So, as lucky as I am having a wonderful manager who gets out of my way and lets me get on with doing important stuff, and as funny as he is and is simpatico with me – every now and again he pings me and the first thoughts that come to my mind rarely reflect the trust between us.
So a teeny tiny thought for people leaders. If you have to direct message one of your team members in Teams or a text message for a quick chat, provide some context.
For example:
- Hey S, do you have 5 mins? Have a couple of questions about
XYZ:) - Hey S, do you have 5 mins to give me an update on XYZ – need to provide feedback to Mr Boss 🙂
- S, I’m preparing a report for Ms Boss – need that data on ABC. Do you have 5 mins to chat? 🙂
Yes, this might take longer to write – but the lag from the time
the person sees your message, to when they actually talk to you might be the difference between your team member being relaxed, to them feeling like their world is about to change. This is just human nature.
You know what I’m talking about. How many times do you get a call from one of your relatives after 10pm and your first thought is a dark one? See what I mean?