When we can’t fix, we can still listen

Recently, I’ve been working with a group of leaders who are managing a major restructure while also navigating the personal impact of these changes, without yet having full clarity on what comes next…not an uncommon challenge for leaders in the middle.

What’s really struck me is the immense responsibility these leaders feel to protect their teams from uncertainty—to try to make everything “OK” — and the inner conflict they’re feeling when they realise they can’t.

In our conversations, something that’s really struck a chord is the power of simply asking about and listening to the emotions people are experiencing. Yet we often hesitate to do this for fear of what it might open up, and our potential powerlessness to fix it.

But we don’t have to—and often can’t—fix it. Sometimes, people aren’t even looking for that.  What we can do, and what it’s easy to overlook in the midst of change, is to just listen to, acknowledge, and validate what others are going through.

“I hear how difficult you’re finding this, and I understand” 

It may not fix everything, but it can make a surprisingly big difference.

Hilary