Tania Luna - The Leader Lab

To get some practice, try doing at least three different types of Playbackswith this message:

“I don't think this salary is right given the amount of experience I bring to the team. It's not like I'm just starting out in this role. I've been doing this work for many years. By now, I was hoping my title would demonstrate the leadership responsibilities I have on the team. It just doesn't seem fair.”

Come up with your own responses before reading the samples below.

Split-track: Sounds like three things: the salary, the title, and the fairness of the situation.

Feelings: Sounds like you're feeling overlooked.

Needs: Sounds like you're needing a sense of respect and recognition.

While it may seem like using Playbackswill make conversations longer, they tend to lead to more efficient conversations in the short term and the long term. Take a look at the following interaction between Mia and Luca. No matter how hard Mia tries to ask questions, it doesn't quell Luca's frustration. The topic starts all over as though they are stuck in a conflict time warp. Try to spot where Playbackscould have helped move them forward:

Once the conversation finally ends, Mia realizes Luca wasn't ready for problem-solving. He needed to be heard first. She presses her Do-Over Button and tries again:

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 Playbackopportunities 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:

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:

When is it Playbacktime? You can use Playbackswhenever 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, Playbackscan 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 backthe key points of this chapter before looking at the summary. (And yes, that is our idea of fun.) See how well you did.

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In summary:A Playbackis a repeat or a paraphrase of what you heard someone say. Use Playbacksto 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.