How to hear your team
When I teach fast-growing technology companies how to use the Nice Method to improve employee retention and company culture, I first focus on teaching leaders how to Hear Your Team. This includes improving communication best practices, enabling feedback, and using recognition to improve employee morale and increase retention.
Nice Method: Communication
Active Listening
Magic happens when I teach organizations active listening skills and they adopt them across their company. In my workshops and presentations, I deliver a step-by-step guide to listening effectively from my book, New Business Networking.
I begin with a reminder that silent is an anagram for listen. Itโs like the word was right there trying to tell us to be quiet all along.
The guide to listening effectively is based on the following acronym for LISTEN.
Look interested.
Involve yourself by responding.
Stay on target.
Test your understanding.
Evaluate the message.
Neutralize the feelings.
Nice, And
I once sat in a boardroom facing the C-Suite team. This was my opportunity to share an idea I had for a new product. When it was my turn, I took a deep breath, reviewed my notes one final time, and shared the idea. I felt like a fledgling entrepreneur on Shark Tank.
The CEO of the company literally laughed and said it was the stupidest idea he had heard. I imagine my face resembled a tomato as I sunk sheepishly back into my chair. It was the last idea I would share during my tenure.
One of my favorite exercises from the Nice Method is Nice, and. Participants roleplay, beginning each sentence with the phrase, โNice, andโฆโ. This is a technique each person uses to discover that instead of saying โnoโ or blocking what the other person says, they accept it, add positivity, and build upon it. Nice, and leaves each person feeling heard and empowered.
Letโs be clear, perhaps the idea was a terrible one. Instead, the CEO could have lead with acceptance using Nice, and leaving me feeling better about my idea. Or he might have slowed his rejection long enough to realize that it was actually a good idea. He could have responded withโฆ
โNice, and letโs talk about it a little more after the meeting. Letโs grab a coffee together.โ
โNice, and why donโt we talk to Sales to see if this is something our customers are asking for?โ
โNice, and we could see if customer service has had a request for this.โ
โNice, and we could try it another way that might work based on what Iโve learned over the years. How does this sound to you?โ
Active Listening using L.I.S.T.E.N. and learning to accept and empower using Nice, and are just two of the Nice Method tactics that will help you improve communication and actually hear your team, so they are left feeling happy and not planning to quit.
Nice Method: Enabling Feedback
By enabling feedback we strategically structure communication with our front line. The Nice Method provides you with everything you need to hold open office hours for each department to communicate clearly and confidently with one another and with your leadership team.
We provide effective tools and techniques you can use to have effective one-on-one and weekly huddle meetings. Weโll teach you how using engagement surveys can lift the curtain of uncertain feelings from your team members.
Plus, we will share specific steps leaders can take to connect with their teams like leaving office doors open and sitting down for lunch with your people.
Nice Method: Recognition
How do you recognize your team? Do you? In the Achievers Workforce Institute study from February 2021, they found manager recognition drives employee engagement. One in five (20%) of employees say feeling underappreciated for the contributions is hindering their engagement at work, and two in five (40%) employees say their manager is just โokayโ at recognizing their work. More than two-thirds (69%) of employees think their relationship with their manager would improve if they recognized them more. More than a third (34%) of employees do not feel valued by their superiors at work.
“Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.”
The study also found that while compensation matters, it isnโt the top factor when it comes to employee retention. Work-life balance and recognition both rate higher than compensation for retaining top talent.
During the Nice Method sessions, we teach leaders how to recognize their team members using everything from simple gratitude messages of thanks to writing Thank You cards.
Rather than focusing on failure, we teach you how to focus on the lessons learned. We use failures as examples of how you get to success.
Your team should never feel forgotten, especially in fast-growing technology companies. Following these steps will help leaders avoid the wrecks.
The Nice Method
Step 1. Hear Your Team
Step 2. Avoid the Wrecks ๐
Step 3. Life Outside Your Walls