Hi Elaine,
This keeps coming up.
In my personal relationships. In my work. With myself.
And in the work I do with some of the most effective leaders I’ve ever met.
Over the past few days, I’ve been working with a global tech firm in London.
Across the two days, we heard from senior leaders who spoke openly about what it’s really like to grow a career there.
One theme kept coming up, again and again.
Check in with others.
Not for visibility or politics.
But to stay connected. And to build connections.
To help each other solve problems.
To build the kind of relationships that make collaboration and performance easier.
It struck me how often this same message has shown up elsewhere lately.
Last week’s email was about a senior leadership team whose focus was connection and awareness.
The week before, I shared that I was in Lisbon with a friend, reflecting on how we’re showing up in life and work.
Each experience reminded me that connection is the foundation for clarity and performance.
And yet, when work ramps up, the people we care about most can slip to the side.
We assume they know how we feel and we know how they feel. We think we’re doing enough. But unless we actually check in, we don’t really know.
The same principle applies at home as it does at work. When the connection with those closest to us is strained, we carry that interference everywhere else.
Performance = Potential – Interference.
If there’s friction in one area of life, it can leak into all the others.
- Relationships
- Business
- Inner Game
- Physical Wellbeing
So this week, instead of thinking only about your next one-to-one or team catch-up, consider who else you might need to check in with.
Your partner, your kids, your parents, or a friend who’s been quiet.
- Ask the question.
- Listen.
- Nourish the connection.
Because when we strengthen those connections, everything else flows a little easier.