A few months ago, I was playing the role of a co-facilitator and co-coach during a leadership development program.
The audience comprised of the top 25 senior leaders of a global multinational. One of the discussions during the intervention called for the leaders to split into traids and practice peer coaching. During the debrief, while there was rich exchange of perspectives, one of the leaders shared some good insights about a particular framework they adopted and the results it gave them.
The facilitator listened, acknowledged then without further engagement moved on. I noticed an immediate shift in the leader’s micro expressions and body language. For the rest of the debrief, it seemed like the leader was not part of the discussion and had withdrawn from participation.
Since it was a fairly large group of senior leaders with rich experiences, lots of discussions followed, and no one noticed the non-participation from the particular leader.
As a co-coach, I was a silent witness to the dynamics at play there, and at the first opportunity I got with the facilitator, I exercised courage and shared my observations. The facilitator acted quickly and together we brought back the leader to become an active participant.
My belief to speak up and influence a situation, made a big difference to its outcomes. Getting More from each situation lies with you.
Persuasion, influencing, negotiation or selling (PINS) are not just limited for sales professionals – You and I can practice it effectively and effortlessly. #SalesSkillsAreLifeSkills indeed.
