10x ROI of Workplace Vulnerability

We're all having the wrong conversations, and it's costing us precious time, energy, and resources.

February was a whirlwind of travel and speaking, and it gave me valuable insight I want to share with you today.

All month, I zigzagged across the country—Phoenix, Omaha, Charleston, and Virginia—speaking to young professionals, couples, and businesses about the Primal Question framework and how it transforms marriages, leadership, and organizations.

It gave me a unique vantage point to witness the conversations people are having nationwide. I came away with even more clarity on a fundamental problem:

We're All Having the Wrong Conversations

Whether it's marriage, leadership, friendships, or business, we're having the wrong conversations, and it’s costing us big time. This might sound extreme, but in 99% of our conversations, we are simply wasting our breath because we are going nowhere.

• We're missing the mark.

• We're missing the point.

• We're missing each other.

This is especially true in business. Every company I speak to is hemorrhaging time, money, and talent because they're having surface-level discussions instead of diving deep into what really matters.

So today, I want to talk about...

The ROI of Workplace Vulnerability

What if you could 2x, 5x, or even 10x your bottom line by simply changing the way you have conversations? That's what I'm going to show you how to do today.

Let me ask you: What do you think is the MOST important part of solving a problem?

My answer: Getting to the root of that problem.

Until you get to the root, you don't have a chance of solving anything. It's like pulling weeds. Imagine you have a yard full of dandelions. You can spend hours cutting off the obvious problem (the yellow petals), but what happens next week? They all grow back because you never addressed the roots.

Most business conversations are exactly like snipping petals off weeds.

We're Focused on the Wrong Layer

In business, we typically focus on behavior—what we can see with our eyes. We want people to STOP or START doing certain things:

• Stop micromanaging

• Stop coming in late

• Start taking more initiative

• Start communicating differently

At best, we might go a level deeper and talk about emotions: "I'm micromanaging because I'm stressed about hitting our KPIs" or "I feel afraid we'll miss our targets." That’s one layer down. That’s like cutting the stem of the weed at the base, but it’s still not the root.

It’s still the wrong conversation.

Drop Down to the Roots

I am 100% sold out on this belief:

All human problems come down to unmet needs.

I witnessed this clearly during a recent business retreat. One executive was constantly micromanaging his team and clashing with another leader. The typical approach would be to address his behavior: "Stop micromanaging. Trust your team more."

But when we dropped down to the roots, we discovered his unmet need, represented by his Primal Question, was "Am I safe?" He didn’t feel safe in his role. In fact, he felt like his role was being threatened because he perceived that a coworker went behind his back.

His micromanagement was simply a Scramble to feel secure again.

Here’s how it works:

Once we identified the root need for safety, the conversation completely transformed. Instead of talking about how to fix the Scamble of micromanagement behaviors, we talked about how to go straight to the YES. We asked:

1. "How can we answer your Primal Question with a 'yes' instead of a 'no'?"

2. "What specific improvements to our process would help you feel more secure?"

These questions generated clear action items that addressed the root cause, not just the symptoms. Only once he knows his role is safe will he be able to release control and stop micromanaging.

The Value of Root-Level Conversations

You might be able to get someone to temporarily "stop micromanaging," but if their core need for security remains unmet, they'll find other inefficient ways to meet that need. The weeds will continue to sprout again and again.

But when conversations stay at the root level, focused on needs rather than behaviors or emotions, you:

1. Save valuable time by addressing the actual problem

2. Build authentic trust through meaningful vulnerability

3. Create lasting change by meeting the underlying need

4. Free up creative energy that was being wasted on the Scramble

The Investment of Vulnerability

I know what you're thinking:

Do people push back on this level of vulnerability in the workplace?

Absolutely. That's why, when I consult with teams, my primary role is to keep them in the roots. Everyone feels exposed at some level. Nobody likes to stay in this "core need" place for long. Everyone wants to bounce out of the room and jump back into the familiar, “behavior-level” conversations.

But here's the truth:

You can either sit in the discomfort and pay the price of vulnerability now, or you can pay the much higher price of the Scramble indefinitely.

The ROI is clear. When we have the courage to drop down to the roots, we eliminate the sideways energy of unmet needs and get back to advancing the mission with our full focus and potential.

This week, I challenge you to identify one recurring workplace issue and ask:

"What unmet need might be driving this problem?" Then, rather than addressing behaviors, try having a conversation about meeting that core need.

Warmly,

Mike Foster