Leadership training #1
Your training exercise is: Having one or more conversations where you make trust and psychological safety explicit.
Why:
Research shows that reflecting on important personal needs serves as a buffer to stress. Having conversations about personal values and needs engages our brain in a positive and healthy way, giving us a broader context for our performance.
What the training is not:
Your task is not to establish a team with 100% psychological safety and trust. The training is about three things:
- starting one or more conversations that create awareness around trust and psychological safety.
- getting you acquainted with your own comfort zone and the leadership responsibility of supporting the subjective and human side of long term performance (not only in a yearly appraisal situation).
- experimenting with leadership tools such as curiosity, listening and asking questions rather than giving answers.
There is no ONE way to do this The challenge is to try; experiment; be courageous, curious and caring. One example:
- Get in touch with your genuine curiosity, chose one or more people you want to support and learn more about. Set up a zoom call or a coffee-conversation.
- Be transparent by introducing your training exercise or go right ahead and ask people what is important to them when it comes to experience trust and a safe environment. If choosing the latter approach some kind of preparation e-mail or “heads-up” would probably be helpful.
Tip: Allow your self to be inspired by them. Empower your colleague by expressing what inspires you about his or her honesty or reflection. Give authentic feedback by saying:
- “What inspires me with what you are saying is….
- ” What I like about what you are saying is”
- “What I think all of us could learn from you is…”
- “Thanks for sharing!”
See them by asking clarifying questions like:
- “Is what you’re saying that….” or “Do I understand you correctly that what you need more of is…?
- “How can I support you in this?”
- “What is mine and what is your responsibility in creating this?
- “Say more”, “Please elaborate”, “Explain further”
Notice and journal: What do you avoid? When do you procrastinate? What was helpful? Where did you “succeed”? What are you learning about your self as a person and as a leader during this training period?