A few years ago, I helped a leader solve a housework problem in his flat, and it made him a better leader.
This is what happened
We were in a workshop with leaders from throughout the company he worked for.
The topic was leadership communication techniques – coaching, feedback, and courageous conversations.
We talked about the need for clear and timely communication to support high performance.
And this leader realised that, at that time, the most important place for him to make change was at home.
The state of the house was not okay, because not everyone was pulling their weight. He had tried to address it several times in the past, but his efforts had not had the desired outcome.
So we workshopped his challenge with his colleagues in the leadership cohort.
How did it all progress?
Three weeks later, at our next workshop, we did a progress check.
He had had the conversation with his flatmates, they had come to a new agreement, and implementation was underway.
🥳 Cue celebrations all around.
The benefits of this non-work intervention included:
😃 He was feeling happier as there was less tension in the flat.
🫧 The flat was cleaner and tidier than it had been in a long time.
⚡ And he had more capacity at work, because he was not feeling drained by his living situation.
His team and the organisation were getting a better version of him. And on top of this, his colleagues got to learn vicariously through his example.
If training only affects the few hours someone spends in the workplace, then it is just a band-aid and the benefits will fade quickly.
But when it helps them to step up in every area of their life, then it’s transformational and the benefits will continue to accumulate.
