Making it safe to speak your truth
In the work I do with leadership teams, team members believe the main reason teams flounder is because members don’t feel safe to speak their truth.
Teams flounder because more is unsaid than said. But here’s the thing, no one can make it safe for us to speak our truth, only we can make it safe for ourselves. What prevents us speaking our truth, is the story we tell ourselves of the risks or cost of doing so, or we fear it may offend or hurt other’s feelings and damage the relationship.
So, here are 3 ways to make it safer for you to speak your truth:
Declare your intention – provide context before sharing your truth. Let others know, not assume your intentions. But if your intentions are not in the mutual interests of and benefit to all, then don’t say it. Your intentions are selfish or selfless; be clear before you declare.
Be a legitimate other – if you don’t respect your opinion, others won’t. Hold yourself as a legitimate being – your views matter, so share them whilst holding others with dignity and respect. Be open to the possibility that others may disagree with you. More important, rather than judge others for thinking differently, look for the learning in how they see things differently.
Advocate and inquire – always balance advocacy and inquiry. Advocate your view and then open the space to inquire into how others may see things differently. Flourishing teams seek and value divergent thinking. To make it safe to speak your truth, remember to advocate as if you are right and inquire as if you were wrong.
As leaders we must demonstrate how to feel and be safe to speak our truth and encourage others do so. When more truth is spoken, greater understanding is likely which makes it possible to make more informed decisions and secure greater levels of commitment. The price of silence will always be greater than the value of truth.