Small wins can have a big impact. I truly believe that.
Recently, I traveled to our India and Philippines offices. Sunny and I did town halls in each office to discuss the vision of what’s next for ITBD and where we’re headed. It’s one of the things we love to do most when we travel to these offices. That and sitting one-on-one with different teams to hear their viewpoints on what’s working and to be leaned in and open to what’s not. It gives you great insight into your teams and their perspectives, the kind you just can’t get from a Teams call.
Listening Even When You Can’t Fix Everything
Now let’s be honest. We can’t always solve all the problems. Rome wasn’t built in a day. So, we ask team members to write their comments or requests down on a piece of paper, and we collect them, anonymous, of course. And everyone always has something. Can I bring my cat to the Noida office? Probably not. But I read each and every one of those notes to see and gain perspective. And then I make sure that I actually tell our team that I heard them.
Here’s the thing. As human beings, we need to feel three things: we need to feel seen, we need to feel heard, and we need to feel acknowledged.
That’s the foundation. And my goal, when I’m in these offices, reading through those notes, sitting in those one-on-ones, is to make sure our people understand that I see them. I’ve heard their requests, and I’m acknowledging them.
Quick Wins Matter
Now, I can’t fix everything overnight. It doesn’t matter how great of a culture you have (shout-out to us getting our sixth Great Place to Work accreditation in a row, six years running), there’s always something that can be improved. Always.
But some things can be quick wins. In the Philippines, I learned that the team just wanted some plants. They wanted the office to feel more homey. And they wanted a coffee maker, one of those fancy ones that makes lattes. Done. When we spend so much of our time at work each and every day, being able to hear the little things that matter to our team members is extremely important. Those quick wins, I’ll make them happen 100% of the time.
Explaining the Why
But sometimes it’s bigger than plants and coffee makers. Sometimes the questions are harder, like hybrid work. We could have a very reasonable why behind not offering hybrid work environments because of our compliance standards and our promise and commitment to our customers. But if people don’t understand our why, they don’t understand. And if it’s a question sitting in their mind, are they 100% confident in the direction we’re going? Probably not.
So, part of being a leader is also sharing the answers. You may not like my answer, but I’ll make sure you understand that I have one.
That’s what I want my teams to know. If I can make something happen for them, I will. If it’s a quick win, consider it done. If it’s something larger or has business impact, I’ll review it. I’ll consider it. I’ve heard it, and I’ll acknowledge it. I may not be able to make every one of their wishes come true, but you know I’ll try.
And I think sometimes that’s all we can do as leaders: let our people know that we see them, we hear them, and we’ll try. If there are quick wins, we make them happen. And if there aren’t, we at least make sure they understand the why. That’s how you build trust. Not by having all the answers, but by making sure your people never have to wonder if you’re listening.
