She was not demanding. All she was hoping for were 30 minutes of his time to discuss work related issues.
She – an employee of the international production company. He – her direct superior from the top management based in a different country.
They were mostly meeting online during the conference calls and from to time he would visit the site she was working at.
Of course he was always hustling when it happened, having only a limited time for his visit before he had to rush back. And there were so many production connected issues to deal with. He was doing his best, he would probably tell you.
This is what she felt and experienced: “He never has time to sit with me and talk. There are some questions I need to ask, few suggestions how to improve our cooperation to discuss, some misunderstanding to clear. I asked him for a short, undisturbed meeting but he is too busy, always on the phone.”
Imagine that he would find time to sit with her – not only to listen, but also to give her full attention. Imagine that he would, just for 30 minutes, forget everything else and be there fully.
Never underestimate how much can be solved in such a short time, when you both focus and are eager to find solution.
And maybe, just maybe, he would even ask her how she was, how she felt, how he can support her. And then he would actually act on it.
By doing this he would send her a clear message: “I see you, I hear you, you really matter and I am here to help.”
The magic of these encounters is that they build the trust and connection with the speed of light.
But it never happened, he did not find time.
Few months later I saw online that she liked the Forbes article: “People Leave Managers, Not Companies”.
And last time I heard about her was when LinkedIn suggested I congratulate her on a new job.