Steering Signals

07/28/21 • 10 min

When making a change or fixing a problem, most companies consider the outcome they want to achieve—what will be different—and how they’ll measure that. But outcomes can take a long time. In the meanwhile, how do you know things are going the way you hoped? How do you make adjustments if needed? That’s where steering signals come in. Interim measures and subtle signs that help you find the way.

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Listening

When you listen, you convey that the other person has something valuable to share—which helps equalize status. If your response indicates you understand the clients world, their confidence in your ability to help grows.

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Empathy

Some people think that empathy has no place at work...that work requires hard-nosed logic and checking your emotions at the door. They believe empathy means never hurting anyone’s feelings.
But empathy doesn’t mean you have to coddle people or feel the same way they do. It means acknowledging other’s feelings, thoughts and view are valid, whether you agree with them or not. Most importantly, empathy smooths the road to forward movement and problem-solving.