While Schools Out For Summer might be bumping through your speakers for a few more weeks, the same stands true in this new world of work. With more and more organizations leaning toward a new world of work -- flexi work, summer Fridays, and everything in between, it's safe to say that Works Out For Summer in some capacities as well. Yet, ensuring that our team taps into this new world of work is important. That leads us to HOW.
Let’s explore 6 quick tips to do so:
Set The Tone: Be an example as a leader by demonstrating respectful behavior during debates. Encourage your team to instill a mindset of listening with intention and attention while seeking common ground.
Establish Rules: Put guidelines in place to promote respectful debates. These rules can include active listening, speaking one at a time, refraining from interrupting, and avoiding language that would be hurtful.
Encourage Active Listening: When we take things personally, oftentimes these moments stem from misunderstandings or a lack of active listening. Practice active listening with the team – even in moments beyond debate or conflict.
Separate Ideas from Individuals: Encourage the team to shift their focus onto the content of the discussion, not the individual. An example? Encourage the team to adopt terms such as “I disagree with that idea” and not “I disagree with you.”
Foster a Culture of Feedback: Constructive feedback plays a vital role in growth and improvement. When providing feedback, encourage your team members to focus on the impact of the ideas or actions rather than making personal judgments.
Resolution: In experiences where debate tips the healthy avalanche, involving a neutral third party can have a massive impact on coming to an understanding while finding common ground.
Looking for more ways to improve work-life balance with your team? Here are an additional 20 ideas to get you started. Read: Create A Learning Culture, Improve Your Meetings & How to Have Difficult Conversations With there being numerous avenues to deliver improvements to our teams, we're covering all the angles with our resources here at Raise The Bar. If you haven't tapped into our e-books, we present to you three which can shift your org and make positive ripples for your team. Listen: Flexibility At Work Via Adam Grant's WorkLife Podcast "Flexibility" is the number one request people are making from employers. But flexibility is much more than WHERE you work–it also means having the freedom to make choices about what you work on, who you work with, and when and how often you work. This episode examines the science and practice of creating more autonomy– and making it work for people and organizations Cheers!
Aaron
