Empower Your Team Part 2 of 5 - Study Your Employees

Now that the people around you get you excited and intrigued about who they are, what they are about, and how they think, you can begin to study them. For example, this looks like observing their behavioral patterns and body language (just not in a creepy way). You can do this through conversations, engaging at meetings, social gatherings, over coffee, etc. The options are boundless.

When I recognized that my middle daughter is a kinesthetic communicator, it really helped me to respect her pace of communication (very slow) and way of communication (with her body and many gestures). This new understanding helped me slow down and respect her model of the world. In turn, helping her to respond better to my requests.

Studying the people around you that you lead and can empower helps you to learn their skills and interests at a different level. When you know their wiring, it is much easier to delegate things to them. It also helps you understand their approach to situations and how you can help them (or get out of the way).