"Why Are YOU Here?"

Have I got a great story to share with you today about those three words on this edition of JAM Session!

I was leading a training last week for a client and I wanted to do something to engage their minds — and their hearts. 

I opened the training with the question, Why are you here today?

After a few variations of “its my job” I continued to ask the question. 

I placed a lot of emphasis on YOU. Why are YOU here?

Still, I got mostly surface responses. 

I must have asked it a dozen times as I acknowledged their responses but kept pressing.  

I knew exactly what I was going for. 

Finally, the youngest employee — not a manager said — because I belong here?

And I looked her in the eye and said, ok, now we’re getting somewhere. 

Why do you belong here?

And that follow up question to her brave and somewhat confident response opened the flood gates for a great meeting. 

If you lead others, you have to engage their minds — and their hearts. 

When when you want to jump right in and start teaching, start training, the best leaders know that their job is to connect people to your mission. 

By asking a simple question and letting them work through it, we had a phenomenal training session. 

I could have easily told them why they were there; why others weren’t asked to be part of this training...

But I wanted them to identify it. 

I wanted them to take ownership of it and to build some confidence in themselves. 

And when you show your team their value, they’ll believe in you and trust you  even more. 

And that, my friends, is invaluable.