Nobody likes a...

Recent discussion with a newly appointed exec..."I just wish my team would challenge me more, have an input and bring fresh ideas. All they ever do is agree with me and say yes, it’s so frustrating".

Not the first time I've heard this over the years, and there is so much to unpick and evolve with this statement - office politics, performance management concerns, trust, psychological safety, HIPPOs, risk, culture of fear, cognitive biases, groupthink, mediocrity... the list goes on, and invariably all factors can be found at one level or another.

Simply asking people to ‘speak up’ and encouraging leaders to ‘engage in conversation’ without thoroughly appreciating the impact that power differences - and prevailing social and cultural norms - have on what can be spoken, and what is heard, is na?ve at best. At worst it leads to organisational cynicism, as an issue of critical practical importance becomes trivialised into ritualised listening, consultation and training exercises. If those at the bottom do not believe there is transparency at the top then such issues will always prevail.

Although the vast amount of management writing and leadership development efforts focus on individual bravery and courage in speaking up (which is important), relatively little effort is focused on improving the way we?listen up?and skilfully invite others to speak. We need to focus on both.

“The world may admire the truth-tellers, but few will want to employ them.” 
Charles Handy

        

If you’re an exec in this position it’s good to try to understand why this is actually happening. Many fear the words of Samuel Goldwyn, even if that's not your intent. Recognising and talking about the issue is a great first step.

If you’re the individual without a voice, then you also need to ask why that is happening.?I like to call this group the Del Monte people - i.e. they like to say “Yes!” a lot (The ‘Man from Del Monte’ was the one who gave his approval of the quality of oranges for their juice offering - he also wore a distinctive white suit and hat...why is anybody's guess but he sure stood out!)

Then, together, the Del Monte people and the frustrated exec need to communicate (that means 2-way: talk AND listen), with trust, candour and transparency. The Del Monte people are now screaming "Noooooooo!". I know, doing this sounds difficult and potentially scary but it really isn’t.

And if you’d be more comfortable doing that anonymously instead to begin with then that is also very easily done.?

None of us is smarter than all of us.        

Just a 90-minute session using very simple techniques and online tooling can start the much needed dialogue and open up a whole new way of thinking for everyone.?

Because, unsurprisingly, everyone is suffering with this problem, nobody is really happy with it, but very few do anything about it; happy to continue, unheard in ignorance. We understand that it can be hard to take the first step to address it.?

But it’s actually a lot easier than you think.?

And when you take that first step, you’ll soon wonder why you didn’t do it sooner and how you ever got anything done at all when you were all thinking in the old way.?

Stop saying “yes” to your boss, stop accepting “yes” from your people, and instead say “yes” to a new way of thinking.?The Man from Del Monte would approve.