"Team Talking" for a Culture of Self-Management (i.e. Teal)

Many companies (see one list here) are choosing to adopt organizational models that remove the traditional management hierarchy, distribute leadership roles among many people, create self-managing groups and expect individuals to show up as themselves to contribute to the organization's overall purpose. This stage of organizational development is becoming known as "teal" based on the theory of Ken Wilber and expanded by Frederic Laloux.  

Some people just assume that if the founder wants to convert to a teal organization, then a teal organization is born.  Not true.  A teal structure may be put in place, but the CULTURE needs to evolve to match the structure.      

Most people practice earlier forms of cultural communication. In what I have referred to as Entrepreneurial organizations, the one with the loudest voice or the most power dominates others by imposing their perspective on them. In early Systematic organizations, there is a hierarchy of power so that feedback occurs when a boss imposes goals and supervises a subordinate, providing regularly scheduled reviews to determine if the subordinate is succeeding. In mature systematic organizations, the boss' goals are based on a strategic thinking, consultation and tangible evidence (and less about the boss's personal opinions).  In flat organizations, feedback may occur in regards to how actions affect another's feelings but feedback for performance is downplayed.   

So what does a teal culture look like, where individual worth is valued across the organization as well as performance? 

In order for the culture to evolve toward teal, the individuals need to practice communication that reflects teal organizing. Such communication practices need to be complex enough to interweave diverse perspectives for creative solutions, but simple enough to be used by anyone throughout the day. Here's one suggestion that I call "Team Talking". 

Team Talking - Give and Take Feedback on a Daily Basis  

What would it be like if everyone gave and received feedback without taking anything personally? Such feedback is an ongoing aspect of working together so that people are respected and work gets done in a learning environment. 

When you are first learning this, the following four steps should be taken in order. The more you and your team use Team Talking, the more natural it will be, and the more intuitively you'll be able to replace words or the order of these steps to suit the situation. 

1) Prepare the other person for the feedback.  Make sure both of you are at a point where you can reasonably stop what you are doing and engage in dialogue.  You may not need to say anything, but it helps to say something like “Can I provide some feedback?”   

2) Observe what's going on.  Be as objective as possible.  Observations are statements of fact from your perspective, and they usually start with "I noticed that___".   

3) Assert what you think about it.  Here's where you state what you think about the observation you just made.  Don't beat around the bush. Just say what you think, but don't point fingers, pick fights or otherwise make it personal. Start with "I think that ___" 

4) Ask for their opinion.  This is critical. Team communication requires reciprocity. Many times, an observation that you make is actually inaccurate, or the other person may have a different way to look at it that helps you understand better. All in all, asking them a question enables them participate in the process and therefore feel respected. You can always just say "What do you think?" 

Below are some examples that illustrate Team Talking:  

Between a cashier and a delivery driver/dishwasher at a pizza restaurant. 

1. "Can I talk to you about something? 
2. I notice that the dishes pile up in the sink and we run out of clean pizza pans. 
3.  I think it would be easier to clean them more frequently. 
4.  Would you be able to wash dishes between deliveries?"  

Two colleagues in a weekly staff meeting: 

1. "Can I get something off my chest about that meeting we just had? 
2. I notice that you were typing and looking at your computer screen the whole meeting. 
3. I think that it is distracting and it signals that you don't care about the meeting. 
4. "Do you think everyone was okay with your computer use during the meeting? 

A co-worker communicating to transform interpersonal conflict into self-awareness.   

1. "Can I provide some feedback about that encounter you just had with Devin? 
2. I notice that you started talking over Devin and he walked away with his face red. 
3. I think that by not giving him space to speak, you are dismissing him. I think you need to let him speak. 
4. Do you think you sufficiently listened to what he had to say?"  

Remember, feedback can be a positive affirmation of what someone is doing well. Here's a more free-flowing example of teachers at a school: 

"I saw your student's eyes light up when you demonstrated his project to the rest of class. I admire the way you frequently find ways to spotlight creative students. How can I make my classroom more inclusive of all my students' abilities?" 

I find that this level of communication works best when everyone agrees to use it. It's hard to do it alone. One way that you can initiate this process is by asking for feedback yourself:  "Can you give me feedback?"   

When you request feedback from others, they are more likely to accept feedback from you!   

The evolutionary process of your culture will move in fits and starts, so be patient and keep trying. You can't have a Teal Organization without a Teal Culture.