Don’t be invisible
Kicking off the last day of a series of improvement workshops, I asked the room if everyone was present. Someone advised that just Shane was missing, others nodded. At that point, Shane awkwardly put up his hand and said, ‘I’m here’. Ouch! How uncomfortable for everyone, but imagine how poor Shane felt??
How did this happen? Why was it not noticed that Shane was there, among the group? What was it about him that meant he slipped into the room, unnoticed? If I hadn’t asked who was missing, would the group have continued with him? It’s very likely they would.
Having worked with the group for a week, I had observed that Shane wasn’t just quiet, he didn’t contribute to group conversations, didn’t share his thoughts, didn’t provide input into group challenges. I know Shane well, he’s a really smart guy and he was invited to the workshops for his specific experience and capability. Although quiet, he’s not shy in his own team but for some reason, he just didn’t contribute this week.
Checking in with him on the break, he shared that the incident had shocked him. He had felt there were enough people in the room with ideas and that his opinions weren’t needed, like how many engineers did it take to change a lightbulb?! What he didn’t realise was that he was actually invisible in the group.
We discussed how the last day would be focused on his area of expertise. If he didn’t step up, he wouldn’t be invited back. He needed to make the move from invisible to impactful.
He began to speak up, respectfully challenge assumptions, lead the conversation and make the tough decisions. Many improvements were made as a result of Shane’s contribution that day. Imagine what could have been achieved if he’d only taken action sooner?
