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| DESCRIPTION | |
| When it's lacking: - Conversations tend to deal only with surface issues. - Certain issues are considered off limits. - Some employees are routinely kept out of important conversations. - Conversation is often seen as a waste of time. |
When it's thriving: + There's an ongoing flow of constructive dialogue involving people at all levels of the organization. + Employees feel free to talk about work-related problems, opportunities, and issues. + The dialogue is honest and forthright, and there's no fear of recrimination among employees who talk straight. + As conversations unfold, people do their best to set aside their own opinions and assumptions in order to understand other perspectives. |
| EXAMPLES |
| When two businesses moved out of her small town, Jenny was worried -- and so were
many other employees at her company. "We all had this feeling that we were next,"
she explains. "It was so hard to get anything done because we just kept thinking
about it, even though to the outsider it may have seemed like much ado about nothing."
The concerns simmered for a week, and then Jenny decided to test the HR director's
much talked about open-door policy. "I couldn't believe what happened,"
she recalls. "He listened, then he asked more people to share their concerns,
and he listened some more." Within two days, at Jenny's suggestion, all 35 employees
came together to openly express their concerns. The company's co-owners gave people
all the time they needed, then they shared their strong commitment to stay put in
the community. In fact, a move had never even been considered -- yet the owners respected
people's concerns and addressed them thoroughly. "If doors didn't exist, our company wouldn't exist either." After 20 years with his current employer, Hal is a self-described "raging cynic." He tells of a workplace where closed-door conversations are not just the norm -- "they're the rule." There's also a list of taboo topics. "For one, you never talk about executive perks, unless of course you want to see more of them," he says. "The first person who does that is guaranteed to lose all parking privileges!" |
| ACTION IDEAS |
| If meaningful conversation is a rarity in your organization, take slow and gentle
steps toward dialogue. Keep in mind that it marks a radically different approach
for many people. Most of us are comfortable with fairly vacuous discussions -- not
because we like them but because they're familiar. Anything more will feel like a
sudden jerk out of the collective comfort zone. Think of initial conversations more
as subtle ice-breakers than epic exchanges. Simply getting together may be more important
than getting into deep conversation. Arrange a social gathering for employees. Keep it simple and low-key. Your aim is simply to get folks talking. Pinpoint several issues that are calling for conversation. Starting with the one topic that seems to be the least contentious, construct a dialogue that widely involves employees. Example: Let's say there have been sporadic debates regarding software. Some want to upgrade, others want to buy new products, still others are happy with what they have. This may be an opportunity to come together and openly talk about the situation -- and decide how to proceed. Be on the alert for situations that would benefit from dialogue. Avoid the inclination to work things out immediately with minimal involvement from others. Rather, pull people together, have a conversation about it, and opt for a group decision. Evaluate the work space. Does the current layout inhibit conversation? Are people physically blocked (literally) from interacting with each other? Make changes to create a dialogue-friendly environment. This doesn't mean you should convert the workplace into one big open space, but there needs to be a comfortable area where people can go for conversation. Take advantage of the many facilitation tools that foster dialogue. Future-search conferences, for instance, can achieve remarkable things with a refreshing lack of rules and procedure. Also look into open-space processes. An Internet search will turn up wonderful ideas. |
| Copyright 1998-2002 by Tom Terez and Tom Terez Workplace Solutions, Inc. P.O. Box 21444, Columbus, Ohio USA 43221-0444. Tel. 614-571-9529..mail@BetterWorkplaceNow.com HOME | 10-Minute Briefing | Free Online Tools | Insight and Inspiration | Laugh and Learn | Buzzword Bingo | Kits, Books, and Tools | Keynotes and Services | Meet Tom Terez | Tell a Friend | Bronze Access |
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