How does writing things down show that you care?
Many supervisors embrace the suggestion that we have in our Front Line Leadership Program to circulate proactively amongst the people of their shift, asking if they have what they need for that day’s work. The issue then becomes how good is your memory when people do bring up issues that you need to follow up with? Using a simple notebook and pen can convey your desire, care, and concern for your team.
If a front line employee or team member does raise an issue for you to follow up with, but then you get busy and you ultimately forget to follow up, they will feel ignored.
Show your team that you care, by writing things down. Share on XWhen this happens, you have lost a chance to prove your value to that team member as their leader. Many times, they cannot go and seek out the answer for themselves, they must rely on you. What top-notch leaders do is use a simple notebook and pen.
Leadership Observations
In our Front Line Leadership Training, we often hand out a little booklet called “Leadership Observations.” Inside the Leadership Observations notebook, we have many tips for how to make good observations and by writing things down, it shows your team that you are going to remember to follow up. When you follow up, check the item off your list and you have closed the loop on an employee issue or concern.
This simple action can help employees understand that you do care about their concerns. Let us review those three steps:
1. Write it down
Take notes. Just that act will increase your chance of remembering and shows the employee that it is important enough for you to write it down.
2. Get answers.
Go seek the answers to the questions and concerns that your employees have.
3. Cross it off your list.
When you get back to them, you can cross it off your to-do list.
Once you have mastered the art of writing it down, you may want to work on other leadership attributes, and that is where we come in.
We look forward to partnering with you for organizational excellence.
