Relationships at Work - The Leadership Guide to Building Workplace Connections and Avoiding Blind Spots.
Relationships at Work - your leadership guide to building workplace connections and avoiding blind spots.
A relatable and honest show on leadership, organizational culture and soft skills, focusing on improving employee engagement and company culture to inspire people to apply, stay and thrive.
Because no one wants leadership that fosters toxic environments at work, nor should they.
Host, speaker and communications leader Russel Lolacher shares his experience and insights, discussing the leadership and corporate culture topics that matter with global experts help us with the success of our organizations (regardless of industry). This show will give you the information, education, strategies and tips you need to avoid leadership blind spots, better connect with all levels of our organization, and develop the necessary soft skills that are essential to every organization.
From leadership development and training to employee satisfaction to diversity, inclusivity, equity and belonging to personalization and engagement... there are so many aspects and opportunities to build great relationships at work
This is THE place to start and nurture our leadership journey and create an amazing workplace.
Relationships at Work - The Leadership Guide to Building Workplace Connections and Avoiding Blind Spots.
Our Influence On That Lingering Emotional Aftertaste
In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher shares a term that former guest Amber Naslund left him with - emotional aftertaste.
Do leaders understand the impact and the emotional residue they leave, for good or bad, that can stay for years and even decades? Rarely.
Russel shares what that emotional aftertaste can look like and the areas we can focus on to ensure we better understand the impacts we have.
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Welcome to Relationships At Work – the emerging leader’s guide to create a workplace we love. I’m your host Russel Lolacher
I’m a communications and leadership nerd with a couple of decades of experience and a heap of curiosity on how we can lead and work together to improve the employee experience. This show is a great resource to help us with that.
Every week on the show, I talk with a local or global leader on topics that are help to you to improve the workplace. We’ve tackled so man topics: negativity, culture renovation, plain language, imposter syndrome, diversity, communication, empathy, activism, burnout, mental health, and so many other topics.
And now, as an added bonus, I’ll be sharing an additional episode pulled from the pages of our weekly R@W Note which you can subscribe to.
A quick and valuable bit of information on top of our regular show.
So the R@W Note I’m passing on to you this week, is called…
Aftertaste, so Emotional
I love when phrases hit soooo perfectly.
Emotional Aftertaste
This phrase came out as sort of a throwaway remark in my conversation with one of my favourite workplace ambassadors Amber Naslund on this show.
We were talking about all things imposter syndrome when she said:
Give people the space to believe that you actually care how they are. Because I try really hard to make sure that I’m always leading In my relationships at work with how I show up for people as a human first, our job is secondary and jobs, change jobs, count jobs, go, you’re expendable, no matter how much you want to believe it, you know, at the end of the day, and so the only thing that I can really impact is the emotional aftertaste I leave with people. Did I leave them feeling like I actually genuinely care about their well being? And if you want your relationships at work to thrive, start there because it always, always, always pays off.
Emotional Aftertaste. And it has been marinating with me.
It is such a great and simple term for that lasting affect interactions have on people at work.
How words, actions and inactions can leave a residue. An echo. An aftertaste... that lingers sometimes long after the event has happened. Sometimes decades.
I think I’ve mentioned on this show, now 70+ episodes in, that when I ask the “what was your best or worst employee experience” question, if my guest shares something bad it is often something from their early career. When they were in their teens or early twenties.
I've heard recounts of the horrible impression a senior leader gave when they talked over their staff at an all-staff meeting, three years after it happened. Three years! That's a bad emotional aftertaste that stayed even after other experiences and leaders made impressions over time.
It just couldn't be washed out.
It's a great reminder that what we do matters. And that every action doesn't just impact our environment but has impacts on those around us, even if we don't realize it.
Sometimes for decades.
But that can be flipped too. Think about the best teacher you ever had. Think about the first manager you worked for that saw the value in what you did. Now think of the feelings that brings up. That matters. That’s the effect we have on others too as leaders.
We hold a lot of power and influence. And what we do with it demonstrates how good or bad of a leader we are.
This is where that self-awareness and situational awareness superpowers can really kick in.
For our self-awareness…
a. Reflect on Your Interactions: with colleagues, your direct supervisor, your staff. Consider how your words, tone of voice, body language, and actions might have had an impact.
b. Seek Feedback: from others to gain different perspectives on how your behavior impacts them. Be open to constructive criticism. This can help you identify blind spots and make necessary adjustments.
c. Manage Your Emotions: Being aware of your own emotions allows you to regulate them appropriately in the workplace. Aim to manage your emotions in a way that supports positive interactions and relationships.
Or Situational Awareness
a. Observe and Listen: Pay close attention to how your behavior, verbal and non-verbal cues, and communication of others in various work situations is received. This will help you gather information and understand how your impacting others.
b. Adapt to Different Contexts: Different situations call for different approaches. So consciously adapt your behavior and communication style based on the specific context and the individuals involved. Consider cultural differences, power dynamics, and the unique needs of the situation.
c. Anticipate Consequences: Develop the ability to anticipate the potential consequences of your actions. Consider how your decisions or statements might impact others in the short-term and long-term. Help you make more informed choices and minimize any negative impact on colleagues.
We all need to consider that emotional aftertaste we leave in the hearts and minds of those we interact with.
It's our contribution to our culture, for good or bad.
