Pravasi Bhushan

Networking and relationship building is key to grow in any industry. Some people are naturally good at it, however, these were skills alien to me, and I have had to work a lot to get better at these. The first step was to recognize the importance of networking and relationship building. Early on in my career, I used to think that my work will help me grow. More recently, I realized that's partially true. Work and network, both are needed to grow personally and professionally. Being intentional is crucial, as networking demands a lot of effort and time investment. Just like any other investment, networking requires long-term commitment. You need to be patient and make regular investments to realize the benefits in the long run.

Over the years one of pieces that I have learnt from my leaders and team members is that initiatives and plans are most successful if you build co-ownership. This includes involving your team in crafting the vision (goals) and drafting the plans. When you involve your team in drafting and finalizing the plans they would own the plan, the milestones and the timelines. A leader's role is to ensure that a balance is established. Deadlines shouldn't be too challenging, as these can lead to quality issues. At the same time deadlines shouldn't be too relaxed as it impacts efficiency of your team.

Change is usually uncomfortable. And in such cases people feel anxious and small events can trigger emotions. Helping the team understand that change is uncomfortable, but necessary. And, showing them the future vision helps a lot. Especially when you show them that they'll play a critical role in achieving that future. Simultaneously, acknowledging that things need improvement is the first step in making your team feel they're heard and understood. Following it up with actions that show your intent to address their issues, sends a signal that your concern is genuine and you are trying to change the situation. Together, these will help you make your team feel heard and included, thereby ensuring that they don't feel marginalized.

Listening is key in such situations. Listen to what's being said and even more to what's not being said. It's important that you pick additional cues during these conversations. Picking cues, such as body language, is easier in a face-to-face situation. It's a lot more challenging in a virtual set-up - You need to be more attentive. For example, a team member who is not expressing, is actually telling you a lot. Ensure that you give them time, space and comfort, so they feel comfortable voicing their thoughts. The moment you do all that and listen attentively to understand their perspective, you'll take care of their problem of feeling marginalized. Also, it'll help you figure out gaps that need to be plugged so situation gets better.

People feel they belong to a place when they feel it's a psychologically safe place. It's a leader's responsibility to lead from the front and create such an environment. Simple actions by leaders can make team members feel included or excluded. For example, sharing information with all who should have access, instead of being selective; offering opportunities to everyone in the team; having consistency in how they celebrate events or successes; communicating in a language that's understood by all; ensuring everyone is heard etc. These small gestures send a message to the rest of the team that they too need to be inclusive. By ensuring inclusiveness and psychologically safety you lay the foundation of a trusting and high-performing team.

Versatility is a key attribute of a leader. How well and how quickly you are able to adapt to situations and people around you defines how successful you will be as a leader. Leaders need to take people together towards a common goal, and for that they have to understand how to bring them along, convince them of the final destination. This requires a lot of tact - you need to be able to speak the language that will get your message across. Also, you need to flex how and what information you present. E.g., if you are dealing with someone who looks for details, then offer them facts, numbers etc. On the other hand you don't want to present a lot of details to someone who is interested in the big picture. Instead share the vision with them.