Start noticing things

Imagine this: A team member walks into your office, shoulders slumped, a forced smile plastered on their face. You ask, "How's it going?" They mumble, "Fine," without making eye contact, quickly changing the topic to an unimportant work detail. You glance up from your screen for a second, nod, and move on, another task checked off your to-do list. The likely result? A missed opportunity to address a brewing issue that could fester and impact performance, morale, or even lead to this person leaving.

Now imagine a different scenario: The same team member, same slumped shoulders, same forced smile. You pause, look up, and say, "I notice you seem a bit down today. How are you holding up?" They hesitate, then say, "Actually, I've been struggling with this new project..." A conversation begins. A connection is made. You learn something important. It allows you to intervene meaningfully.

The difference? Noticing. And responding to what you noticed.

In the first scenario, you missed an opportunity. An opportunity to connect, to understand, to support. In a corporate environment, these missed opportunities can have a ripple effect, leading to decreased morale, reduced productivity, and even increased turnover. When people feel unseen, unheard, and unvalued, they disengage.

In the second scenario, you created an opening. An opening for dialogue, for problem-solving, for growth. By simply noticing and acknowledging your team member's state, you built trust, fostered psychological safety, and opened the door to a more productive and supportive working relationship. In the long run, this translates to increased engagement, improved performance, and stronger team cohesion.

Noticing is more than just seeing. It's about paying attention to the subtle cues, the unspoken words, the shifts in body language – the things you might not normally see. It's about tuning in to the human being in front of you, not just the employee.

This week, try noticing. Pay attention to the small things. You'll see that there are plenty of things to notice if we just open ourselves up to seeing them.

Now, empty your cup, get ready for the firehose. Curious, what's an example of a small thing you noticed and what change did it make? Hit reply – I'd love to know!