Fish out of water. Yes, that's a great way to describe me in the photo!
I am not a gamer…well, not with eGames. I LOVE board games, card games, sports, etc. Video games are not my forte. Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone as a dad to meet your kids where they are. If you've not heard of Beat Saber, it's a Virtual Reality (VR) game where you have two light sabers and you slice boxes to the beat of a song. These boxes come flying at you, and you have to hit them with the right saber, in the correct direction, with the music. In all reality, it's pretty cool! My first go at it wasn't great because I had no clue what the songs were or the rhythms I needed to match. When I understood you could select songs, we picked something I knew and it worked much better — not that I have great rhythm!
The same can be said for leaders. Your employees may be of a different generation, or have skill sets or expertise of which you don't fully grasp all the nuances, but you need to try to find common ground.
Be present. One of the most important things you can do as a leader is a conscious focus on the moment.
Be open minded. "The way it's always been done" does not mean there's not another way, or even a better way to do something.
Seek for understanding. Find a language you both understand. Sense check alignment along the way.
Allow uncomfortable. Realize that you might be stretching out of your comfort zone, and that's okay. This creates growth.
Build trust. While I've listed this last in the list, trust is the foundation of any relationship and team. These steps help to form a culture that stems from trust.
I'll never be a Beat Saber champion, but the kids got to see their dad step into their world. Well, it was honestly more of an attempted stumble. I met them where they are, open to trying new things. While I realized there are some boundaries that I struggle to cross (mainly song selection), we were all able to connect with the enjoyment of a shared activity. Managers need to do the same with the individuals on their teams. By creating a strong personal trust and connection, you will also create a solid team culture.
