“You can’t change the fruit without changing the root.” Stephen Covey
Has it ever occurred to you that the fruit you have been getting is because the roots are all messed up? How about your team mates?
Example: You observe the lack of action and push with a team mate and you assume they are lazy and not really doing their job. You assume they are not interested in doing whatever it takes. You think they might be a problem. Why? Why would your thoughts go to the negative and assuming the worst as your first reaction? Maybe spend a few minutes unpacking your roots. What has happened in your journey that quickly has you jump to the worst thought? The worst assumption? If we can unpack what created our filter we can begin to adjust. Dig up the old roots. Start some new roots in new soil. Begin to seek to understand first. Ask questions. Get Clarity, then move to work on the situation and help the team mate.
Example: You thought the person you hired was going to be a great addition to the team. After only a few weeks you notice the attitude of the new team mate is creating lots of frustration and friction. After a coaching session you realize the new team members filter is all wrong. You will need to work on the roots. This challenging, destructive attitude is a deep seated filter that is off center. They need to understand why we do things. They need to understand the values that guide us and what those values mean. (Really need to discuss and unpack these during our interview before we hire!) They need to consider team mates as customers as well as our end users. They need to “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” We have to get down to the root of their actions and attitudes! Then, we need to invest time in coaching, teaching, training and equipping to see if they can make the transition and become a contributor to our journey.
So, next time you notice yourself jumping to conclusions too early, stop, check your root cause, reset and go get understanding and clarity about what you assumed! Or next time you have a challenging person on your hands, spend some time listening to their journey and then maybe start helping them with Their Roots!
“You can’t change the fruit without changing the root.” Stephen Covey
Look for my new book “Clarity” coming out this fall. https://www.choiceconsultingman.com/clarity/