July 2026
Understanding
“Next to physical survival the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival - to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated.”
– Stephen Covey
INTRO
Last month we discussed psychological safety and we are going to build on that this month with a focus on understanding one another. One of the biggest sources of conflict at work isn't bad intentions, it's misunderstanding. We often expect others to know how we like to communicate, what motivates us, or what support looks like, but we've never shared those things. At the same time, we make assumptions about others instead of taking the time to understand them. Great teams aren't successful because everyone is the same. They succeed because people understand one another well enough to bring out the best in each other!
EXERCISE
THE PERSONAL USER MANUAL
Imagine every person came with an instruction manual. It wouldn't tell you everything about them, but it would help you understand how to bring out their best. While none of us comes with a manual, we can do a better job of understanding ourselves and helping others understand us.
INSTRUCTIONS
Download and Print a User Manual for each member of your meeting. Allow enough time for them to meaningfully complete the questions.
Go around the room and have people share their answers with the team. If you have a larger group, you can break into smaller groups, or have each person share 1 or 2 answers from the 6 questions.
DISCUSSION
After sharing, here are some discussion questions to round out the exercise:
Which required the most reflection or made you think the most?
What did you learn about someone that surprised you?
How could understanding these things change the way you work together?