Leaders' Disappearing Act: How Trust Evaporates

Just beneath the surface of countless workplaces today, a subtle yet significant leadership issue lurks.
 
That couldn’t send a clearer message to employees: "Your time doesn't matter. Your concerns are irrelevant. I've got better things to do."

Specifically, when a people leader outright neglects 1:1s, routinely reschedules them or, even worse, just doesn’t bother showing-up.
 
Employees want to feel valued, heard, and supported.
 
So, when these crucial meetings are constantly in flux or don't happen at all, it's a recipe for disaster.
 
Trust and respect in leadership are gone, and employee engagement and motivation is down.
 
There’s just no escaping the fact that flaky 1:1s are the ultimate morale killer, and there is simply no good excuse.
 

• It doesn’t matter how busy the leader;
• It doesn’t matter how many customers there are to see;
• It doesn’t matter that a leader has too many direct reports (well, it does, but that's not the employee’s problem).

Insisting that it's just impossible to find the time is a serious dereliction of duty.
 
And leaders who renege on them should reconsider leading people.
 
Bottom line, to have a happy, engaged, and productive teams, treat 1:1s as sacred, show up, be present, and listen.
 
It's not rocket science; it's just good leadership.