I observe their faces and their body language. It speaks to me! Sometimes, I feel that I can read those troubled ‘thought bubbles’ above their heads! Yeah, their body gives plenty of clues however their facial expressions tell the story.
As a facilitator, I analyse every person in the group enabling me to collaborate – linking people to the discussion, the intent, the goal, shifting troubled thoughts and helping maintain the focus – regularly I burst those thought bubbles!
I take this skill to the streets; observing people move & breathe (often the passive cigarette smoke) and I see people relax: between meetings, off to the office, out to lunch -it’s great to see people laughing and moving.
Too often, people skip lunch, chose to Skype, sit too long, and don’t get out of their offices /‘work space’ and not before long, sink ‘in it’ rather than move ‘on it’.
The ‘in it’ face is often expressionless or tired looking. Whereas, the ‘on it’ face speaks life.
Leadership is about making people feel important, enough to support their attempt of the impossible. So, if you value your people, help them get ‘on it’, create a workspace which encourages movement, interaction & focus ‘on it’. You are responsible for your people – get ‘on it’!