The Power of Vulnerability

This guest post is from Alex Freytag, Certified EOS Implementer, of ProfitWorks, LLC.

Many teams gloss over the Level 10 Meeting check-in with good news like, “I had a good weekend” or “The weather is nice.” I recently learned the importance of being vulnerable during the check-in. At the check-in with one of my teams, I shared this story:

I was having a nice dinner with my wife and a few friends in the kitchen of a restaurant with the chef preparing the meal right before our eyes to celebrate a birthday.

The first course to come out was a small amuse-bouche. It was a decent size piece of filet served on a toothpick. A little large for one bite, I suppose, but we all ate it down. As I looked over at my wife, her eyes indicated a problem. We both stood up and I quickly followed her toward the door. Before we exited though, I had to give her the Heimlich maneuver until the piece dislodged into the napkin she was holding over her mouth. She was crying and we were scared, but I could tell that, although the event was traumatic, everything was going to be all right.

When I finished the story, I was teary, as were others in the room. The level of vulnerability, though, created more space for openness and honesty for the others in their check-ins. When we got into issue processing the session was at a new level of mutual respect, trust, and openness.

The check-in is a Team Health discipline. Because building vulnerability-based trust takes courage and continuous work, I encourage you to use the check-in as a method for building this trust. Go deep with your check-ins. Help your team know you better after you check in. Try not to think of something on the spot. Being vulnerable is a powerful way to set the stage for a productive meeting and is essential for building a healthy, functional, cohesive team.

At A Conference for Companies Running on EOS^® in Atlanta, we will have a breakout session dedicated to Team Health. For more information and registration, please visit www.TractionClientConference.com.

Image credit: ^©Canva