This is my favorite line: Not to convince, but to listen. Not to fix, but to understand what the work currently asks of the person doing it.
For me this is empathy. So often we want to "fix" or offer a solution. Instead, like you say, empathize with thoughts and feelings, don't try to fix it. Once a person is seen, they feel accepted.
As part of a creative team, I’ve been witnessing this resistance and couldn’t fully name why. Your insight captured it perfectly. Our department is navigating a complete shift—new marketing objectives and the launch of a new publication carrying strong expectations to be “award-winning.” It’s a lot for a team to hold.
This perspective really stayed with me:
“Creative teams don’t resist leadership. They resist conditions that make it unsafe to care. And when leaders learn to tell the difference, everything changes.”
Thank you, Eve! Awards are important. They helped us get attention. But we never got them by chasing them or making award-winning work the goal. The best work I was associated with was always best because it got people's attention. It changer peoples minds. And we tried not to be derivative of the current trends. Those were the goals. Not the awards. Sometimes what we thought of as our best work didn't win awards. Thanks for helping me remember those days!
This is a reality in many work cultures. People choose silence to protect their positions, but this ultimately hurts the company because the hard truths necessary for improvement are never brought to the table.
This is my favorite line: Not to convince, but to listen. Not to fix, but to understand what the work currently asks of the person doing it.
For me this is empathy. So often we want to "fix" or offer a solution. Instead, like you say, empathize with thoughts and feelings, don't try to fix it. Once a person is seen, they feel accepted.
Thanks Jenny. Yes, empathy. Far too little attention is paid to the emotional costs incurred from a lack of empathy.
As part of a creative team, I’ve been witnessing this resistance and couldn’t fully name why. Your insight captured it perfectly. Our department is navigating a complete shift—new marketing objectives and the launch of a new publication carrying strong expectations to be “award-winning.” It’s a lot for a team to hold.
This perspective really stayed with me:
“Creative teams don’t resist leadership. They resist conditions that make it unsafe to care. And when leaders learn to tell the difference, everything changes.”
Thank you, Ted.
Thank you, Eve! Awards are important. They helped us get attention. But we never got them by chasing them or making award-winning work the goal. The best work I was associated with was always best because it got people's attention. It changer peoples minds. And we tried not to be derivative of the current trends. Those were the goals. Not the awards. Sometimes what we thought of as our best work didn't win awards. Thanks for helping me remember those days!
This is a reality in many work cultures. People choose silence to protect their positions, but this ultimately hurts the company because the hard truths necessary for improvement are never brought to the table.
And that is so saddening. We just curl up inside. I've sure done that. Know it all too well. Thanks, Erika!
Very insightful.
Thanks, Kris.