Tips to Create Challenger Safety

Over the years, I have learned it is my responsibility as a leader to create a safe place to encourage the value-add that challenge brings to situations. Challenge should not be left up to the natural challengers. Everyone can build the skill of challenge if you create the right atmosphere. An atmosphere where team members can challenge the status quo without fear of retaliation, repercussions, or judgment.

Here are six ways you can immediately improve the level of challenger safety on your team:

1.     Take your finger off the fear button. Leaders often create fear without realizing it. Fear causes people to self-censor and retreat into silence. Watch for ways that you might be making team members afraid, even inadvertently. Hint: Asking questions should NOT be considered disunifying to the team.

2.     Assign dissent. When you assign specific members of your team to challenge a course of action or find flaws in a proposed decision, you remove much of the individual’s personal risk and replace it with institutional permission.

3.     Encourage people to think beyond their roles. Invite people to venture out of their tactical and functional silos to create more opportunity for divergent thinking and allow them to connect things that aren’t normally connected. Hint: Attend a conference from a different industry or function.

4.     Respond constructively to bad news. Signal your high tolerance for candor by making sure you communicate a positive response through your body language, non-verbal cues, and emotional expression. Protect your people in their right to dissent. Hint: If you catch yourself reacting poorly, it’s okay to take a break. Acknowledging and apologizing goes a long way!

5.     When you reject feedback, explain why. When you reject a team member’s input or suggestion, explain why you didn’t adopt it. Your considerate response will make it more likely that the individual will continue giving feedback. And it will help them learn from you.

6.     Weigh in last. Speaking first when you hold positional power softly censors your team. Listen carefully, acknowledge others' contributions, and then register your point of view. There's no need to be first, you'll get your turn.

 Adapted from LeaderFactor

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Challenger Safety! [#10 in Burned Out Series]

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Am I Above the Line? [#9 in Burned Out Series]