How are they feeling today? Are they after a big win that’s taken a lot of time and energy, or a quick win from being clever and nimble? Are they after a loss, a big loss, like a major project they worked on, prepared, pitched, and got a no? Or a little loss, something they thought they would get at the last minute, but the client said no?
Are they rebuilding because someone left or someone got fired? Are they still working out the kinks of who’s who and what’s what; not in terms of titles, but in terms of the informal culture? What’s the age composition? Do you have more people closer to the exit than the entrance? And those closer to the exit – are they looking at their work, or are they looking at the calendar counting down the days?
How often do your people call on each other for help or counsel or expertise? How often do they recruit each other for their projects? Do they socialize? Do they like being in the presence of each other?
How’s their health? Are they eating well? Are they sleeping well? Or do they just look like they’re eating and sleeping well? Are they calm and rested, or do they need caffeine and Red Bull to pump them up?
Are they engaging in extraprofessional activities and community activities, and do they do so regularly, consistently? Are they involved in forms of service: community, church, or otherwise? Do they perform acts of service at work?
What are the ages of their children? Is it kindergarten time? Is it high school time? Is it time to pick a college and pay for it?
How do they talk about their work when they’re not at work? Do they tell stories about what happened, or do they change the subject? When they mention it, is there energy or flatness? Do they seem to carry it with them, or do they set it down completely?
What do they do with silence? When there’s a pause in a meeting, do they fill it immediately, or can they sit with it? Do they look uncomfortable, or do they seem at ease? Do others wait with them, or does someone else always break it first?
How do they handle being wrong? Do they adjust when new information arrives, or do they defend their original position? Can they say “I don’t know” easily, or does it come out with qualifications? Do they circle back later, or move on as if it didn’t happen?
What’s their relationship with time? Do they act like there’s never enough, or do they work as if they have what they need? Are they always running to the next thing, or do they finish one thing before starting another? Do they protect margin, or fill every gap?
How do they respond when someone else succeeds? Is there genuine interest in the details, or quick congratulations before moving on? Do they ask questions about how it happened, or shift to their own similar experience? Do they celebrate differently depending on who succeeded?
What do they notice? Do they see when someone’s struggling before being told? Do they pick up on shifts in the room? Do they comment on what’s happening beneath the surface, or stay focused on what’s being said? Do they notice patterns over time, or just what’s immediate?
How do they make decisions? Do they gather more information first, or decide with what they have? Do they involve the people affected before deciding, after deciding, or not at all? Do they announce decisions or propose them? Do they revisit when circumstances change, or stick because they already decided?
What’s their tolerance for mess? Can they work when things are unclear, or do they need everything defined first? Do they categorize quickly to move forward, or sit with complexity longer? Do they simplify when they talk about it, or keep the complications visible?
How do they treat people who can’t advance their work? The security guard, the custodian, the contractor brought in for a day? Is there eye contact? Do they learn names? Does their tone change from how they speak to colleagues?
What do they do between meetings? Do they check their phone, talk to whoever’s nearby, or sit quietly? Do they prep for what’s next, decompress from what just happened, or something else entirely? Are they present in hallways and elevators, or already somewhere else?
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photo by Stephane Gagnon