The
quality of your workplace culture depends on the quality of the
conversations. The stories about the past, present, and future shape the
identity of your organization. From watercooler conversations to
passionate meeting debates, how people engage with each other (or not)
is a true indicator of your company culture.
Poor conversations are frustrating, keeping your team stuck in the past.
Better
culture starts with better conversations. Teams create better solutions
via dialogue. Transform your company culture with effective
conversations.
Everything your team members do is facilitated
through conversations. They envision the future through dialogue. They
uncover new possibilities to move the organization forward.
Conversations bring culture to life – both what's working and what's
not.
Crucial conversations lie all around us – all the time.
Curiosity starts conversations. Conversations spark action. Action drives change.
From
performance appraisals and brainstorming solutions to making decisions,
conversations are the foundation of effective team collaboration.
Your organization's culture is created and reflected in the conversations people have – and the ones they avoid.
How to Have More Effective Conversations
Defining moments in the workplace are the result of crucial conversations – they shift our mindsets and behaviors.
Facilitating
candid conversations is not easy. It requires courage. You must be able
to work with people rather than through people. Take the first step.
Listen more than you plan. Reflect, learn, and explore possibilities.
The purpose of conversation is to grow as a team, not to win an argument.
Better conversations are built on the four most important core skills, according to research by The Center for Creative Leadership:
Listening to understand: There
are multiple levels of information we must tune in to during
conversations. Move beyond the facts. Listen to the values at play and
understand the other person's perspective.
Asking powerful questions:
Great questions spark curiosity, opening new paths for more interesting
conversations. Open-ended questions drive clarity, promote critical
thinking, inspire reflection, and challenge assumptions. Often beginning
with 'Why,' 'How,' or 'What do you think about…,' they set the stage to
uncover new perspectives.
Challenging and supportive:
Successful teams embrace cognitive diversity by challenging underlying
assumptions. Psychological safety is vital to encourage candid
conversations – to challenge the idea, not the person. Providing support
is about ensuring that people have been heard. Find the right balance
between challenge and support.
Establishing next steps and accountability: Great
conversationalists go with the flow – they focus on the journey, not
the destination. However, regardless of their relentless curiosity, they
always wrap up with concrete next steps. Your team should walk away
from a conversation with a shared understanding, clear agreements, and
next steps.
Check out a related post: How to Get Clarity, Accountability, and Results In Five Minutes.
Fortunately, the four conversational skills can be developed. You can use them one at a time or together.
Building
a strong company culture starts with candid conversations. Which
conversations are you avoiding? Which ones harm or nurture your culture?
We help organizations facilitate better conversations through our leadership programs and performance consulting.
Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT
Take the Next Step...
Interested
in learning how to develop your organization's leadership capability,
culture, and employee engagement ? We begin with a collaborative
discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To
request an interview with Peter Mclees please
contact: Email: petercmclees@gmail.com or Mobile:323-854-1713
Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, wealth management services, real estate services, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth.Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.
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