This post was written by Lauren St. Germain, Facilitator and Coach for The Latimer Group.
I am an “at home sourdough bread baker”. And to know me is to know that I love talking about bread just as much as I love baking and eating it. Think of me as your new “bread obsessed” friend.
I started baking back in 2021, and when asked, I tell people that it all started after seeing most of the internet take up this hobby during the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. But if I’m being honest, the real reason I took up sourdough baking is because I longed for a hobby. I craved doing something just for fun.
Over the past few years, I’ve grown my own sourdough starter (the mixture of flour and water that contains wild yeast and makes the bread rise), I’ve experimented with new recipes, and I’ve baked countless loaves for friends and family. Recently, I invested in some new fancy packaging that has taken gift giving to a whole new level! It’s a labor of love that brings me so much joy.
As leaders, I think it’s easy to get caught up in our work. Especially when it’s work we love.
And I’m here today to remind you that your work is important, but so is having the space to rest, recharge and recover. My time in the kitchen mixing dough and baking bread is my “me time.” It clears my mind and makes my heart happy.
My ask is that each of you reading this today carve out time to do one thing, one activity, just for you and just for fun. Choose something that centers you. Choose something that grounds you. And even better to choose something you can share with others, like a freshly baked, warm loaf of bread.
And now, for the communication lesson you’ve all been waiting for (you didn’t think this would just be a blog post about bread, did you?). During our communication skills workshops, we teach that when preparing for a conversation or presentation, you need to be mindful of the difference between the topic and the message.
The topic being the subject and the message being what you want your audience to hear, understand and remember. Can you spot the topic and the message from this post?
The topic? Sourdough bread. The message? It’s important that we, as leaders, have hobbies that enrich us outside of our work.
See the difference? Sourdough bread on its own isn’t the message. The message asks us to go deeper and think, feel or act differently.
Plot twist! It turns out I actually have not one, but two messages for you today. Find yourself a hobby you love. Know the difference between your topic and your message.
Both will make you a stronger, happier and more effective leader.
Does your team:
– Overwhelm the audience with too much detail?
– Make things too complicated?
– Fail to ask for what they want or need?
Does your organization:
– Waste time because of poor internal communication?
– Take too long to make decisions?
– Struggle to clarify and frame discussions?
Do your leaders:
– Exhibit poor executive presence?
– Lean on incomplete communication skills?
– Fail to align the organization?
We transform teams and individuals with repeatable toolsets for persuasive communication. Explore training, coaching, and consulting services from The Latimer Group.
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