Tips for Fostering Team Openness and Honesty

Ever feel like your team meetings are just a bunch of talking heads? You're not alone… But what if I told you the key to unlocking better collaboration, higher engagement, and stronger results lies in something often overlooked? Active listening is more than just keeping quiet while someone speaks… It's about truly paying attention, understanding the speaker's intent, showing the speaker you understand them, and responding thoughtfully I recently coached an David (an engineering manager) on this His team was brimming with talent, but constantly missing deadlines, struggling to collaborate, and fixing mistakes that were caused by misunderstandings David noticed frustration and a lack of engagement, and after digging a little deeper, we identified a core problem… Team members weren't actively listening to each other! Ideas were interrupted, and some felt their voices weren't valued, which created a culture of hesitation and hindered creative problem-solving But changing a team culture starts at the top… Through coaching, David honed his active listening skills and implemented these practices with his team: **Give Full Attention:** David learned to silence distractions, make eye contact, and truly focus on the speaker. This simple act communicated respect and encouraged open communication **Practice Reflection and Paraphrasing:** David began summarizing key points to ensure everyone was on the same page, which clarified understanding and fostered trust **Ask Clarifying Questions:** David encouraged questions to delve deeper into ideas and build upon each other's thoughts, which fostered a more collaborative environment **Embrace Silence:** David created space for thoughtful responses instead of jumping in to fill pauses, which allowed for deeper reflection and richer discussions **Active Listening for All:** David encouraged team members to practice active listening with each other, which fostered a culture of mutual respect and understanding These simple practices produced remarkable results! Communication improved dramatically, deadlines were met, innovation soared, and the team thrived on collaboration because everyone felt empowered to share ideas freely, knowing they would be heard Implement these active listening techniques in your next team meeting and see the difference! #Leadership #CivilEngineering #SoftwareEngineering

Most teams aren’t unsafe they’re just afraid of what honesty might cost them. A confident team isn’t automatically a safe one. Real safety feels like trust without fear of consequences. Psychological safety isn’t about being nice. It’s about creating an environment where truth can exist without punishment. Where people speak up because they trust they’ll be heard, Not just because they’re the loudest. Here’s how to build a space where honesty isn’t risky: 1/ Own your mistakes openly ↳ Normalize imperfection so it’s safe for everyone to do the same. 2/ Seek feedback on your leadership ↳ Leaders set the tone—go first. 3/ Celebrate curiosity, not just answers ↳ Questions reflect trust and openness. 4/ Make space for quieter voices ↳ “We haven’t heard from X yet, what’s your perspective?” 5/ Replace blame with curiosity ↳ Move from finger-pointing to finding solutions. 6/ Speak last ↳ Let your team share first, you’ll hear more honest input. 7/ Guarantee confidentiality ↳ Ensure ideas can be shared without fear they’ll be spread beyond the room. 8/ Welcome respectful disagreement ↳ Differing views often unlock better outcomes. 9/ Admit when you don’t know ↳ Vulnerability builds collective strength. 10/ Thank people for their honesty ↳ Appreciate candor—even when it’s uncomfortable. 11/ Set clear standards for respectful dialogue ↳ Consistency in expectations builds comfort. 12/ Include personal check-ins, not just status updates ↳ Connection on a human level deepens trust. 13/ Rotate who leads meetings ↳ Empowerment signals trust and builds confidence. 14/ Support thoughtful risk-takers ↳ Reward effort and bravery, even if the results aren’t perfect. 15/ Recognize progress, not just wins ↳ Growth deserves celebration, not just outcomes. Psychological safety doesn’t come from good intentions it comes from consistent proof that honesty matters more than perfection. ❓ Which of these will you try with your team this week? Drop a comment below. ♻️ Share this post to help others build more trusting teams. 👋 I post leadership and culture tips every day at 9:30am EST. Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) so you don’t miss the next one.

Everyone Talks About Psychological Safety, But Here is How to Make it Happen. 6 proven ways to foster psychological safety at work: 1️⃣ Encourage open communication: Actively solicit your team's feedback, opinions, and ideas. This will create a culture where everyone feels comfortable speaking up. Speak last in group settings. ↳Example: "Thank you for the presentation, Rashmi. Before I share my thoughts, I'd like to hear feedback from the rest of the team first." 2️⃣ Be inclusive: Embrace diversity and ensure all voices are heard, regardless of their role or background. By valuing everyone's input, you create a sense of belonging and encourage diverse perspectives. ↳Example: "Jill, I know you have extensive experience in customer research. We haven't heard your perspective yet. What impact do you think this change can have on client retention?" 3️⃣ Show vulnerability: Admit when you don't know something or have made a mistake. This humility sets the tone for open communication, where team members feel safe discussing their mistakes and doubts. ↳Example: If you set an incorrect timeline: "You know what team, I clearly underestimated the effort needed here. My projections on the timeline were off. Let's re-baseline basis what we've learned." 4️⃣ Establish clear expectations: Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and goals, so team members understand their part in the organization's success. This clarity helps create a safe space for them to contribute and take risks. ↳Example: "Given that we are approaching launch, Mark will lead the overall readiness and cutover plan. He will send weekly updates and coordinate with each function on their expected deliverables." 5️⃣ Foster a learning mindset: Emphasize the importance of learning from mistakes and seeing failures as part of innovation. By doing so, you create a culture where employees feel safe to experiment and invent. ↳Example: "I wanted to recognize the team's willingness to experiment, even though the feature delivered did not reduce customer contacts. Let's deep dive into the current response model and adjust it based on learnings." 6️⃣ Celebrate curiosity: Encourage team members to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and think creatively. By fostering curiosity, you unleash the team's diversity of thought. ↳Example: "Great question, Simon! I actually never thought of it from this angle of customer preferences. What next steps can we take to validate this?" These insights are inspired by "The Fearless Organization" by Amy C. Edmondson - and brought to you by Omar's Desk. PS: When your team feels safe being who they are, learning, contributing, and challenging the status quo to drive improvement, you know you've created a truly safe environment for them to deliver their best work. Image Credit: psychsafety. co. uk ----- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

The silent killer of your team efficiency: Closed communication. Closed communication loops can stifle innovation, breed resentment, and hinder progress. A 5-step plan to break out of closed communication loops: 1. Establish 'No Interruption' Zones • Set dedicated times for open discussion where all team members can share their thoughts without fear of interruption • Create a safe space by establishing ground rules, such as no judging, no interrupting, and respecting all perspectives • Encourage participation from everyone, especially quieter team members who may hesitate to speak up in typical meetings 2. Conduct Communication Audits • Regularly assess the effectiveness of your communication channels in promoting open dialogue and collaboration • Use anonymous surveys or one-on-one interviews to gather honest feedback about communication strengths and weaknesses • Analyze the data to identify patterns, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement in your communication processes 3. Implement 'Silent Meetings' • Begin meetings with a period of silent, written communication where all participants write down their ideas, questions, and concerns • This approach levels the playing field, giving everyone an equal chance to contribute without the pressure of speaking up in front of the group • Review the written feedback as a team, addressing each point and ensuring all voices are heard and valued 4. Encourage 'Active Listening' Workshops • Provide training for your team on the principles and techniques of active listening • Teach skills such as paraphrasing, asking clarifying questions, and maintaining an open, non-judgmental attitude • Practice active listening in role-playing scenarios and real-world conversations to build trust and foster two-way communication 5. Analyze Open-Door Policy Effectiveness • Gather data and feedback to evaluate the true openness and accessibility of your leadership team • Track metrics such as the frequency and duration of employee-initiated conversations, the diversity of individuals who take advantage of the open-door policy, and the outcomes of these discussions • Use this information to identify gaps between the intended and actual effectiveness of your open-door policy, and take steps to bridge those gaps Remember, breaking out of closed communication loops is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and commitment from all levels of the organization. Start small, be patient, and lead by example. Join the 12,000+ leaders who get our weekly email newsletter. https://lnkd.in/en9vxeNk

I recently read David Livermore’s article about the dangers of too much psychological safety and I was intrigued. He introduces research supporting intellectual honesty as an ally to psychological safety as a pre-requisite for innovation.🧠✨ What is Intellectual Honesty? 🤔 Intellectual honesty is the practice of being transparent about what you know, what you don't know, and being willing to follow evidence and logic even if it contradicts your pre-existing beliefs. It's like a reality check for your thoughts, creating a space where ego takes a back seat, and curiosity drives the car. Why Does it Matter? 🎯 Intellectual honesty lays the groundwork for a culture of trust and openness. It encourages people to share ideas, critique constructively, and, most importantly, to learn and grow together. When combined with cultural intelligence, it becomes pure gold for diverse teams. ⭐️ Some ways to Cultivate Intellectual Honesty 🌱 👉🏼 Lead by Example 👣 If you want your team to be intellectually honest, you've got to walk the talk. Admit when you're wrong, be open to new ideas, and show appreciation for constructive criticism. 👉🏼Create a Safe Space 🏠 Make it okay to say, "I don't know." Remove the punitive aspects of being wrong, and you'll encourage a culture where learning thrives. Agree to disagree respectfully. 👉🏼 Encourage Critical Thinking 🤯 Make it a regular practice to assess the pros and cons of a decision. Ask "why" often and encourage your team to do the same thing while staying focused on shared goals. 🎯 👉🏼Open Dialogues, Not Monologues 🗨️ Promote open discussions where everyone has a voice. Diverse perspectives, especially when intellectually honest, can lead to incredibly innovative solutions when supported by psychological safety and cultural intelligence skills. 👉🏼Reward Honesty 🎁 When someone on the team shows intellectual honesty, whether by admitting a mistake or by identifying a flaw in a project, acknowledge and celebrate it. This sets the tone for others. 👉🏼Keep the Learning Going 📚 Continuous learning is a key part of intellectual honesty. Bridge any gaps or biases that exist. Provide resources or time for your team to explore new ideas, tools, or skills. 🚀 Your Move 🌟 Now that you're armed with this knowledge take one step this week to cultivate intellectual honesty in your team. Share this insight with them and open a dialogue on how you can embrace this quality better. You won't regret it! How do you cultivate intellectual honesty? Share your thoughts below👇🏼 #culturalintelligence #leadership #Diversity 📸 Milan Fakurian: a picture of a brain ********* 🔔 Follow me or connect for daily fertilizer to your leadership seeds🌱

How I create a sense of teamwork... Success is a collective effort, not the result of one individual. Here are tips for supportive teams! 🚀 Create a shared vision and goals • What is the team working towards? • What is the motivation to put in 100%? When each person understands how critical their actions and ideas are, they become much more engaged and eager to work towards a shared objective. But don't assume that the team recognizes how critical a role they play. Communicate repeatedly how they contribute, the benefits of their contribution, and the end results. 🚀 Foster a culture of communication • Does the team ask each other questions? • How often does the team seek input? For teams to work together, they need to communicate often and with clarity. Feedback, questions, and advice needs to flow up, down, and around the team hierarchy. Employ tools for communication and promote transparency. For example, meetings and processes exist in a shared wiki. Slack provides asynchronous communication. Standups, team meetings, and opportunities to brainstorm together are a regular part of daily, weekly, and monthly schedules. 🚀 Provide the chance for collaboration • Who owns tasks or projects? • Are resources shared? Siloed information can exist within a team. For example, person A has created spreadsheets that would benefit everyone, but they aren't shared. Or person B is pulling out their hair with new and unfamiliar software, even though person C is an expert. Create opportunities for each person to share resources, assistance, and ideas. 🚀 Address bullying, microaggressions, and conflict • Who never volunteers ideas in meetings? Why? • Does the atmosphere ever shift for the worse? Let's hope that a person misspeaks rather than intentionally belittles a team member. "You didn't know that?!" is a favorite example of an unintentional putdown. It signals that everyone else knows the information, just not the person. In short, it means: "Are you stupid?!" Address any problems as soon as possible, if not immediately. When people don't feel safe volunteering ideas, they will not readily work as a team. PS. What do you do to foster teamwork? 🔔 Follow Chris Cotter for more on #leadership.

18 Habits of Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Habit #5 - 𝙎𝙏𝙍𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙂𝙄𝙀𝙎 Genuinely Open - Embody transparency to foster safe, open, authentic, and constructive dialog. Many of us were taught that leaders should keep information close to the vest. In other words, share only on an as-needed basis. In today's highly attuned workforce, employees expect the opposite. Employees want to feel like they understand the rationale and context for decisions being made—even the challenging ones. Employees are remarkably resilient, and when we trust them enough to share openly, they reward us with insight and loyalty. Monday's post discussed the importance of being genuinely open. I'll place the link in the comments if you missed it. I'll also place the link so you can follow along weekly as we drop each habit. If you are interested in improving transparency and openness, here are strategies you can use. 1️⃣ Admit Mistakes None of us are perfect. When we make mistakes, it is very likely that others on the team will notice. Even with no one else notices, admitting your mistakes shows a high level of integrity. It role models how you expect your team to approach mistakes. That is a win for all involved! 2️⃣ Seek Feedback During Tough Decisions In the past, my tendency was to get quiet during the times I was faced with tough decisions. After all, it's lonely at the top, right? Well, that's an old adage we need to put to rest. If you are feeling alone with all of the weight on your shoulders, it could be an indication that you could open up and seek feedback or guidance. You don't have to do it all alone! 3️⃣ Overshare vs Undersharing How much should you share? While you don't want to share any confidential information and you don't want to share prematurely, there is value in providing a lot of context and sharing the rationale behind decisions. The desire not to explain yourself is so 90's! 4️⃣ Clear Expectations and Accountability One overlooked aspect of transparency is being crystal 🔎 clear about your expectations. This includes genuinely sharing when they are not being met. The final piece of this puzzle is holding everyone accountable for meeting or exceeding expectations. Including yourself! Being Genuinely Open is a powerful skill leaders can leverage the increase team engagement, foster trust and create cultures of accountability. Agree or disagree? Please share this post if you believe others in your network may find value in it. What’s in your way? We’ve got this. - - - - - Nonsense-free, Quantitative Results. Global Leadership Training and Executive Coaching I help leaders and organizations resolve or leverage whatever is in their way. #executivesandmanagement #leadership #transparency #communication #collaboration #culturetransformation #leadershiptraining #leadershipcoaching

People Management: The Art of Listening with Purpose "Most people don't listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply." – Stephen R. Covey. 👂💭 When it comes to effective people management, listening is a fundamental skill that should never be underestimated. As leaders, it is crucial to remember that true listening goes beyond just hearing the words spoken by our team members; it involves understanding their perspectives, feelings, and needs. 🌟 Active and empathetic listening fosters trust, strengthens relationships, and empowers employees. When we lend a compassionate ear, we create a safe space for open communication, making our team members feel valued and appreciated. ✨ Here are some essential tips for practicing purposeful listening in your people management approach: 1️⃣ Be Present: Set aside distractions and focus entirely on the person speaking. Show genuine interest in what they have to say. 2️⃣ Empathize: Put yourself in their shoes to understand their emotions and concerns better. Validate their feelings and experiences. 3️⃣ Avoid Jumping to Conclusions: Allow others to express themselves fully before formulating responses. Listen with an open mind. 4️⃣ Ask Clarifying Questions: Seek to comprehend the deeper meaning of their words. Clarify uncertainties to avoid miscommunication. 5️⃣ Practice Patience: Some team members might need more time to articulate their thoughts. Give them the space to express themselves at their pace. Understanding our team members' perspectives can create a positive and productive work environment that fosters growth and collaboration. Remember, it's not just about replying; it's about understanding, connecting, and building strong relationships. #PeopleManagement #LeadershipSkills #ActiveListening #Empathy #CommunicationSkills #EmployeeEngagement

As a Scrum Master, one valuable lesson I've learned is the power of our language in shaping team dynamics. I avoid saying things like "You are wrong" or "that's wrong." Saying someone is wrong can create a defensive stance and hinder open communication. Instead, I go for phrases like: "Let's explore this together." "I appreciate your input; let's examine the impact together." "I see it from a different perspective; can we discuss it?" "What led you to that conclusion? Let's talk through it." Why is this important? As a team and as individuals, we're all on a journey of continuous improvement, and embracing diverse perspectives is at its core. It is a team sport! Embracing different viewpoints fosters collaboration, leading to innovative solutions. Agile thrives on learning and adapting...so any constructive dialogue will promote a learning environment; which ultimately helps teams evolve and grow. Positive communication builds trust and strengthens team dynamics. Dear Scrum Master, always choose words that uplift; you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. #AgileMindset #Collaboration #ContinuousImprovement #ScrumMasters

Last week I mentioned implementing programs like "Food for Thought" to encourage brainstorming and outside-the-box thinking, as it relates to creating a culture of communication and feedback. Before the pandemic, I used to bring in breakfast, lunch or an afternoon snack and call the meeting Food for Thought where I would get feedback from the team on what is going well and what are the opportunities for improvement. Here are some ideas to incorporate this in a #hybridworkforce: ✅ Virtual Coffee Chats: Schedule virtual coffee sessions where team members can gather online and have casual conversations. This informal setting encourages open discussions and allows for sharing ideas and feedback. ✅ Collaborative Document Sharing/ Online Idea Forums: Utilize collaborative document-sharing tools such as Google Docs or Microsoft Teams to encourage real-time collaboration. Team members can contribute their ideas, provide feedback, and collectively work on projects or problem-solving tasks. ✅ Virtual Brainstorming Sessions: Conduct virtual brainstorming sessions using video conferencing tools. Facilitate interactive discussions where team members can share their ideas and engage in creative problem-solving exercises. ✅ Surveys and Polls: Use online survey tools to gather feedback from team members on specific topics or projects. Surveys can be anonymous to ensure open and honest responses, and the results can be shared and discussed during team meetings. ✅ Virtual Team Building Activities: Organize virtual team-building activities that encourage collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. These activities can include virtual escape rooms, online trivia games, or team challenges that promote communication and thinking outside the box. Remember, the key is to provide opportunities for active participation and engagement, regardless of the physical location of team members. By embracing technology and fostering a culture of open communication, you can create a collaborative environment conducive to generating new ideas and seeking feedback. Which idea do you like the most? #hybridsales #communication #culture #hybridwork