Behaviour Is Data: What Is Your Team Telling You?

One of the capabilities we spend a lot of time developing with leaders at Paradigm Shift is something we call Observational Intelligence.

It's a simple idea but one that can fundamentally change the way you lead. When organisations are navigating uncertainty, most leaders only look for answers  in the transactional day to day business interactions. The leaders who exhibit mastery learn to look for patterns.  The patterns become your gold nuggets. 

Every day your people are giving you information. Not just through what they say but in the way they behave, their habits, and rituals. When you can understand what these are for each of your teams, you can start to notice when they change.

 For example;

Someone who has become quieter than usual, or someone who is producing far more than normal. 

Someone withdrawing from conversations or someone becoming noticeably  more reactive.

Someone seeking more constant reassurance or someone who is deflecting from all meetings.

The temptation is to see these as behaviours to fix - we see them differently.

Behaviour is data.

Every behaviour is telling us something. The question is whether we're paying enough attention to understand what it might be communicating.

Before your next team meeting, pause and ask yourself:

What observable signs or signals is my team showing me right now?

Then become curious.

• What's changed?

• What might be sitting underneath these patterns?

• Is this helping my team move forward, causing them to stagnate, or signalling they're beginning to decline?

When you can observe and articulate these clearly, it becomes easier to notice what others haven't yet put into words. That's where better conversations begin.

And often, that's where better leadership begins too.

Observational Intelligence is one of the foundational leadership capabilities we developed at Paradigm Shift because we believe the quality of all layers of leadership is directly linked to the quality of what you notice.

Want to stay up to date with leaderships insights? Sign up to our receive our updates