February 13, 2023  

What Everyone is NOT Saying | WT #39

Darren Smith

Leadership, Weekly TRUTH

0  comments

Not too long ago, I was in a meeting which I felt went really well. At the end, I asked the fifteen team members to write down, on a sticky note, their answer to a simple question: “What’s on your mind?” As a result, I discovered several helpful nuggets that would significantly increase the value of our next meeting:
  • Several people were concerned about, and named, specific road blocks to our team’s success, of which we were not aware.
  • One person felt disengaged.
  • One person noted something we accomplished, that we hadn’t even realized!
There is magic when you ask someone to write down what’s on their mind. There’s a tendency to be honest, and share what they’re NOT saying. How would knowing what everyone is NOT saying help you? You CAN know. All it takes is a couple sticky notes and a single question.

This article was last modified on February 13, 2023 .

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON MIGHTY NETWORKS
Previous
Next

About the author 

Darren Smith

Darren Smith is Co-Founder of the Authentic Leadership Institute. He is a native Texan and a graduate of Dallas Jesuit and Texas A&M University. Over the past 25 years, Darren has visited 35 countries and led 100 strategy programs. He and his wife have five children.

Tags

You may also like

Talk Less; Say More | WT #108

At dinner one night, my son couldn’t stop talking. In an attempt to teach him a lesson, I shared a simple truth: the less you talk, the smarter people think you are. Years later, I was reminded of that wisdom when a colleague was described as someone who “talks the least, yet says the most.” Humility isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about knowing when to speak and when to listen.

Read More

Perfect Timing Is Never by Accident | WT #107

Perfect timing is never by accident. When Jeanne forwarded a Weekly Truth email to her son, she had no idea it would provide exactly the guidance he needed at a crucial moment. Read how a timely message—and a structured decision-making tool—helped him navigate a difficult workplace challenge with confidence and clarity.

Read More