I Scheduled Skip-Level Meetings to Build Trust. My Team Is Now Updating Their Resumes.

Leadership win to share: I read that great managers do 'skip-level' meetings to build trust, so I scheduled one with every member of my team's team. The feedback so far has been — let me check my notes — 'why is this happening.' We are building SO much trust.

A skip-level is when I talk to my team's team, to build trust (mine)

The concept is that I, the manager, meet directly with the people who report to the people who report to me, so they feel heard. I kicked mine off with 'this is a safe space, tell me anything, nothing leaves this room,' which I feel established exactly the right tone for the thing I was about to do next.

Why is everyone so nervous, this is fun

Strangely, people seemed tense. One person asked if they were in trouble. Another asked if their manager was in trouble. I said 'no, this is just to build trust!' four separate times, which I have since learned is the precise number of times that makes you sound like you are definitely there to put someone in trouble. Live and learn. Mostly you live.

The feedback I got and immediately forwarded to their boss (me)

One brave soul gave me real, candid feedback about a process that wasn't working. I thanked them for their honesty, told them it took courage, and then — because I believe in closing the loop — forwarded it verbatim to their direct manager with the note 'who said this?' I'm now told this is the conceptual opposite of a safe space. The two resignations are, I'm sure, unrelated.

Anyway: skip-levels, incredible tool, highly recommend, will be pausing mine indefinitely while I investigate why trust went down. If anyone wants to discuss, my calendar is wide open now. Suspiciously open. 🤵