The Leader Lab. Tania Luna

      Version 2: Do-Over

Luca:	No one asked me for my perspective. Everyone's just rushing to do their own part.
Mia:	Sounds like you want to be included in the process.
Luca:	Yes. Exactly.
Mia:	I also want that. How about we build a check-in with you into the workflow?
Luca:	Thanks for saying that. Yeah. I can put together an idea of how that would work.

       Notice how swiftly even a touchy subject can get resolved with a well-placed Playback? Feeling unheard often leads people to repeat themselves again and again, sometimes in long, rambling monologues with enough plot twists to impress Agatha Christie. Once people know they are heard, they can shift their focus to finding a solution or simply accepting the situation.

      Train your brain to spot Playback opportunities by observing another conversation, this time between Mia and her manager, Alex. As you observe their discussion, notice where your brain starts wanting a Playback:

      Version 1

Mia:	We can either prioritize hiring, or we can improve our onboarding process first. I'm worried if we don't focus on onboarding now, any new hire will take a while to become a solid contributor. But if we delay hiring, we might end up burning out the team.
Alex:	How are you hoping to improve the onboarding process?
Mia:	Well, we don't really have anything structured in place. I'd like to create a plan, but I just keep wondering what will happen if we put off hiring. Luca and Olivia are already really tired.
Alex:	Yeah, that's a good idea. I think we should definitely do that.
Mia:	Okay. Thanks for your support. That's where I'll start.

      Pop quiz! What solution did Mia and Alex agree on? Even though Mia leaves the conversation energized, she soon realizes that she and Alex might have two totally different interpretations of the plan. Sensing a “managing up” moment, Mia hits the Do-Over Button:

      Version 2: Do-Over

Alex:	How are you hoping to improve the onboarding process?
Mia:	Well, we don't really have anything structured in place. I'd like to create a plan, but I just keep wondering what will happen if we put off hiring. Luca and Olivia are already really tired.
Alex:	Yeah, that's a good idea. I think we should definitely do that.
Mia:	Okay. And just to make sure we're aligned, it sounds like we agree that I should prioritize hiring over onboarding. Is that how you see it too?
Alex:	Oh! I was actually agreeing that it makes sense to improve onboarding. But if you want to already start interviewing candidates that's also an option.
Mia:	Okay, so it sounds like if I decide to prioritize hiring, I can move forward with it.
Alex:	That's right. Thanks for clarifying.

       When is it Playback time? You can use Playbacks whenever you sense any confusion in a conversation, when it sounds like someone is bringing up multiple topics at once, when it's important to be aligned, and when someone expresses strong emotions. As a bonus, Playbacks can also buy you time to calm down and think in the midst of a heated conversation.

      Sounds like we're done with Chapter 2. Just for fun: Play back the key points of this chapter before looking at the summary. (And yes, that is our idea of fun.) See how well you did.

      ***

      In summary: A Playback is a repeat or a paraphrase of what you heard someone say. Use Playbacks to create clarity, prevent misunderstandings, and build trust faster.

MY LAB REPORT	Today's Date:
My takeaways:
I regularly Play back what I hear:	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (strongly disagree)(strongly agree)
Experiment idea bank:	If I'm confused, then I'll do a Playback.If I hear multiple points, then I'll Split-track.If someone is upset, then I'll do a Playback.
One small experiment I'll try to increase my score by 1 point:
Post-experiment Learning Extractions:

      Bonus: Want to take your manager skills to the next level? Check out the bonus Inclusion Stations at leaderlab.lifelabslearning.com.

      My Learning Tracker

      2 out of 7 Core BUs collected. 0 of 8 Core Skills collected.

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