High performance is what we all strive for. Within teams, it takes trust and a feeling of having each other’s back to truly perform and reach full potential . Having the conversations that need to be had to engender this trust – openly and honestly – are crucial. This take courage, and courageous leadership starts from the top.
In a world where “busy” is the new black, courageous conversations are one of the first things to get the chop because they require time. Instead “crisis” conversations take their place and what is discussed is the urgent and immediate shopping list of what is done and what needs to be done before close of business.
However, for a team to be performing at their peak, the relationships between them must be honest, trusting, inspiring and engaging. This doesn’t happen overnight or without effort. It requires a depth of knowledge and understanding of each other that cannot come out of jumping from one fire to the next but instead is nurtured through conversations.
Here are 4 powerful ways to create courageous conversations:
- Pay Attention
- Listen
- Be Real
- Clarify – to make sure you are on the same page
Creating the conditions for these courageous conversations are within everyone’s capabilities and actually having them requires time and thought. But they are an investment that pays off in spades.
This blog is inspired by one of the articles in our latest quarterly insights e-news. Subscribe and receive your copy here.
