Gracious Space
How You Show Up Matters: Bringing Gracious Space to Your Team and Your Business
In a small business, there is nowhere for tension to hide. When two people clash on a team of three or four, everyone feels it, and so do your customers. One idea I have been sharing with my clients lately can help: Gracious Space.
What Is Gracious Space?
A short definition: how you show up matters. What walks with you as you walk into a room? Are you welcoming? Are you able to share and listen without judgment?
I have followed Pat Hughes for years and want to share this TED Talk on this topic. It continues to be one of my go-to resources with clients. I encourage you to watch it:
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A Story from My Work
With permission, I would like to share a story from one of my clients. Her team of three had gone through a difficult time. One was a younger leader who brought excitement and new ideas, especially around technology. Another was an experienced leader who was comfortable with the wisdom that comes with experience. The third called herself “Switzerland.”
The younger leader and the experienced leader clashed, and my client stepped back to let them work through it. Weeks went by and the tension kept growing, until Switzerland finally went to my client and said, “Enough is enough.”
My client came to me for help planning a meaningful meeting, one where she could help her team see the strengths they all had and let go of the judgments they were holding. That is when I shared Pat Hughes’s TED Talk. She sent the video to her team and told them, “This is how I want us to show up.”
At the meeting, she went one step further and shared her own vulnerability. She admitted her mistake in not getting involved sooner and took responsibility for how bad the tension had become.
The meeting was a success. There were a few tears, but there was even more laughter, along with productive discussion about working together better and real excitement for the next steps. Her team members now plan to share the video with their own teams and bring more Gracious Space into the organization.
Try It Before Your Next Tough Conversation
Whether you own a business, manage a team, or work on your own, you can practice Gracious Space with employees, clients, vendors, and partners. Before your next difficult conversation, ask yourself:
What am I bringing into this room?
Am I listening to understand, or to respond?
Is there a judgment I could set aside?
Here is your challenge: bring a little Gracious Space into your team this week. If you don’t have a team, bring it into your life!
Thank you, Pat Hughes, for doing such an excellent job of sharing Gracious Space.
If you would like support navigating a tough team conversation or building stronger leadership skills, I would love to connect. Visit sanderscoachingteam.com or reach out to me directly at dawn@sanderscoachingteam.com
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