Source: Linkedin
As you know salt often rescues bland dishes and make it tastier. However, adding too much salt can make food unbearable and sometimes it will end up in your kitchen’s trash bin. This will also be the case when a leader has an overwhelming desire to add his two cents to every discussion. This is what Dr. Marshall Goldsmith (http://www.marshallgoldsmithgroup.com) grouped as one of the twenty most common behavior’s faults and described it as “Adding Too Much Value”.
But what is the problem with adding too much value? Aren’t leaders supposed to be good communicators and increase the quality of their team ideas by giving open and honest feedback? Well, the higher you climb the organizational ladder the more you need to trust and let go and make your subordinates winners rather than make it about wining yourself. After all it’s not about you.
Marshall shares the story of one of his coaching client’s in his book “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by asking what his client learned most from his coaching and the response was “You taught me that before I speak I should stop, breathe, and ask myself, ‘Is it worth it?’ He said that when I got into the habit of taking a breath before I talked, I realized that at least half of what I was going to say wasn’t worth saying. Even though I believed I could add value, I realized I had more to gain by not saying anything.”
Leaders may not notice it but every time they make a suggestion their people often take their suggestions as orders. Whether they like it or now. In return it deflates their team enthusiasm and dampers their commitment. No Commitment, no result!
So next time before you speak, take a breath and ask yourself if what you’re about to say is worth it. You may realize that you have more to gain by not saying anything (adding value)!