Listen For the “We”

Do your employees feel like they’re part of the team? Those who do are likely to make a vastly superior effort. The problem is, it’s not always easy to tell how people genuinely feel. But there is a very effective technique that can give you valuable insight.

In general, people reveal their feelings by the way they express themselves. So what you do is observe their choice of words.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about: My assistant was telling me about the new orders that came in, and I was very pleased with the way she expressed it. What she said was, “We just got a huge bunch of new orders last night.” My last assistant would have said, “You have some new orders.”

Of course, it’s unfair to make a judgment about someone based on one word. But it’s been my experience that employees who use “we” instead of “you” reveal positive feelings about their relationship to you, your company, and the work they’re doing.

[Ed Note: Being able to understand people is a skill that can make or break a business career. Keep reading here for more information on Paul's People Power Program.]

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