I was catching up with my intern after being away for several weeks attending to a personal matter. I asked how things went while I was gone. The intern proudly told me a story about a significant impact they had made to our project.
Due to some staffing changes that had been made, the intern was tasked with some work that had previously been handled by an experienced team member. As the intern was reviewing the work their colleague had done in order to get up to speed, they were having trouble connecting the dots. Something didn't make sense.
The intern scheduled a meeting with the more senior team member. At the meeting, the intern explained that they had been struggling to see the whole picture, that perhaps they were missing something and asked the senior team member to help them understand. As they sat together reviewing the information and engaging in an open discussion, the senior team member began to realize that the intern was on to something. It turns out that through their curious approach, the intern stumbled on to a gap that the senior team member had completely missed. As a result of this open dialog, the two were able to work together to resolve the gap, avoid the customer's scrutiny and mitigate significant future cost and schedule impacts.
When my intern started at the beginning of the summer, I had a conversation with them in which I emphasized the importance of speaking up when they had questions or something didn't make sense. This is often difficult for junior folks in the workforce when collaborating with people who have significantly more experience. We were working on a project with human safety implications and it was crucial to ensure that all angles were considered and that all voices were heard. It was my responsibility to ensure that everyone on my team felt comfortable speaking up.
It's no secret that as humans our brains are lazy. It's easiest to default to what we already know rather than spend time and energy exploring alternatives. New thoughts and ideas can be uncomfortable. When assessing solutions to a problem we want to be certain of the associated risks and opportunities of each option. A new solution comes with unknowns and it takes a concerted effort on our part to be willing to give it a try.
In a team environment, every team member comes in with their unique set of information. By encouraging an open dialog and fostering an environment in which all voices are heard, the team is forced out of their collective default and required to explore alternatives, often leading to a superior outcome.
Even the most experienced subject matter expert (SME) has their blind spots. When they engage in thoughtful discussion with team members who come from a different background or are early in their career, the SME takes on the role of teacher. Their inquisitive students compel them to evaluate their assumptions, identify their blind spots and invite new ideas.
Creating and fostering an environment of open dialog requires dedication and continual commitment on the part of the leader. Here are some keys I've found to fostering open dialog:
- Set expectations - Setting and sharing clear expectations may sound obvious but is frequently overlooked. People are not mind readers (thank goodness!). It's imperative that as leaders we set expectations for our team. The more experienced team member in my story had long worked in the open dialog environment and was clear on the expectation that they be open to concerns raised by team members at any level, so they were open to the conversation with the intern. My initial conversation with the intern was lengthy, underscoring the importance of the topic.
- Set the example - Practice what you preach. No amount of expectation setting will be effective unless you demonstrate the behavior you desire to your team.
- Read the room - Some folks are reticent to share in a group environment. In a group setting I like to call folks out by name and ask if they have anything they want to share with the team. If they say no, I don't force it. Forcing people to speak often makes them feel put on the spot and discourages potential future contributions. In the case of folks who don't speak up in the group setting, I find that a 1:1 side conversation is often a more comfortable setting for those people to open up. Depending on what they share, I will emphasize the importance of their contribution to the discussion and encourage them to speak with specific team members 1:1 or share in the next group setting as appropriate.
- Address instances of non-compliance - When I hear about or witness instances where someone's voice was shut down, I do two things. First, I address the issue in private with the offender making it clear that I am aware of the situation, that it was unacceptable and that I expect better from them in the future. Second, I will reach out to the person who was not heard. I will make it clear to them that the behavior they encountered from their teammate was unacceptable, that I want them to continue speaking up and that I've addressed it with said teammate.
I find that when I'm willing to loosen the grip on my ideas and am open to input from others, I am introduced to solutions that I never would have thought of on my own. Together we are able to talk through details to converge on a superior outcome.
Does your team operate in "open dialog" mode? Have you set clear communication expectations? How can you better support open communication with and amongst your team?
I'd love to hear from you. Please comment below or send me a note via the Connect section of the home page.
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