The Season of Knowing Your People

As managers, we are trained to listen for updates, focus on outcomes, watch for problems to solve, plan for results to review, and hit deadlines and year-end goals. We listen with an endpoint in mind. That focus matters — but it is not the whole story, listening without an outcome, just a sincere ear completes the story.

This time of year carries more beneath the surface than most people let on. While the world talks about celebration and cheer, many employees are quietly carrying stress, grief, financial pressure, or simple exhaustion from a long year. And often, they are telling you — just not in a formal meeting or a status update.

Many of our employees are navigating things we cannot see on a spreadsheet.

Some are dealing with financial strain.

Some are grieving an empty chair at the table.

Some are exhausted from being the steady one for everyone else.

Some are trying to hold it together while the world expects them to be cheerful.

A genuine manager knows the work.

A genuine leader knows the people doing the work.

They tell you in tone. In energy. In body language. In what they share casually, if you slow down long enough to hear it.

A genuine manager listens to respond.

A genuine mentor listens to understand.

The season of knowing your people does not happen in one scheduled conversation. It happens in moments — walking the floor, checking in before a meeting starts, staying present when someone lingers after the work topic is done. These are opportunities many leaders miss, not because they do not care, but because they are moving too fast.

Here is the truth: people will talk if you let them.

If you do not rush the conversation.

If you do not interrupt to fix or correct.

If you do not immediately steer it back to work.

When employees sense that you are genuinely interested in them as people — not just workers — walls come down. They begin to share what motivates them, what worries them, and what they are navigating outside the office. That understanding does not weaken your leadership; it strengthens it.

Listening this way does not mean crossing boundaries or becoming a counselor. It means being human. My tagline for my business is “Elevate the Human Experience.” It means remembering details, following up, letting someone know you heard them last time — and that it mattered.

Especially during the Christmas season, your presence speaks volumes. Flexibility, patience, and simple acknowledgment can make a bigger impact than you realize. Many employees will not remember every goal they hit this year, but they will remember how safe they felt talking to you when life was heavy.

And here is something every mentor eventually learns: people do not leave jobs — they leave leaders who never took the time to know them.

I love this saying, not sure where I heard it, and many managers learn too late. "People will give their best to leaders who first give their presence.”

This season, take the opportunities in front of you. Sit in conversations a little longer. Ask thoughtful questions and do not rush the answers. Listen without an agenda.

Because when people feel heard as people, they show up stronger as professionals. This season is a reminder that leadership is not just about managing tasks — it is about stewarding humans.

That is the difference between managing work and mentoring people.

And that’s genuine leadership — not just at Christmas, but all year long.

DISCLAIMER:

This content was created by The Genuine Mentor and is informed by years of professional experience, extensive reading, and thoughtful reflection. OpenAI’s ChatGPT was used as a supportive tool for refinement, grammar, and assistance with information. All content was originally formed by a human and reviewed by a human.

We strive for accuracy in everything we publish; however, readers are encouraged to verify any critical information independently.

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