Head Vs. Heart Assessment

[Anonymous]

I came in at 42.

I will admit sometimes I won’t hold people to tasks if I feel the stress they are under. I am working to make sure I keep people accountable, even if I know they are stressed. I am working on making sure that my communications are clear and concise, so they can quickly ascertain my needs and accomplish what I have asked them.

Score 40–50 Heart Focused
By being aware and taking action on others’ emotions, you create a work
environment that feels safe, and safety translates into trust! People in this category
are perceptive and see the value in recognizing and understanding emotions in
others.
Taking action tips
Balance with work. While you understand
emotional reactions, it’s important to keep
others accountable for getting work done.
Using empathy statements effectively enables
people to feel heard and to move more
quickly to practical actions.
Spread the love. Look for opportunities to
acknowledge both work well done and the
effort that went into less successful results,
regardless of your affinity for the person. To be
meaningful, mention what the person did and
how it had impact.

[Anonymous]

Well done, Jaime! It is important to include the heart and the head. Have you tried using what we call the “yes, AND?” Let’s say someone is stressed, put in effort, but didn’t complete the task you had requested. Instead of saying “I understand you are stressed, but you still need to get your task accomplished.” Instead, you can recognize the heart and the head by saying something like, “You have really put so much effort in during this stressful time, and I recognize that. And let’s not forget how important completing your task is to the rest of the team.”

[Anonymous]

I received a 41. I can agree that I need to acknowledge the work that goes into something and not just the outcome. Sometimes when an error is made or a mistake is made, the best way to learn from them is to take a step back and see the whole process. Processes that leave a lot of room for error can cause undue stress and feelings of uncertainty. When I first started out in management, I left my head lead me. I was focused on accountability and success of the practice. Over the years I have learned that emotions affect the workflow and outcomes. We need to make sure that our team understand that the outcome isn’t as important as the journey.

[Anonymous]

I scored a 44. I have a tendency to be understanding, but need to consistently loop back around and hold my team more accountable to task completion and goal achievements. I am working on this balance.

[Anonymous]

The yes, And approach is a great one for so many situations, great suggestion Ann.

I also liked the recommendation from the assessment about acknowledging the effort that went into even unsuccessful attempts. This is a great reminder that there is always an opportunity to provide positive feedback. Encouraging effort, not just outcome makes the next iteration and interaction that much better.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Ann for the tip. Sometimes it can be hard to transition from the “deliverables” to feelings/emotion.

[Anonymous]

47. I have a lot of different personalities in my group so it’s important to recognize this and work with them differently. Sometimes it’s a challenge during team meetings when part of my team is engaging and the others are quieter.

[Anonymous]

Ann you always have the best advice!

[Author]

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