3 Magic Questions to Ask Individual Team Members

I had coffee with one of my favorite customers...no, one of my favorite people today. Not only is Reed Vanderslik one of the most encouraging people I know, but he teaches me a lot about how to be a leader.

Specifically, Reed is a leader who listens. When I do discovery sessions with my customers' employees, I will sometimes hear that the direct line team members don't feel seen or heard, or even cared about by the "bigwigs at the home office." 

It doesn't mean they aren't - but they don't feel that they are. Often, it's because C-Level and VP-Level leaders will walk through a building without intentionally interacting with the team at all levels, which makes people feel invisible and forgotten. It's not on purpose, but it's a result I hear about repeatedly. 

On the other hand, one of Reed's favorite things to do is to walk around to specifically interact with team members at every level of his organization. He checks in, asks questions, provides praise and, as he told me during our recent time together, it's how he keeps his finger on the pulse of what's happening in the company. 

With his permission, here are three of the magic questions he asks while he's rounding on his team

1. How's your day going?  
2. What would make it better?
3. (and if they say nothing) - If you could wave a magic wand what would you change? 

 The result? People feel seen, heard, and valued.  The culture being developed by Reed and an energetic and talented leadership team have the organization moving forward in a positive direction. The improvement they've seen in employee retention is only one example.

Small actions have a profound impact. Thank you, Reed, for reminding me of this today!