Encouraging Open Dialogue In Teams

When Ozan Varol first became a law professor, he’d pause mid-lecture and ask: “Does anyone have any questions?” -Crickets- He assumed he nailed the lesson. But the exam results said otherwise. So he ran an experiment. Instead of asking if anyone had questions, he said: “That was confusing. I’m sure a bunch of you have questions. Now’s the time to ask.” Suddenly—hands shot up. Why did that work? Because it did 3 powerful things: 1. Normalized confusion 2. Created psychological safety 3. Made it feel okay to not “get it” Students weren’t silent because they understood… They were silent because they were scared to speak. This isn’t just for professors. Doctors can say: “I know I used a lot of medical jargon—what questions do you have?” Leaders can say: “That was a tough quarter. I know we’re all facing challenges—what’s come up for you?” People don’t speak up because they don’t want to look weak. Not in front of peers. Not in front of bosses. Not in front of future collaborators. Your job isn’t just to ask questions. It’s to create the conditions for honest answers. The goal isn’t “Who has questions?” The goal is: “How can I make asking questions feel safe, smart, and expected?” Final takeaway from Ozan: Breakthroughs don’t start with smart answers. They start with better questions. Asked the right way. At the right time. To the right people. What’s one question you’ve been asking the wrong way? Reply below—let’s rewrite it together. 👇

If your team isn’t telling you the truth, your business is already in trouble. Alan Mulally saw this at Ford. The company was losing billions, yet every leader reported “all green.” Why? Because under the old CEO, red meant you were out of a job. Mulally changed the culture. He praised candor, not perfection. Red became a chance to rally support—not assign blame. That shift unlocked the truth and helped save Ford. Great leaders don’t demand good news. They create safety so their teams can tell them the truth. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Create safety for honesty. 2️⃣ Keep reporting binary: on track/off track. 3️⃣ Reward the truth, even when it stings. 4️⃣ Rally the team to solve problems together. 5️⃣ Set ambitious goals—some red means you’re pushing hard enough.

𝗠𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿. Her reason? "She's too quiet. Where's the energy?" I was shocked. This came from a very senior woman executive at the bank. Someone I respected. An extrovert who thrived in the spotlight. But here's what she didn't see: My best direct report - She got her work done—consistently and well. She voiced her opinions, just not in the loud, dominating way that my boss expected. She was a great listener who actually thought before speaking. She shared new ideas with the team, just not in every single meeting. She was willing to lead, she just needed the right support and coaching. She wasn't a non-performer. She was just wired differently. And she wasn't alone. This happened twice in my career—two of my quietest team members labeled as "lacking energy" by senior leaders who couldn't see past their own style. For one of them, I had to fight hard just to clear her probation. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Leaders who only value people who look, sound, and act like them. As senior leaders, this is unacceptable. A good team isn't a room full of the same personality types competing to be heard. A great team has diversity—different strengths, different communication styles, different ways of showing up. And a great leader? They bring out the best in everyone, however they're wired. Both of those "quiet" team members went on to become top performers. One even stepped into a leadership role. All they needed was someone who saw their value instead of trying to change who they were. 𝗧𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: Your thoughtfulness isn't a weakness. 𝗧𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: If you only value people who communicate like you do, you're not building a team. You're building an echo chamber. The best teams aren't the loudest. They're the most diverse. #𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 #𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 #𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 #𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵

After spending three decades in the aerospace industry, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is for different sectors to learn from each other. We no longer can afford to stay stuck in our own bubbles. Take the aerospace industry, for example. They’ve been looking at how car manufacturers automate their factories to improve their own processes. And those racing teams? Their ability to prototype quickly and develop at a breakneck pace is something we can all learn from to speed up our product development. It’s all about breaking down those silos and embracing new ideas from wherever we can find them. When I was leading the Scorpion Jet program, our rapid development – less than two years to develop a new aircraft – caught the attention of a company known for razors and electric shavers. They reached out to us, intrigued by our ability to iterate so quickly, telling me "you developed a new jet faster than we can develop new razors..." They wanted to learn how we managed to streamline our processes. It was quite an unexpected and fascinating experience that underscored the value of looking beyond one’s own industry can lead to significant improvements and efficiencies, even in fields as seemingly unrelated as aerospace and consumer electronics. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s more important than ever for industries to break out of their silos and look to other sectors for fresh ideas and processes. This kind of cross-industry learning not only fosters innovation but also helps stay competitive in a rapidly changing market. For instance, the aerospace industry has been taking cues from car manufacturers to improve factory automation. And the automotive companies are adopting aerospace processes for systems engineering. Meanwhile, both sectors are picking up tips from tech giants like Apple and Google to boost their electronics and software development. And at Siemens, we partner with racing teams. Why? Because their knack for rapid prototyping and fast-paced development is something we can all learn from to speed up our product development cycles. This cross-pollination of ideas is crucial as industries evolve and integrate more advanced technologies. By exploring best practices from other industries, companies can find innovative new ways to improve their processes and products. After all, how can someone think outside the box, if they are only looking in the box? If you are interested in learning more, I suggest checking out this article by my colleagues Todd Tuthill and Nand Kochhar where they take a closer look at how cross-industry learning are key to developing advanced air mobility solutions. https://lnkd.in/dK3U6pJf

I was just interrupted during our onsite innovation sprint… “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s what our customers want.” We’ve been mapping our innovation roadmap all week, and something fascinating keeps happening: Our social team (who absolutely has a seat at the table) continuously brings a critical perspective: “The conversations on social are focusing elsewhere...” “Our listening tools show this is the actual pain point...” “Here’s what customers are saying in real-time...” Their insights can shift our next steps. And they are backed by data from thousands of real customer conversations flowing through social channels every day, unfiltered and honest. So the most valuable question we kept returning to during our onsite was: → Are we building what WE think matters, or what our CUSTOMERS say matters? Your social team isn’t just executing your social strategy - they’re sitting on insights that should be shaping your entire business strategy. How are you integrating social intelligence into your product roadmap? The answers might surprise you.

Most teams don’t lack skill — they lack space to speak. And the funny thing is… it’s rarely intentional. Silence creeps in slowly. People start editing their ideas. Meetings get tighter, faster, heavy. The loudest voices take the mic. And everyone else quietly learns: “Maybe it's safer if I don't say anything.” But here’s the real cost: When people stop speaking, everyone loses. Innovation slows. Tension builds. And leaders make decisions with only a fraction of the real picture. Last week, I ran a leadership workshop for a 20+ year Indonesian household brand trusted by tens of millions across the archipelago. A company with that kind of legacy doesn’t grow by accident. It grows because people care enough to confront what’s not working. And like many fast-moving organizations, what they needed wasn’t more skill… but more space. Space to question. Space to challenge with respect. Space to admit uncertainty. Space to finally say what’s been held in for months (or years). By the end, they didn’t just talk — We co-created house rules, clarified decision rights, and made 30-day commitments to reduce bottlenecks and rebuild accountability. The shift was unmistakable: lighter faces, clearer minds, and a shared understanding of “how we work from today, together.” PLUS... it was FUN! A lot of laughs were had. I had them literally 'doodle' how they experienced decision making and make crystal ball predictions of what this organization would look like in 30 days. It reinforced something I see again and again: “Team performance issues” are almost always conversation issues in disguise. And the ROI? Research shows an estimated US$7,500 per employee is lost per year due to unclear decisions, rework, and communication breakdowns. The right conversations aren’t “nice to have” — they can be weaponized as a cost saving strategy. If your team is growing fast, stuck in escalation cycles, or carrying unspoken tension… it might be time to create that space. DM to explore what this kind of experience could unlock for your business. #futurefitleaders #facilitation #crossculturalcommunication

Real conversations at work feel rare. Lately, in my work with employees and leaders, I’ve noticed a troubling pattern: real conversations don’t happen. Instead, people get stuck in confrontation, cynicism, or silence. This pattern reminded me of a powerful chart I often use with executives to talk about this. It shows that real conversations—where tough topics are discussed productively—only happen when two things are present: high psychological safety and strong relationships. Too often, teams fall into one of these traps instead: (a) Cynicism (low safety, low relationships)—where skepticism and disengagement take over. (b) Omerta (low safety, high relationships)—where people stay silent to keep the peace. (c) Confrontation (high safety, low relationships)—where people speak up but without trust, so nothing moves forward. There are three practical steps to create real conversations that turn constructive discrepancies into progress: (1) Create a norm of curiosity. Ask, “What am I missing?” instead of assuming you’re right. Curiosity keeps disagreements productive instead of combative. (2) Balance candor with care. Being direct is valuable—but only when paired with genuine respect. People engage when they feel valued, not attacked. (3) Make it safe to challenge ideas. Model the behavior yourself: invite pushback, thank people for disagreeing, and reward those who surface hard truths. When safety is high, people contribute without fear. Where do you see teams getting stuck? What has helped you foster real conversations? #Leadership #PsychologicalSafety #Communication #Trust #Teamwork #Learning #Disagreement

Your ability to respond well when challenged is one of the most visible ways you create (or destroy) team psychological safety. Because every challenge is a double test: of your idea, and of your leadership. If you shut it down, you protect your ego but weaken the team. If you welcome it, you strengthen both. But many leaders’ reflex is to defend, shut it down, or quietly think, “they don’t respect me.” 🔬 But research paints a different picture: ▪️ Amy Edmondson’s studies at Harvard show that the strongest predictor of high-performing teams is psychological safety and one of the clearest signs of it is people daring to challenge authority. ▪️ Francesca Gino’s work on constructive dissent finds that dissenting voices improve team decision quality by surfacing overlooked risks and alternatives. ▪️ Charlan Nemeth’s decades of research on dissent shows that even when dissenting views are “wrong,” they stimulate deeper, more creative thinking across the group. 🗣️ So, how to respond in practice: 1. Signal safety in the moment Instead of reacting defensively, anchor the moment: “Thanks for raising that.” That micro-response protects the climate for future challenges. 2. Ask for the reasoning, not just the opinion Instead of “why do you disagree?” (which sounds confrontational), try: “walk me through how you see it.” You shift the frame from judgment to joint exploration. 3. Separate identity from idea It’s easy to feel personally attacked. Train yourself to see the challenge as about the idea on the table, not about your worth as a leader. This is where intellectual humility comes in as a hallmark of inclusive and adaptive leadership. 4. Turn it into collective inquiry Shift from “me vs. you” to “us vs. the problem.” Ask: “What risk or angle are we missing if we only follow my path?” This reframes challenge as contribution. 👉 Your leadership isn’t measured by how often your team agrees with you. The actual measurement is what you do with their disagreement. That’s the work I do with leadership teams - helping them build psychological safety so that challenge becomes a fuel for sharper decisions, stronger trust, and higher performance. P.S.: How do you usually react when a team member challenges you? Do you lean in, or shut it down too quickly?

Managers: Pay attention to the quiet ones. They won’t ask for your time. They won’t chase recognition. They won’t speak up just to be seen. But they notice what others miss. They handle what others drop. And they do it without making noise about it. As a manager, it’s easy to focus on who’s visible. But the quietest people could be the most dependable. Here’s what to keep in mind from day one: 1. Create safe spaces ↳ Have regular one-to-ones ↳ Listen more than you speak 2. Give them room to lead ↳ Let them run projects their way ↳ Trust their different approach 3. Respect their work style ↳ Not everyone thinks best out loud ↳ Some need quiet time to plan 4. Share opportunities fairly ↳ Don't just pick the loudest volunteers ↳ Look for silent expertise 5. Notice their everyday wins ↳ Spot their behind-the-scenes help ↳ Recognise consistent quality 6. Adjust your communication ↳ Send important updates in writing ↳ Give them time to respond 7. Change how you run meetings ↳ Share topics before the meeting ↳ Ask for their input directly Some of your best people won’t chase attention. Your job is to see them anyway. How do you support the quieter team members? Let me know in the comments. ♻️ Repost to support better leadership 👉 Follow Lauren Murrell for more like this

Your title doesn’t make you a leader. Your actions do. And no actions speak louder than how you treat your team. The wrong ones cut them down.  The right ones lift the up. Here’s how great leaders ALWAYS say the right things:  (and 10 phrases that backfire) 1. ❌ "Let me know if you need anything." ↳ Puts the burden on them to ask for help. ✅ "I'll check in with you Thursday on [specific challenge]." ↳ Makes support proactive and actionable. 2. ❌ "Who dropped the ball here?" ↳ Sparks blame instead of solutions. ✅ "Walk me through what happened so we can prevent this next time." ↳ Encourages learning and accountability. 3. ❌ "We've always done it this way." ↳ Shuts down innovation. ✅ "Help me understand what you're seeing" ↳ Invites fresh ideas and perspectives. 4. ❌ "That's not your job." ↳ Stifles initiative. ✅ "I appreciate you spotting that. Let’s discuss how to handle it." ↳ Encourages ownership and collaboration. 5. ❌ "You should have..." ↳ Creates shame and defensiveness. ✅ "Next time, what if we try...?" ↳ Keeps feedback future-focused and constructive. 6. ❌ "I don’t have time right now." ↳ Makes people feel unimportant. ✅ "I want to give this the attention it deserves." ↳ Shows you care while setting clear expectations. 7. ❌ "Just figure it out." ↳ Creates stress and isolation. ✅ "What part are you stuck on? Let’s break it down together." ↳ Supports problem-solving without micromanaging. 8. ❌ "That’s a bad idea." ↳ Shuts down creativity. ✅ "What problem are you trying to solve?" ↳ Encourages discussion instead of dismissal. 9. ❌ "I'm disappointed in you." ↳ Triggers shame and damages trust. ✅ "I know you can do better. What do you need?" ↳ Maintains high standards while offering support. 10. ❌ "Because I said so." ↳ Kills buy-in and motivation. ✅ "Let me share my thinking on this." ↳ Builds trust through transparency. The best leaders know: It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. What’s your take? ♻️ Repost to help others  🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more.