The 5 Conversations You Need To Have
As you are raising up next level leaders you need to have conversations with them regularly. It is vital to spend time with them and investing into their potential.
Here are the 5 areas you need to make the conversations about:
Make it personal
- Put the spotlight on their hopes, dreams, desires, and goals. Take the opportunity to offer yourself as a resource to help them get to where they want to go. You are the guide, they are the hero. The more you can show genuine care about their success, the more they’ll receive from you. This is your opportunity to get into their world and see where they are coming from. This will help you know exactly where they are so you know how to take them further.
Make it futuristic
- Don’t spend a lot of time talking about the past and issues they have dealt with. Talk to them more about where they want to go and what it’s going to take to get there. Keep the conversation in the future, not the past. You will chase rabbit holes and quickly turn into a counselor if you stay looking in the rearview mirror. Keep the focus on where they hope to be, how they want to act, what strengths they need to capitalize on, and visionary aspirations.
Make it challenging
- When you spend time with the person you are raising up, you want to challenge small thinking and excuses. Listen for the words they are using and the tone they speak with. Don’t be afraid to push them with honest coaching. You can’t equip someone for the future if you don’t challenge their limits. Everyone needs someone that makes them think bigger. Without being stretched we won’t grow into our potential. Listen for the areas they need to be stretched in and don’t sugar coat it. Push back on anything that is holding them back in their thinking, words, beliefs, or work ethic.
Make it encouraging
- Always, always, always be positive and life giving in your conversation. Even when you are challenging them in the areas they need to work on…make it encouraging. Let them know you want to see them successful and you are on their side. You encourage people by believing in them. You want to make sure that everything you say is to help them improve because you genuinely care for their future. The more people trust that you are for them, the more impactful your advice becomes.
Make it actionable
- Everything you discuss in your meeting should eventually turn into to actionable items they can work on to improve. Don’t just talk philosophically about ideas, turn them into practical steps. You can’t hold someone accountable to feelings and philosophy, you can only hold them accountable to what they do. Make sure you turn every challenge into something tangible that you can measure them against. Don’t end a conversation without action steps for them to work on and then follow up on. And remember if you don’t follow through with holding them accountable nothing will change.
