Leaders, choose your words carefully…

I had a boss who when he wanted to see or talk with one of his subordinates he would email or text them…

“Come see me.”

or

“Call me.”

—

Colleagues of mine would often come to me prior to responding to my boss to inquire if I had any idea what the message they received was about.

After this happened a number of times, I started to appreciate the anxiety this was creating for my teammates, and as such, I decided to discuss with my boss.

I will not share how my boss responded to me sharing that this behavior was creating unnecessary anxiety for our teammates, however I do think there is a lesson here for leaders:

Do not underestimate your ability as a leader to impact the emotional state of your teammates.

Since this time when I notify someone electronically that I want/need some action from them I ensure the message has 3 components…
1. The action desired (call me)
2. The purpose (discuss plans for the weekend)
3. The urgency (not urgent)

This is an approach I now use with with anyone I care about: teammates, family, friends, residents, etc…