Lolly Daskal's Blog, page 61
March 23, 2021
How to Know If Your Leadership Is Helping Or Hurting
In my work as a leadership coach, I see lots of leaders who are constantly in fixing mode—any time there’s a problem they jump in to take care of it. Their only thought is to help. But I always ask them, “Are you helping? Or are you unintentionally hurting the people you lead?”
Here are some ways you may be doing harm as you’re trying to help:
You don’t give your employees a chance to show what they’re capable of. Allow people to show you why they were hired and how much they can do. One of your most important abilities as a leader is to let people shine.
You tell people what to do instead of letting them show you what they can do. Telling people what to do isn’t leadership, it’s direction. Leadership means creating a space for others to accomplish their best.
You’re constantly speaking and don’t allow others to express their opinion. Listening only to your own voice harms your credibility and disempowers your leadership. Power doesn’t come to those who speak the most but to those who listen best.
You provide solutions to problems other people should be solving. You should not be the fixer of all problems. Period. Allow your people to develop solutions—their abilities will grow and they’ll come up with things you might not have thought of.
You complicate simple business processes. Keep things as simple and uncomplicated as possible. People have enough to do without the bother of unnecessary bureaucracy and complicated processes.
You act like an expert when you’re not. The best leaders never feel the need to come across as the smartest person in the room or to pretend they know everything. They listen to learn and they give others a chance to be impressive.
You say things like “I know best.” Even if you know you’re right, it’s far more effective to guide people into the answer through dialogue and communication. People want to know they’re contributing, not just following orders.
You give rewards where there hasn’t been effort. In many companies where I coach, it’s common practice to give bonuses regardless of the effort people put in. This approach only creates a culture of mediocrity.
You play favorites with your team. For any leader, fairness builds trust and trust is everything. Treat everyone with the same respect and be equitable in providing opportunities.
You say you’re going to do something but you don’t. Any time you don’t keep your word, your leadership loses respect and credibility.
You shame, criticize or blame others publicly in meetings. As the saying goes, appreciate in public and criticize in private.
You accept mediocrity. In leadership as in other things, what you accept is what you get.
Lead from within: Most leaders have good intentions, but those intentions sometimes lead to bad results. Try to keep your eye on the consequences of everything you do as a leader and ask yourself whether it’s helping or hurting.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post How to Know If Your Leadership Is Helping Or Hurting appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
How to Know If Your Leadership Is Helping Or Hurting?
In my work as a leadership coach, I see lots of leaders who are constantly in fixing mode—any time there’s a problem they jump in to take care of it. Their only thought is to help. But I always ask them, “Are you helping? Or are you unintentionally hurting the people you lead?”
Here are some ways you may be doing harm as you’re trying to help:
You don’t give your employees a chance to show what they’re capable of. Allow people to show you why they were hired and how much they can do. One of your most important abilities as a leader is to let people shine.
You tell people what to do instead of letting them show you what they can do. Telling people what to do isn’t leadership, it’s direction. Leadership means creating a space for others to accomplish their best.
You’re constantly speaking and don’t allow others to express their opinion. Listening only to your own voice harms your credibility and disempowers your leadership. Power doesn’t come to those who speak the most but to those who listen best.
You provide solutions to problems other people should be solving. You should not be the fixer of all problems. Period. Allow your people to develop solutions—their abilities will grow and they’ll come up with things you might not have thought of.
You complicate simple business processes. Keep things as simple and uncomplicated as possible. People have enough to do without the bother of unnecessary bureaucracy and complicated processes.
You act like an expert when you’re not. The best leaders never feel the need to come across as the smartest person in the room or to pretend they know everything. They listen to learn and they give others a chance to be impressive.
You say things like “I know best.” Even if you know you’re right, it’s far more effective to guide people into the answer through dialogue and communication. People want to know they’re contributing, not just following orders.
You give rewards where there hasn’t been effort. In many companies where I coach, it’s common practice to give bonuses regardless of the effort people put in. This approach only creates a culture of mediocrity.
You play favorites with your team. For any leader, fairness builds trust and trust is everything. Treat everyone with the same respect and be equitable in providing opportunities.
You say you’re going to do something but you don’t. Any time you don’t keep your word, your leadership loses respect and credibility.
You shame, criticize or blame others publicly in meetings. As the saying goes, appreciate in public and criticize in private.
You accept mediocrity. In leadership as in other things, what you accept is what you get.
Lead from within: Most leaders have good intentions, but those intentions sometimes lead to bad results. Try to keep your eye on the consequences of everything you do as a leader and ask yourself whether it’s helping or hurting.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post How to Know If Your Leadership Is Helping Or Hurting? appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
March 16, 2021
7 Things You Should Never Take for Granted In Your Leadership
Leadership isn’t easy. Every day brings a new set of challenges and obstacles. In my work as a leadership coach, I see the way my clients are constantly bombarded with problems, issues, complications and crises. The choices they make as they tackle these day-to-day challenges are a big part of what defines them as a great leader or a good leader (or in some cases a bad leader).
But leadership comes with its own set of rewards, as well—benefits that reflect both your own leadership values and the commitment and character of the people you’re leading. Here are seven of the most important things a leader should never take for granted:
Loyalty. If your employees are faithful in good times and bad, if they stand beside your leadership and have your back, you are the beneficiary of their loyalty.
Trust. If you have employees who are willing to do everything you ask of them, who believe in your vision and don’t second-guess your judgment, you are benefiting from the tremendous power of trust.
Effective meetings. Far too many organizations have meetings for the sake of having meetings, which is why meetings are viewed as such notorious time wasters. If your leadership produces effective meetings—short, structured and successful—you and your people benefit.
A happy workplace. If you’ve ever spent time in a toxic workplace, one where people are stressed out and cynical and the atmosphere is filled mistrust and tension, you understand the value of a culture in which people feel happy and productive. Positive leaders create positive cultures, so give yourself credit if you’ve succeeded on that score.
Hard-working people. If your leadership is based in pestering, controlling, micromanaging and driving people, you’re taking your team for granted. If you’re fortunate enough to be leading a group of hard-working people who put their hearts into everything they do, stop and be thankful. Look for ways to show your appreciation to keep bringing out the best of your people.
Work-life balance. Leadership and work-life balance don’t naturally go together—that’s why so much of my time working with clients is spent coaching them in that area. If your personal and professional lives are in balance, be grateful. If they aren’t, keep working to achieve that goal for yourself and your team.
Health. It’s often been said because it’s a fundamental truth: people don’t appreciate good health until they no longer have it. If you’re well, remember to be thankful. And if you’re not well, devote the time you need to caring for yourself.
This is what I’ve found to be universally true: the less you take for granted and the more gratitude you feel and express, the more happiness, productivity and success you will have as a leader.
Lead from within: When you are given the responsibility to lead, you’re also given the opportunity to be a positive influence many people’s lives. Never take that responsibility, or that opportunity, for granted.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post 7 Things You Should Never Take for Granted In Your Leadership appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
March 9, 2021
The Best Leaders Give Their Time to Others
For most of us, the most precious commodity we have is time. It’s often hard to find enough hours in the day for everything we need to do, let alone the things we want to do. You may find it difficult to even think about intentionally sharing time with others, but it’s an important element of leadership.
The other day one of the leaders I coach said, “Lolly, you keep me grounded in my humanness. I always get caught up in spreadsheets and processes and procedures, but you constantly remind me that my people are the most important aspect of my business.”
Many consultants say leaders should spend 90 percent of their time growing and innovating their business. But I strongly believe that if you discipline yourself to invest most of your time with your people, in the time that remains you’ll be more productive and focused on growth and innovation—and you’ll come out ahead by attending to your most important asset.
Here are some of the most important ways you can make a difference by giving your time to others:
Teachable time. The best leaders are good at creating teachable moments and opportunities for development and coaching. Employees enjoy having time devoted to learning and growth. And when they can learn from you—whether it’s a quick consultation on a specific issue or a seminar on new developments in your field—that time becomes even more valuable.
One-on-one time. One-on-one meetings with direct reports often feel more hurried and disorganized than they need to be. But with the right prompts, regular face-to-face connection provides an important way for people to share ideas and concerns that don’t have a chance to emerge in other settings. Make these meetings a priority, and spend the time really listening. The more you listen, the more you know, and the more you know the stronger your leadership will be.
Caring time. Good leaders care about their employees, and the most memorable leaders go the extra mile. They make it a point to know their employees’ successes and struggles, and they care enough to ask—within appropriate boundaries—about people’s families, activities, and plans. Understanding the parts of life that give people meaning helps you know who they really are.
Time for support. Either during one-on-one meetings or at other times, encourage employees to let you know how you can support them. It can be hard to get the ball rolling—people may feel they should be able to do things on their own. Work to create a collaborative culture where asking for help is seen as a sign of strength.
Time to extend appreciation. When you make the time to reward and recognize employees at important moments, it’s a good investment. But even better is letting them know in spontaneous moments how much you value them.
Lead from within: Get smart about how you invest your time, and remember that the best investment is giving that time to others.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post The Best Leaders Give Their Time to Others appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
March 4, 2021
Are You Getting the Best Out of Your Leadership Team?
Almost all successful organizations are grounded by a skillful and talented leadership team. But how can you ensure that your team leaders are hitting their full potential? If you want to get more out of your business, you have to get more out of your team. And that means investing in your leaders. Here are some of the most important ways you can make that happen:
Start with the right people. Make sure you’re hiring and promoting the right leaders. Take your time and be patient when you’re filling a leadership position. The better the fit, the better the performance.
Embrace diversity. Embrace all types of leadership styles and diversity of background, thought and opinions. Different people bring different ideas, and diversity is key to creativity and innovation—so make sure to give your organization that strategic advantage. We’re naturally drawn to people who think like us, but a team of people who all think the same way is just an echo chamber. Challenge your leadership with people who challenge your thinking.
Set smart and achievable goals. Success begins with meaningful goals. Follow the SMART criteria with your team leaders: work with them to set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. Goals should be clear and easy to understand, with objective performance targets.
Trust your team to be independent and accountable. Trust your leaders to handle their responsibilities in their own way—and encourage them to empower their own people with that same trust. A leader who extends trust gets a team that is supportive, collaborative and positive. On the other hand, a toxic or oppressive team can drag down the performance of even the best leader.
Invest in your team’s professional growth. Show your team how important they are to the organization by investing in leadership training and coaching. A well-designed professional development program will give your leaders the experience, knowledge and insights they need to perform at their best. Good leaders are constantly working to improve themselves, so feed that instinct by encouraging ongoing training and development. It’s a relatively a small investment that can lead to huge returns.
Promote from within. Establishing a norm of promoting people from within is one of the best ways to motivate people and foster a high level of performance. And it pays off in other ways as well: people who have come up through the ranks already know the company and culture well. They tend to be deeply committed, and seeing them move up inspires others.
Acknowledge your best leaders. Pay attention to the leaders in your organization who are performing their best, making a difference and setting a strong example. Express your appreciation often and reward them in ways that are meaningful to them—it doesn’t have to be monetary.
Lead from within: If you want the best leadership team, work on finding and cultivating the right people and giving them what they need to succeed.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post Are You Getting the Best Out of Your Leadership Team? appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
March 2, 2021
How the Best Leaders Build Trust at Work
Trust is a crucial element for any successful team. When team members are working remotely it becomes even more important—but also more difficult to achieve and maintain. Whatever your team’s situation, the best way for you to foster a climate of trust is to lead by example. If you want your people to trust one another, you need to first demonstrate that you trust them yourself. Here’s what that can look like:
Trust your people to be capable. Give them room to stretch their boundaries without being micromanaged. When you trust your team members with responsibility, you send them a clear message: that the real challenge is not facing what stands before them but learning to believe in what is within them. And if someone’s not giving their best, ask yourself if you’ve truly given them the opportunity to shine. To build a successful team and organization means developing and harnessing the capabilities of each person, and that process starts with trust.
Trust your people to be credible. An elemental component of trust is credibility—knowing that you can trust what someone says and take them at their word. To build trust in your team, make it a personal police to believe what they tell you unless you have strong evidence to the contrary—and even then, ask questions instead of jumping to conclusions. Don’t rely on your own assumptions.
Trust your people to be reliable. Show your team not only that you depend on them but also that you trust them to meet expectations and accomplish what needs to be done. Remember, the best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them. And make sure that you’re showing your team the same level of reliability that you expect of them.
Trust your people to be responsible. Build trust and help your people grow by giving them the authority to deal with the issues that come their way using their best judgment. Let them do what they need to do and say what they need to say without interfering or interrupting. Don’t require that they obtain permission before they make a decision—instead, promote and model genuine accountability.
Above all, trust yourself. Building trust with others requires a strong sense of self-awareness. Leaders who don’t trust themselves have a hard time trusting others. If you need to work through some personal development in this area, consult a mentor or leadership coach if that option is available to you. Build your own self-trust and self-reliance so you can pass those traits along to others.
Trust is the glue of leadership. It is the most essential ingredient in bonding relationships and building connections between leaders and their teams, among team members, and within organizations as a whole.
Lead from within: Trust is the essential foundation of leadership and business; without it, there’s not much to build on.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post How the Best Leaders Build Trust at Work appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
February 18, 2021
This is at the Heart of Every Great Team
Not long ago I was asked, “What’s at the heart of every great team?” It’s a thought-provoking question with arguments to be made for a number of answers—but I didn’t have to think long about my response: the foundation for great teamwork is communication.
Great teams communicate well and often. They share ideas, brainstorm, ask one another for feedback and have healthy conflicts. They may not agree on everything, but they know how to work through their differences to settle on a sound solution and continue moving forward together.
Here are some of the most important ways great teams foster the kind of communication that keeps them performing at their peak:
Speak clearly. The clearer and more concise you are, the better you’ll be understood and the more quickly and efficiently things will get done. Effective communication processes ensure high standards for clarity, speed and content while avoiding politicizing, gossiping and stonewalling.
Listen actively. Active listening is a simple skill for ensuring clear communication. At its core, it’s nothing more than repeating back what one has heard to confirm a mutual understanding. The person originally speaking may start by saying, “To confirm that we have the same understanding, what did you hear me say?” and the listener responds, “What I heard you say….”
Inquire curiously. In stages of discussion when ideas are being generated and gathered, team communication should use open-ended questions to provoke inquiry and curiosity. Communication that promotes wide-ranging thinking and mutual learning creates a deeper pool of creative ideas than a rush to react with a solution.
Share frequently. Great teams encourage collaboration and build a strong knowledge base with robust channels for sharing and information and ideas. The ability to freely share knowledge without gaps or silos is the cornerstone of teams that work well together.
Collaborate effectively. Great teams work together cooperatively, not competitively, in ways that promote effective working relationships—which, in turn, leads to better team performance and overall productivity. Collaboration is encouraged across departments, management levels, and functions on a regular basis.
Connect religiously. Connection is perhaps the most crucial component in building a productive and efficient team. Connected teams drive collaboration, nurture healthy relationships and promote knowledge sharing—all the elements that create high-functioning teams. The more connected your team members feel to one another and to their leadership, the more valued they’ll feel and the more effective the team will be.
Teamwork has never been easy, but in recent years it has become much more complex. And the trends that make it more difficult seem likely to continue as teams become increasingly global, virtual and project-driven. Understanding the factors that come together to make great teams work at their best will be more important than ever before.
Lead from within: If you want to set your team up for success, take their communication seriously. Being intentional about building strong communication makes all the difference.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E RThe Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post This is at the Heart of Every Great Team appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
February 15, 2021
The Best Way to Boost Employee Motivation
If you want your employees to have more stamina and drive, the best place to start is by learning what motives them. Getting the best from people doesn’t come with a one-size-fits-all formula. It means working to understand and address the inner drivers that will boost their motivation.
The best leaders understand that they play a critical role in their employees’ motivation. Here are four of the most important things you can do to keep your people happy and productive:
Create a psychologically safe culture. Give people room to express themselves and voice their opinions without fear of judgment or criticism. In a comfortable and secure environment, your team can come together in a spirit of open collaboration, engagement and involvement, with everyone contributing their ideas as well as their labor. When people feel understood and appreciated for who they are, they’re ready to participate instead of just showing up.
Minimize organizational politics. A culture that’s governed by organizational politics is disempowering and demotivating. The influence of political game-playing is so damaging to employee motivation and morale that it’s not enough to minimize it—you need to eliminate it entirely. In its place, establish a culture in which rewards and promotions are based only on valid measures of qualifications and performance rather than political considerations or connections to powerful people.
Recognize and reward people—the right way. Leaders who truly understand motivation maintain a focus on recognizing and rewarding hard work, effort, commitment, tenacity, imagination and risk-taking. The most effective rewards are monetary, so invest as much as your budget will allow in things like pay increases, bonuses, stock options and promotions. Avoid rewards that create pressure for people to achieve specific outcomes, those that risk a large percentage of employees’ compensation and those that pit team members against each other in direct competition. Being rewarded for helping to meet organizational goals boosts people’s feelings of competence and engagement.
Create meaningful and purposeful goals. One of the best ways for people to find motivation is by putting their energy into something purposeful and meaningful. Make sure that the goals you set for your team, individually and collectively, are clearly tied to your organization’s central mission and purpose. When employees have a sense of purpose at work, they feel passionate, committed and ready to come up with innovative solutions. Their outward-looking focus on serving the organization and their inner determination to excel combine in a single purpose, to serve and to bring value.
In brief, the most effective way to boost employee motivation is to pay attention and understand the people you’re leading by making them feel safe, secure, recognized and part of a meaningful undertaking. That’s the best motivation you can provide as a leader.
Lead from within: Be the kind of leader who knows how to boost their employees’ motivation, happiness, productivity and effectiveness.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post The Best Way to Boost Employee Motivation appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
February 11, 2021
The Six Love Languages That Will Make your Team Great
At the beginning of my career as a leadership coach, I became curious about what makes some teams better than others—why some teams facing significant challenges outperform those with more advantages. After decades of experience with every imaginable type of leader and team, I think I know the secret of those successful teams: their leaders act in ways that meet each person’s individual emotional needs.
Gary Chapman’s 1992 book The Five Love Languages introduced the idea of love languages—actions tailored to your partner’s specific emotional makeup. Successful leadership requires a similar approach. If you want people to thrive and excel, you have to figure out what motivates them. When you understand the makeup of your team members, you’ll know what actions you can take to help them succeed. Here are six of the most common employee languages:
Quality time. Some people thrive on spending time with their boss. They love talking through processes and procedures, and they find one-on-one time stimulating rather than stressful. Making time for these people on a regular basis helps them feel appreciated and secure.
A supporting hand. Many people prefer to do things on their own with no help, but others work best as part a team. They enjoy being part of a community of peers working together and supporting one another. Group these collaborative-minded people with others who feel the same way and they’ll thrive.
Acknowledgment. Mark Twain once said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” Verbal appreciation and acknowledgement are powerful communicators to most people—everyone likes knowing their hard work and contributions are noticed. Be generous with encouraging words and recognition to your entire team.
Opportunities for growth. Some people are content to be right where they are, doing what they’re doing. Others feel most appreciated when they’re giving opportunities for growth, for learning and stretching themselves as individuals. Challenge these people and watch them excel.
Compensation. Some people don’t feel truly appreciated unless they have a tangible thing or act that acknowledges their work. Money always works, but it can be as simple as a special lunch or a thoughtful gift with a personal note of thanks. It doesn’t have to be expensive—the point is that you value them.
Trust. Many people perform their best in the presence of obvious trust. When you empower these people, they’re motivated to show that your trust was well placed. And when you let them know it’s OK even when they make mistakes, they’ll take the kind of risks that can bring great results.
Feeling secure, safe and significant gives people a sense of self-worth that frees them to achieve. Work to discover the language of your team members, and in return they’ll do great things.
Lead from within: Success for any of us means figuring out what drives us and makes us feel we matter. Feeling valued is the foundation of that success.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post The Six Love Languages That Will Make your Team Great appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
February 9, 2021
How to Cultivate Psychological Safety at Your Workplace
Psychological safety is still a fairly new concept, but its importance is being reinforced by a growing body of research, and it’s something that leaders everywhere should be thinking about—whether their teams are working in person or online.
In a nutshell, psychological safety describes a state in which people feel free to ask for help, share ideas, seek feedback, admit mistakes, ask about what they don’t know, try new things, and voice their views.
In too many organizational cultures, people hold back from sharing their thoughts and opinions out of fear that they’ll be seen as uninformed or disruptive. They don’t want to take a chance on being ridiculed, disregarded, or punished with a negative performance appraisal or other career-damaging responses.
Research has shown that in the absence of such threats, team members are far more likely to bring their whole selves to work. They feel free to express their creativity, talents and skills without censoring or silencing themselves, and they know they can learn actively on the job instead of trying to pretend they know everything.
Here are six simple steps toward creating a psychologically safe environment in your workplace:
Treat people the way they want to be treated. Set the Golden Rule aside. Don’t treat others the way you would want to be treated but as they want to be treated. When you can see from your employees’ point of view, you’ll understand how to make sure they feel valued and understood.
Encourage healthy conflict. Create conditions where respectful conflict is welcomed. Encouraging people to debate their ideas sharpens everyone’s thinking. Give serious consideration even to off-the-wall ideas, because one of them may someday prove to be invaluable.
Allow all voices to be heard. Make sure everyone in the room knows they can speak their mind and express their thoughts. Encourage broad participation instead of the too-common situation where the same people tend to dominate every discussion. You can benefit from your team’s diversity only if everyone has a voice.
Warrant and widen trust. Trust is a foundational element of psychology safety; it signals the mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves and speaking their minds. Be generous in extending trust.
Foster engagement and innovation by reducing stress. Don’t view people as a means to an end. Work to help them feel valued and secure and free of unnecessary stress, and they’ll become more engaged, more innovative and more productive.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Replace perfectionism with a culture where people can present half-baked ideas, make risky statements and question assumptions.
Ultimately, psychological safety is about providing a space where people feel free to be their full selves—something every leader should be working for anyway. Give people room to feel and think and create and be true to themselves—and in return, they’ll give you their best efforts.
Lead from within: Psychological safety is good for business, good for teams and employees, and good for the leaders who cultivate it.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
Photo Credit: iStockPhotos
The post How to Cultivate Psychological Safety at Your Workplace appeared first on Lolly Daskal.
