In every great organization, individuals can express their thoughts and be honest and open with their opinions. The most harmful organizations are those in which staff constantly aligns with their supervisors. If the truth isn’t readily accepted in the workplace, then discontent is usually the outcome. If discontent reaches hatred, nothing but team building will be able to save the organization.
When these companies ask me to assist them with the team building program, I usually inform them that the issue is below the surface and requires the organization to have an open and honest discussion with their employees. Certain activities aren’t able to change the problems of the heart.
How can you create a working environment in which truth is heard and respected? I’d like to offer a few ideas:
1. Ask Questions and encourage Your Staff to Do Similar
The purpose of asking questions is not to be thought of as a sign of rebellion or intrusive, but instead as a method of asking whether our current processes are working or what can we do to improve? Leaders who are successful use informal discussions that ask simple questions such as “What are you thinking about?” “Do you think that this method works?” “Can you help me understand?” “If you had to make that decision, what would you do?” Leaders who are great at this use it to get a better understanding of their employees and do not feel intimidated when they provide feedback. When you’ve asked questions, ask them to ask similar questions.
2. Engage Your Questions
Leaders should constantly be engaging with their employees whenever they have questions. It is crucial to recognize all questions as valid questions. Also, they continuously motivate employees by recognizing their confidence when they ask questions.
If your staff members point at the fact that things aren’t going as planned, you can accept their opinion with humility. There’s no reason to justify that when the final results speak the results for themselves. It will only make your employees. It is crucial to ensure that everyone is on the same page. After they have discussed their views, it is time to put the issue to rest and move forward.
Another option is to participate in an exchange. Get people involved in discussions to and fro, giving everyone the opportunity to voice their thoughts. I’ve often been amazed by the number of ideas and suggestions when a thorough debate has been held. Sometimes, heated debates will flare up, but it’s essential to allow them to speak up within a certain amount. When the discussion, all outstanding leaders must ensure that they’ve made a clear decision.
3. Make sure to evaluate without using fingers to indicate
It’s easy to pinpoint the person who made the error. The majority of our time is lost when we try to determine who committed the mistake. The moment Philip Morris acquired 7-UP in 1978, the company was sold after eight years with the cost of a loss. When they spoke to the CEO, Joe Cullman, he took his own responsibility for the losses, rather than blaming his managers. In reality, he committed five pages of his book”I’m a lucky man looking at how wrong the decision was. The book analyzed the error, its implications, as well as the lessons. Joe was later quoted as saying that if he had only did not listen to people who were opposed to his plans at the time, the disaster could have been avoided. Also, he made sure the media understood that it was a different Joe Cullman plan that didn’t perform.
He stated that “I personally take responsibility for my bad choice. We will all share on the burden of extracting the best knowledge from the tuition they’ve paid.”
Conclusion
If leaders begin asking questions and encouraging their employees to follow suit, It is likely that they’ll start asking the right questions to guide the organization. If we can promote this transparency and refrain from pointing at the wrongs that happen, it is inevitable that we will be able to have a staff who is confident and will always speak the truth.
