Everyone has something to offer someone else. Especially as you grow and progress through your career. As a leader, you have even more to offer to those you lead.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to think through what you can give. You may think you have nothing to offer. Or that you’ve already laid everything out on the table.
I don’t believe that’s the case. You always have something to offer.
Today, I want you to think about these 4 opportunities you can offer someone else.
4 Opportunities You Can Offer To Others
1. The Opportunity To Be Heard:
People are hurting. They’re lonely. They are struggling.
And they’re with you day in and day out.
This affords you something special. You can offer your employees the opportunity to be heard. How can you do this?
- Take them out to lunch
- Hold regular one-on-one meetings
- Talk to them as you walk past their desk
Every time you stop to talk, you offer them an opportunity to be heard.
2. The Opportunity To Be Known:
People are also longing to be known. They are looking for people to recognize them. Their wants, desires, and accomplishments.
Guess what?!? You can offer those around the opportunity to be known.
Listen to them when they come to you. Hear what they have to say. Then show them that you listened.
How do you show that you know them? Try the following:
- Ask about their spouse or significant other
- Recognize important dates in their lives (birthday, anniversary, child’s birthday)
- Hook them up with cool swag (a ticket to the baseball team they love, a trip to their favorite local restaurant, a thoughtful gift)
The more you demonstrate that you understand your people, the more valued they will feel. Feeling valued goes well beyond any monetary rewards you can offer.
3. The Opportunity To Grow:
Leaders know they can’t stay stagnant. So why do we allow our people to become stagnant?
Allowing your team members to stay stagnant hurts more than just them. Their stagnation hurts your organization.
This is why you must offer them the opportunity to grow. What can you do here? One of these can help:
- Create a learning library at your organization with classic and current business titles
- Offer the chance to attend a leadership conference or a seminar in their area of expertise
- Ask them if they want to present something they’re knowledgeable about to their fellow team members
The more chances you give your team to grow, the more likely they’ll bite. Want them to grab the opportunity even more? Demonstrate your commitment to ongoing growth. It’s contagious. They’ll see the leader stretching and growing, and they’ll want to do the same.
4. The Opportunity To Leave:
Wait, what? You want me to offer people the opportunity to leave? Why would I do that… you’re probably asking yourself that after seeing this opportunity.
But hold on…
There’s a reason you need to offer the opportunity to leave to those around you. Your organization can only allow them to grow to a certain extent. After that, stagnation sets in.
By offering people a chance to leave, you open them up to a whole new world of growth, change, and opportunity.
It’s scary to let the bird leave the nest. It may even hurt your organization. Yet, when you give your team members the opportunity to leave, you give them the opportunity to grow beyond what you can offer.
