Say I’m serving in the final moments of an evenly matched grand slam tennis final and what I do now could decide the match. I make an unforced error. If I’m not careful about my self-talk, it turns into two errors, then three and so on.
It’s the same for your team.
Be mindful of the way you handle a team member who has made an error. Your attitude could be the difference between a quality improvement opportunity and you managing a more substantial situation.
√ Think about your body language, as it speaks long after you’ve stopped
√ Think about your attitude, as it has a way of getting out when you think it’s leashed
√ Think about what you say, as positive words will go far further than negative ones
Whilst you’re there, watch your own self-talk when you make a mistake. The stronger you are at picking up your own negative self-talk and turning the moment into an opportunity to learn, the better you will be at doing it for others.
You doing this for yourself will facilitate the same emotional maturity in your team.
As a foot note, I chose this photograph because it reminds me of my mum who, like all mums, has the power to change the mood in the room with just the smallest alteration to one eyebrow. It’s all fun and games until the eyebrow goes up!