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A master trainer and the director of professional services at Crucial Learning, Scott Robley has more than 20 years of experience in education, training, and speaking, bringing a wealth of insight coupled with high energy to every engagement.

Scott Robley

One of the biggest challenges of leadership is creating a culture where employees feel safe to share their ideas, concerns, feedback, and suggestions. Many have worked for organizations where leaders talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. They ask their employees to speak up but seek only praise and approval themselves.Great organizations develop employees by developing leaders. Leadership is more than a title, it’s a mindset. Joseph Grenny, coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Crucial Influence, once defined leadership as “intentional influence.” Coauthor Kerry Patterson adds, “At the end of the day, what qualifies people to be called ‘leaders’ is their capacity to influence others to change their behavior in order to achieve important results.”Here are four ideas that can help you develop an influencer and manage employee contribution.Solicit SincerelyIf you don’t want their ideas, don’t ask for them. Little contributes to a culture of silence more than insincerely soliciting feedback. So, if you already know what you’re going to do, be sure not to hold a perfunctory brainstorming session.Also, some people want to be seen and heard, but everyone wants to be valued. Employees share their ideas to contribute value. If those ideas aren’t sincerely valued or appreciated, the employee won’t feel valued.You can solicit ideas sincerely by focusing less on being right and more on getting it right. When you gather input and perspectives from others, you expand your pool of meaning, which leads to more informed decisions, actions, and results.Establish ExpectationsMake sure your employees understand that not all ideas can or will be implemented. Establishing proper expectations can help minimize frustration. Let employees know that while their ideas may not be implemented, they do inform the final decision. Their contributions may confirm current thinking or spark new ideas for a better course of action.It’s important that employees know that while they may not be a part of the decision-making team, their contribution as part of the data stream is invaluable. They are often closest to the problems you are trying to solve. Additionally, when employees serve as contributors, they are more likely to adopt the new solution (even if it’s not their own) and serve as champions to encourage others to do the same.Communicate ConstraintsWith limited insight into organizational constraints, employees often share ideas that are beyond the scope of what the organization can do. What resources are available? Is there a budget? What’s the timeframe or the level of quality required? Communicate your constraints so employees can offer suggestions and share ideas that work within them. When suggestions aren’t implemented, it’s generally not because they are bad, but because they are outside the constraints. Communicating constraints will lead to a greater chance of implementation. It also offers transparency and allows employees to see clear reasons should their ideas not be implemented.Reveal ResultsMore often than not, employees realize that all their ideas won’t be implemented. When people get frustrated or angry, it’s usually not about implementation but more likely because they feel their ideas were not considered. So, when people contribute ideas, let them know where things stand. If their idea was not implemented, explain why. Remind them of the expectations that were established and the constraints that were shared.Encouraging employee innovation and creativity is key for organizational success, as well as for engagement and retention. Managing the process can be challenging, but healthy organizations will always have more ideas than they can implement. Creating a process built on safety and rooted in sincere solicitations, established expectations, clear constraints, and transparent results will aid your efforts.

Working With Employee Input

Workplace conflict among team members can be one of the most challenging, demanding, and draining issues a leader faces. If left unaddressed, it can lead to missed deadlines, decreased productivity, burnout, and turnover. It can also lead to poor communication and collaboration.The key to managing team member conflict in the moment is in the understanding of the motives and emotions that people are experiencing during the conflict. But the key to getting past that and truly resolving conflict is in understanding what triggered the conflict in the first place. Conflict triggers reveal what matters to us—and we are most often triggered when something goes against our values. This is why we say that conflict can reveal values. We only go into conflict about things that are important to us. Not too long ago, I was asked to help coach two team members. A recent exchange between the two left the relationship strained, and leaders were concerned. They asked if I would assist.I of course immediately began reviewing all the dialogue skills that might help them talk things through. Then, I remembered I had access to the Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI), a workplace personality assessment. When used as a team, the SDI provides a view of others’ motives, how they experience conflict, their strengths, and how their strengths, if overdone, may trigger feelings of conflict for others.When I pulled up the profiles of the two team members, I was certain I would find two very different individuals. Instead, I found more similarities than differences. Their conflict was due to more than just a lack of skill. It was also the result of a lack of awareness. Each was making judgments on the surface—they were reacting to behavior. But a quick glance below the surface, which the SDI provides, gave insights into WHY each was behaving the way they were. Again, conflict reveals values. This allowed me to have a far more productive conversation with each of them, helping them appreciate where each other was coming from. Awareness coupled with dialogue skills expedited our work, contributing to improved results and a strengthened relationship.If you don’t have access to the SDI, you can learn more about it here. I’d also like to offer a few suggestions that may help regardless.Be Clear on the Destination and ResponsibilitiesAs a leader, make sure everyone is clear on the goal. Clearly define expectations for the team and each team member. If roles become blurred, how will you navigate those moments? Who is responsible for what? When will each part of the project need to be completed? Clarifying roles and expectations can prevent unnecessary conflict.Create a Mental MapIf you don’t have access to the SDI, you can create a map in your mind by asking yourself a few questions. This will not only open yourself to empathy and understanding but will also minimize the emotions that often come from the stories we tell ourselves. Ask:What motives could be contributing to this behavior?Why would a reasonable, rational, decent person behave that way?How could this behavior help them feel good about themselves?Ask for DirectionsVisit with each member to ask questions that will help you identify the motives behind their behavior. This can provide valuable insight that you can use to help your team navigate the conflict. Ask:Why is it important to you?What do you care most about (on this project, in this relationship, for this team)?What most worries you (on this project, in this relationship, for this team)?One measurement of a leader’s impact and effectiveness is their ability to help their team navigate workplace terrain and manage conflict. If done well, it leads to a smooth ride of collaboration and communication, ultimately arriving safely to your destination of desired outcomes and stronger relationships.

How to Help Team Members Resolve Conflict With Each Other

People do things for two reasons: because they want to (motivation) and because they can (ability). To hold people accountable to the standards, target both their motivation and ability— but first, lay out exactly what you want them to do.

How to Hold Employees Accountable While Empowering Them

How do you create a competitive employee culture that also finds joy in the success of others? Three areas of focus (competition, celebration, and collaboration) from the bestselling book and course, Crucial Influence, will help you in these efforts.

How to Create a Culture of Celebration Amid Competition

When you tell others your concerns, you typically share your story. When you show your concerns, you use facts that describe the actual events and behaviors.

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