“Give them support and cut them loose!” Practical strategies to unleash the power of your team

Theme #1: 3 Step internal process for cultural miscommunications

When we experience workplace conflicts, it is usually because we perceive a values clash. The two most common responses to this are to:

(a) Avoid the conflict and withdraw, or

(b) Confront the other person in a judgmental way that makes both parties feel worse

Here is a third approach; look inside and ensure that your own internal emotions, intent and processes are clear to yourself. Then proceed with trying to solve the misunderstanding from a position of humility and desire to learn.

Three themes to remember in this internal process are:

1. Start with an awareness of your own emotions
2. Ask questions to understand, not to judge
3. Get back to the “good” in the other person by looking for common values

Use the format below to set yourself up internally for conflict resolution success:

– Start with awareness of my own emotions

• Ask myself: What am I feeling right now? Why; what is the trigger?
• Consider: Everyone has some reasoning for their behaviour, I just have to find it
• Suspend judgment: we tend to see ourselves as good and competent and others as having bad character
• Allow myself some time to process the “clash” and ask myself how I can figure it out

– Question to understand not to judge

• Build questioning skills that lead me to understand the other person: “Where did you get that idea from?” “ Who else do you know thinks that way?” “ Where did they get their ideas?”
• Remind myself: I don’t have to agree. I don’t have to accept. I just have to understand from the other point of view
• Follow the reasoning through to its logical end – Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “An eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth means we all end up eyeless and toothless.”

– Get back to the “good” and find common values

• Affirm the other person’s virtues, not their vices
• Find the “zone of values proximity” and stay away from the values danger zones
• Decide where I cannot be flexible and inclusive, and know why I have those boundaries

Managing misconceptions and addressing miscommunications is one of the most complex and difficult occurrences in the workplace. Using these steps will assist to make the process more transparent, logical, and – in the end – doable.

Theme #3: Raytheon’s questions to inclusion initiative

The questions included below are based on Raytheon’s inclusion themes and the process, but we have adapted them to suit our context here.Here is the basic procedure: at any meeting between two or more people, every participant asks one of the questions below to a colleague as a “pair-share” exchange for a few minutes. Each person listens to and responds to their partner, then the meeting continues its usual agenda.

Questions:

• Share something about your family or friends
• Can you tell me something about your name or nickname, who gave it to you?
• Tell me something about an interest or hobby you have that I might not know about
• Do you speak any languages other than English?
• Is there something in your life you are particularly proud of?
• What is one of the things you really want to do before the end of your career – your bucket list?
• If you could change one thing about your work right now, what would it be?
• Have you overcome an obstacle that might be useful for another team member to know?
• What is one of the craziest things you have ever done?

Providing with people with a format and a venue to learn something about their colleagues is a simple way to increase perspective and to allow coworkers and supervisors to see one another as more complete persons, who have experiences, likes, dislikes, values, and preferences that are unique and valuable.

Theme #4: Workplace cultural characteristics for high retention

Work to build, maintain and repair trust between people at work and you will see increased unity towards common goals, willingness to challenge and innovate, and a culture of encouragement, learning and appreciation. Continuously strive to be an example of:

• Transparency
• Setting clear goals
• Showing appreciation

Do’s and Don’ts

DO encourage open communication

DON’T stifle innovation and uniqueness

DO recognize inherent biases and put strategies in place to mitigate them

DON’T ignore the diverse perspectives on your team and restrain success

DO learn to be comfortable with cultural difference by associating with people who are not like you

DON’T overlook the many forms of diversity

DO value and prioritize team success

DON’T pretend you have diversity because people think differently, or that you have inclusion because people don’t look the same

Creating a work environment around these practices will create a place for employees to explore their abilities and share their skills in ways that achieve organizational objectives. Perhaps the adage “if you build it, they will come,” applies just as readily here…

Closing Thoughts

When people begin to move away from the need to be “right” and toward the need to be curious, or to understand, or to be of service; when people begin to view their own perspective as only one alternative available and decide to enable progress by allow others to share, diversity and inclusion in the workplace become living assets that have the potential to enliven the organization. All they need are a bit of nurturing.

Start by asking sincere questions. Start listening – with your eyes and with your ears – and start seeing how you can be a bigger part of growing the potential of your team.