Kelly Merbler

In my experience I have learned that timing is important when delivering feedback. There will be moments when immediate feedback is needed in the moment for learning and then there will be times when I take the 24 hour rule to make sure I still feel the same way about the feedback I need to deliver or was it just something that caught me off guard. I think the feedback is key when it comes to growth and as a leader we need to understand our audience best and how they like to receive feedback.

I remember the first time I launched my website and how much it has evolved in the past few years. I began with an idea of how I wanted to build my company initially but needed to learn more about my target audience. As I was in start up mode I was able to work with many different clients and audiences which helped me later really define what I wanted it to evolve into and just last year I updated my site to represent more specifically what my target audience was asking for and the solutions I could bring them. I don’t think I understood that as much in the beginning because I was trying to find my way and had to learn where my work was needed most. That initial “boots on the ground” phase helped me find my target audience and my “brand”

What has been a game changer for me and why I do what I do today is taking the time to understand each other’s strengths. We all have different strengths and how we see the “best” way to approach work. Most of us flock to work with people who are just like us when we end up missing out on leveraging someone else’s strength that can bring a better way of doing things. I loved what it taught me so much that I learned ended up going to get certified with Gallup so I could do this work with my own leadership teams and here I am today. I’m addicted and am so much more energized and productive because of it!! 😊

In my experience poor planning leads to poor results in having difficult conversations. It’s all about timing and if you don’t plan for the right time then you risk having the needed conversation. When I need to have difficult conversations I always give myself the “24 hour rule” to make sure I’m not overreacting what needs to be said. I allow myself to let my emotions process first so I don’t go in heated and blow it. I try to look at the other persons perspective as well and understand where they are coming from and never try to “win” but try to find common ground in why this matters to the parties involved. I also feel that if I don’t say anything I will regret it if it matters a lot to me but planning the right time is key.

As a coach I think diversity is key to how we learn from different experiences our clients have had. We all have different perspectives in live and when we can help our clients see what maybe they haven't seen or heard what they haven't heard by asking great questions we may be able to help them find an answer to their challenge through a different lens. I also feel diversity in the strengths we each have allows for us to connect and see different ways of tackling a problem.

This one hits me because I can relate to this as a hungry leader. As leaders, we have to be aware of the people on our team who are hungry to grow and help support them in this area. When a young leader feels supported in their growth and not discouraged that they have initiative to grow they will always remember the leader who helped them get where they wanted to go. We have to stop trying to hold people back and put them into boxes because we are afraid we may lose them or that they may grow farther than we do. You will lose them more often if you don’t support them. I wrote this quote just from an experience I had “If you aren’t prepared to let them grow be prepared to let them go.”