive, learning environment
- Encourages connection, authenticity and courage – you’re aiming to fill all 4 boxes here, so bring it on! (High achievers like completed charts!)
- Affords the opportunity to practice one example of what vulnerability “looks like”
So yes, I’m asking you to call another meeting.
Call a RETROSPECTIVE meeting. Use one of these charts; it will be worth it.