The Power Or Role Play

A sales person on your team comes to you because they feel stuck. They aren't making the connections they feel they need, and when they compare themselves to their peers, they see and know they are lacking.

What do you do?

This was one of the scenarios we explored today in a book circle session on The Advice Trap by 📚Michael Bungay Stanier

During the first round, one "leader" coached the "sales person" for 8 minutes, using the 7 essential questions from MBS (and a few others.) By the end of the 8 minutes, the sales person felt supported, both emotionally and with some tangible next steps.

During the second round, one "leader" talked at/down to the "sales person" for 8 minutes, using the analogy of farmers and hunters. By the end of the time, the "sales person" was deflated and thinking they needed to find a new job, and fast.

Although this juxtaposition was not in my initial planning of the session, it proved to be the exact thing that was needed for the leaders to be able to see themselves.

Some saw themselves as being too coach-like, asking too many questions, but never getting to the point, or being too nice, and not taking a firmer stance when necessary.

Some saw themselves as the hard-driving leader, with no empathy or curiosity whatsoever. Always saying what is and what should be.

Others found themselves in between.

At the end of our session, I asked the participants to vote -- Who would you want to have as your leader?

It was unanimous -- the coach-like leader.

Seeing the two options in front of them gave them the fuel and extra motivation to more fully implement the ideas in the book.

I love when that happens!

Originally posted on LinkedIn with comments.

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