“When two people always agree, one of them is unnecessary,” said William Wrigley, Jr., the creator of Wrigley’s chewing gum.
This certainly holds true in the workplace, where many managers seem to love to surround themselves with “yes people.“ You know the type—they never question an assignment or suggest better ways of doing things. Instead, they leave with the impression that the boss doesn’t want to hear any negative information or listen to a different point of view.
Yes people evolve after disagreeing with their manager to catastrophic results, while watching others who never offer their own opinion and treat every wish as a command get rewarded. “Team members learn quickly what behaviors will bring rewards and what behaviors will bring punishment from their managers,” says Robert Tanner, founder of Business Consulting Solutions in Vancouver, Washington. Because of this, “leaders need to empower their employees and create an environment where they know you value what they have to say. If they don’t feel comfortable telling you that you are wrong about something, it can lead to very negative consequences.”
He adds that “if you’re not encouraging healthy disagreement in your interactions and communication with your team, then the fault for their reluctance to voice their opinions may lie with you and not them.”
How to encourage employees to speak their minds
There are many easy ways to encourage your employees to speak up, offer their point of view and be unafraid to deliver any bad news. Try these techniques to create a team that’s engaged and wants to do what’s best for the company:
Make it safe to speak one’s mind
Frequently make comments like, “I know you have a lot of experience in this area and are close to our customers, so I would really value your opinion on a new program I’m thinking of implementing.” If you say this often enough, your employees will feel safe to voice their own opinions and not just say what they think you want to hear.
You should also reassure employees that there are no negative consequences for having an opinion or making a suggestion that’s very different from yours. When they do propose an idea, write them a quick thank-you note and explain why you can or can’t implement their suggestion.
Leave your office to get the real story
The concept of “management by walking around” was introduced by business experts Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman in their book, In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies. They encourage managers to get out of their office and receive input from employees on the front lines, such as those in manufacturing and sales.
Ask for suggestions—and really mean it
Send out surveys or provide an old-fashioned suggestion box where employees can submit comments anonymously. Just be sure to take the feedback seriously and implement any reasonable requests as soon as possible.
Additionally, don’t take all the credit when you implement an idea that came from one of your employees. Giving credit where it’s due will encourage your employees to continue making suggestions.
In her book Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, author Kim Scott suggests holding “skip-level meetings” with the people who work for each of your direct reports as well. This gives them the opportunity to offer feedback and propose ideas that you might not otherwise hear.
Maintain that “whoops” moments are forgivable
Scott also writes in her blog about how she wanted her team at Google to be unafraid to share the mistakes they made, so she started a “whoops-a-daisy” game at staff meetings where employees could admit to something they did wrong the previous week without fearing retribution. The person who told the best story, as measured by applause from colleagues, won $20.
Don’t be afraid to share a “whoops” moment of your own with your employees. Opening up about your mistakes can help your team feel safe to do the same.
Grant the freedom to brainstorm
When you’re holding a brainstorming session with your team, leave the room and let them discuss ideas without your input.
Also, if you notice someone in a meeting who looks like they have something to say but remains quiet, Tanner suggests having a one-on-one conversation afterward to encourage them to voice their opinion. They may just have been reluctant to speak up in public.
Remember that problems don’t always have an immediate solution
Michael Roberto, author of Why Great Leaders Don’t Take Yes for an Answer, tells Financial Management that managers should never tell their employees, “Don’t come to me with problems—come to me with solutions.” He says that “this is horrendous leadership because what you’re basically telling people is hide the problem unless you have it all solved.”
Don’t clone yourself
Don’t hire people who are exactly like you—you’ll never get fresh perspectives that way.
Tanner says that if, for example, “you are more of an analytic introvert type, find someone who is an extrovert and quick to act on new ideas. Ask them to describe how they handled certain situations in the past, such as implementing a new project.”
Creating a healthy work culture
Above all else, you should make it your goal to create an environment where employees are encouraged to express their opinion by respecting what they have to say. The result will be a team that remains loyal and engaged—which will directly contribute to your company’s future success.
Photo by Ekateryna Zubal/Shutterstock.com
