Sometimes it’s the simple things that make a difference in engaging your staff. I had a great reminder of this while observing one of my team members and his ability to “flip the lightswitch” from an employee engagement perspective. I’d love to share this quick story with you as a great example of authentic leadership in action.
A few weeks ago I was visiting with one of my teams on a beautiful university campus in San Diego. Being just a few weeks removed from commencement activities, the campus was quiet and the dining team was small but mighty – with no students on campus the cafes were mainly calm with a handful of conference attendees moving about.
As our on-site leader and I walked through the cafes, he excused himself from our conversation and took a hard left turn back behind a service counter. I noticed him approach an associate that has been a dependable and kind member of our team for several years. Her body language was troubling as she looked down at the floor and seemed troubled.
I was far enough away to not be able to hear the conversation, but I watched as her body language gradually changed. She began to stand up straight, lifting her chin up high, a faint smile growing larger as the conversation went on. She took a deep breath and re-tied her apron and headed off toward the service line, and the leader headed back my way.
“Looks like you solved a problem for someone”, I said to the leader when he returned to me. “No…no solve for this one. I just listened and let her take some weight off her shoulders”. I didn’t pry, though my curiosity was getting the best of me. We continued on, and an hour later we circled back through that cafe, where the associate was happily serving guests and smiling brightly.
I don’t know what was said. I don’t know what weight she had to relieve herself of. But what I do know, is that a kind and compassionate leader approached someone who had some worries building upon her. By opening up himself to listen, and by genuinely caring for whatever the situation was, he allowed her to free herself of her worries for the time being and to shift her mindset to happily moving along with her day.
He “flipped the switch”. He authentically engaged with someone who just needed someone to listen. There was no solution given, no promised made, just a sincere, compassionate ear that allowed someone to smile and to find some peace while they went about their day. That is engagement, connection, and care, and served as a great reminder to me that it doesn’t always take a complex strategy or a planned conversation or a promotion or a raise to make a difference for someone.
Jason Adams 