Open Conversations Are Often Stifled at Work — Here’s How to Break That Silence and Reach Your True Potential

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Companies are at their best when robust conversation and communication are commonplace. The free flow of opinions, ideas and even criticisms help foster a truly collaborative work environment.

Over the years I’ve talked with tech workers though who say their leaders don’t always encourage thoughtful dialogue in the workplace. Without open lines of communication, founders struggled to build a healthy operational environment or team culture, causing their entire organizations to suffer.

Promoting thoughtful dialogue is a crucial component to a thriving team dynamic and is something that should be intentionally cultivated at any workplace. Here we will cover what it takes to create a safe environment for discussion, develop communication skills and implement mechanisms for discussion and feedback, so that you can take advantage of all that open and thoughtful dialogue has to offer.

Create a safe environment for dialogue

Before thoughtful dialogue can occur, members of the office need to feel comfortable and safe speaking their mind. At the most basic level, employees need to know that leaders won’t retaliate against them for expressing genuine opinions and emotions. On top of that, open dialogue makes your employees feel like their opinion is valued, which if implemented correctly, can boost workplace morale, contribute to effective team building and ultimately boost your company’s bottom line.

At the same time, it is important that the dialogue is respectful. Everyone’s psychological safety is crucial, so ensuring that whatever dialogue does occur does not jeopardize other people’s comfort and safety is key. It is a delicate balance to strike, and although navigating this fine line can feel challenging at first, there are existing frameworks and ground rules to help create an environment that is safe and healthy for everyone.

Some of these ground rules might include:

Emphasizing dialogue rather than debate. Winning is not the end goal. Rather, make it clear that mutual understanding and learning should be the main objective.
Assuming positive intent. This creates an environment where no one is on defense. Instead, people can feel more open minded knowing that everyone is coming from a well meaning place.
Willingness to admit mistakes. Understand that it is ok to be wrong. Admitting your mistakes and allowing yourself to change your mind is a healthy social behavior that will be appreciated by your colleagues.

Management should lead by example and abide by these ground rules when communicating. This helps make it clear that thoughtful dialogue is a priority at the company and demonstrates how to put it into action.

Develop active listening skills

Listening is the first step to understanding. However, not all listening is created equal. One of the most effective forms of listening is called active listening, because it facilitates productive conversation and is more likely to lead to a deeper sense of empathy and understanding.

Active listening involves paying attention to the speaker without adding in any of your own biases, emotions or preconceptions. It often involves repeating back what you just heard to make sure that you understand the speaker correctly.

This listening technique is effective because it proves to the speaker that they’re being understood. It helps reduce the chance of miscommunication and generates a sense of trust and respect between the listener(s) and the speaker.

Active listening should start with company leaders and upper management. When employees feel that they are being listened to and respected by their superiors, trust, respect and collaboration can thrive. You can also run active listening exercises, like the paraphrasing challenge, to help everyone at your company hone their active listening skills.

Facilitate structured discussions

Regularly scheduled structured discussions are a great way to encourage thoughtful dialogue at the office. When employees consistently see opportunities to express their thoughts and opinions, they will be more likely to speak up and join the conversation.

During these structured discussions, reinforce the importance of active listening, respectful conversations and other useful communication frameworks. Some of these ground rules might include using “I statements” or critiquing ideas rather than individuals.

I know one particular tech company that holds monthly “open forum” meetings where the CEO moderates discussions using a ‘talking stick’ method. This structure encourages all team members to share ideas, which reportedly improves collaboration between departments.

Encourage diverse perspectives

It is no secret that a high functioning team is greater than the sum of its parts. In order to maximize the potential of your team, it is essential to bring out a diverse array of perspectives and seek input from people with different life experiences.

To do this, make it clear that diversity and inclusion is a priority at your company. This should extend beyond your hiring practices, and involve genuine curiosity and respect for different cultures and backgrounds.

Consider implementing diversity and inclusion training so that the entire team can learn how to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected, valued and comfortable speaking up.

Manage conflict constructively

Although it is often seen as a negative, conflict can actually be a unique opportunity for growth. It’s how you deal with conflict that shapes whether the outcome will be positive or negative.

Conflict is inevitable, so it is important to have conflict resolution strategies in place before a conflict arises. Educate yourself and your team on effective conflict resolution techniques, such as garnering a common understanding of the problem, identifying possible solutions, and finding compromises.

Sometimes it is best to bring a third party, such as HR, to help mediate conflict. If initial attempts at conflict resolution are unsuccessful or if there are any clear violations of company policy, bringing in HR is likely the best way forward.

Implement feedback mechanisms

The only way to grow from your mistakes is to incorporate feedback into your processes. Anonymous suggestion boxes, surveys and regular check ins are a good place to start. Asking for feedback in the aforementioned structured discussions is also a great option, as it provides a forum for different suggestions to be weighed by the group.

Although seeking feedback is an important step, it is equally important to show that you are taking meaningful steps to incorporate the feedback you receive. When employees see that their suggestions are being put into action, they will feel a sense of agency and purpose that will help drive even more collaboration and communication.

The road to a more resilient team

Establishing effective communication and thoughtful dialogue should be a priority in any workplace. When your team can communicate and respectfully discuss issues, your company will be more collaborative, resilient and efficient.

By creating a safe environment, implementing active listening and actively seeking feedback and discussion, your company can take advantage of the many benefits of thoughtful dialogue. Take these steps and see for yourself the beauty of thoughtful dialogue in the workplace.