The win: When teams feel more connected, better work can happen.
Want a fast way to read the room before you dive into the agenda? Try the Mood Meter. In just a few minutes, it helps people name how they are arriving and gives leaders a better sense of what the room may need.
How it works:
- Ask each person to privately rate:
- their energy from 1 (low) to 10 (high)
- their pleasantness from 1 (low) to 10 (high)
- Once everyone has their two numbers in their head, show a visual of the Mood Meter
From https://www.themoodmeter.com/mood-meter-2/ – click to download the PDF.
- Ask participants to find where their numbers intersect on the chart
- Invite them to choose one word from near that spot that best describes how they feel (it does not need to be the exact word)
- If your group is small, go around and let each person share, if your group is larger, use pairs, breakouts, or the chat
Prompt:
Which colour are you in on the Mood Meter, and which word from near your coordinates best describes how you’re arriving to today’s meeting?
Wrap up by sharing these ideas:
- The goal is not to force ourselves into a better mood, but to notice how we’re showing up
- When we know how we’re feeling, we’re better able to lead, respond, and communicate with intention
- This gives us useful information about what we may need from ourselves and from each other today
This tool comes from Marc Brackett’s work at Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence.
The win: a good laugh after a long week.
Humanity can get to the moon, but apparently inbox management is still the final frontier.
The win: One key idea and a reminder that you are not alone in this.
The One Thing Leaders Forget to Talk About During Change
TLDR: When you clearly name both what is changing and what will stay steady, it helps you lead the full room.
Biggest change leadership mistake? Leaders explain what’s changing and forget to explain what’s not. But during seasons of change, your team is trying to make sense of both. They want to know what is shifting AND what will stay steady.
That is the tension to manage: change AND stability.
When leaders only talk about the new plan, people can fill in the blanks with worry. What will happen to our priorities? Our roles? Our standards? Our team culture? That can create unnecessary stress, confusion, and resistance.
But when you intentionally name what is changing and what will stay steady, it leads to clarity, stability, and trust; giving people something solid to hold onto.
When you build your change communication around these three key points, you create trust and help bring people with you through the change.
The 3-part framework to communicate change clearly:
-
What is changing
Be specific about what will be different. -
What is not changing
Name what will stay steady on purpose, like your values, purpose, quality standards, or commitment to people. -
Why
Help people understand the reason behind both. Transparency builds trust.
When you clearly name both what is changing and what will stay steady, it helps you lead the full room. Some people want the facts. Some are carrying feelings about the change. Strong leaders make space for both.
If you are leading through a season of change and looking for leadership support, reach out and we’ll connect with you about our Leading Change workshop options.
Leaders found it relevant, engaging, and easy to apply directly to their work. In fact, every manager indicated they now feel confident in their ability to put the concepts into practice."
