Organizations in which employees feel fully seen, understood, and safe being themselves, despite their differences, are ones in which creativity, innovation, and business thrive.
Brenda F. Wensil and Kathryn Heath, Flynn Heath Holt Leadership
Takeaways of Note:
To create an inclusive work environment and to genuinely connect with & respond to team members in helpful ways...
The Grandparent Rule… asking questions & listening actively is the best way to really understand what employees need
Over-relating is overrated… in efforts to relate, it is possible (and likely) to make false assumptions and tread into areas we know nothing about; Empathy is learning to understand what someone is feeling despite having never felt it before.
Just the facts… gather the factual information expressed by team member (don’t have to agree with their approach or solutions, but give space to express without interjection, and actively listen), then can figure out the best path forward together.
Bonus Nugget
“With more generations and diversity in the workforce than ever before, leaders who want to build inclusive environments would do well to take a closer look at how to make the daily imperative of performance coaching an experience for all.”