5 Ways to encourage open dialogue within your organization

It's easy for leaders to sabotage open communication, one of the main things you need in your business. I once had an interesting conversation with an executive that is a great illustration of how easy it is for leaders to sabotage the same thing they want. Because I’m sure this is a common phenomenon, I'm sharing the story with you.

Let’s call this executive Ben. His organization has experienced many changes over the past 3 years. He sees a big need to reorganize jobs and functions in his side of the organization in order to cope with the changes of the work in a more effective way. He said to me:

“My dream is to be able to sit together with my direct reports. As colleagues who have worked together for many years, I want us to have an open and honest dialogue about the organization and our future.”

So far, so good. The problem is that he also shared he wants to be open, but not give the impression that he is asking for their permission or approval. He wants an open dialogue, but he wants to make “his” ideas about what needs to be done “as palatable as possible.”

To me it sounded as if he genuinely wanted an open dialogue, but at the same time, if he kept going in the "as palatable as possible" path, he was sabotaging any possibility of dialogue.

How can you facilitate an open dialogue within your organization?

If you are serious about opening a safe space for dialogue to happen, here are 5 helpful tips:

1. Be clear about what you need to have a dialogue about.

I asked Ben enough questions to clarify that the main need, the non-negotiable issue, was the need for reorganization of jobs and functions in order to meet increased demands in production. That is the challenge they were facing. That is what the dialogue needed to be about. The dialogue is not about who is going to do what. It’s about how to meet the demands of increased production without sacrificing quality and deadlines. It’s about efficiency and costumer care. The HOW to get there is what they need to figure out.

2. Address possible fears.

If people are worrying about job security, loss of money, confidentiality, or future consequences, it will be difficult for them to be open. Ben assured me nobody was going to loose their job or have reduced pay. Therefore, I suggested it was important to share this with his people, as well as offer reassurance about the conversation staying in their small group.

3. Ask open questions that can encourage creativity and generate energy.

In this case, it could be a question like: Given our present challenges, how can we restructure our side of the organization in the best way to optimize resources, utilize talents, and facilitate efficiency and quality? Questions like this one will open the space for creative thinking and meaning making.

4. Trust the process of dialogue.

Ben asked me a question that shows a very common fear I frequently hear from leaders. What if I can’t live with what they come up with? My answer was that he needs to trust the process of dialogue. I reminded him that he is going to be an integral part of the group. Most likely, when they bring their experience and knowledge together, what they come up with will be better than anything any of them alone could design.

5. Guard the process of dialogue.

Very wisely, Ben asked me if I could be available on short notice to go down and join them to facilitate the process. The reason why this is a good idea is that if I’m there to facilitate the process, they are free to think and create as equals. None of them needs to worry about bringing the group to order if they go on a tangent, or making sure everybody is listening and is being listened to. When people can concentrate on making meaning together, the end results are usually excellent. 

By creating the proper conditions, your desire to to have an open and honest dialogue will come through.

Remember. . .

The desire to have an open dialogue is a good beginning. Yet, it’s not enough. You need to create the conditions that will facilitate the dialogue. Then you need to trust the process and let the dialogue happen.

Photo by: BillLongstaff