Even outspoken and highly engaged teams sometimes find a specific issue or topic that is difficult to discuss.
The more the leader pushes for open and candid dialogue, the harder it is for the team to loosen up.
Leaders are often at a loss as to how to break the logjam and get the team discussing the issue in a frank and honest manner.
Instead of getting frustrated, good leaders take a time out from the discussion and turn to brainstorming to get the dialogue back on track.
Taking just a few minutes to quickly generate all the pros and cons of the issue, decision, or topic can reestablish the grounds for advocacy.
In every topic or issue, a leader can find something for the ledger of pros and cons. Once the pluses and minuses have been listed, the leader simply needs to push against any of them to foment more candid discussion.
With large groups and teams, when time allows, breaking into smaller units and having them brainstorm the pros and cons on their own before reporting back in the larger group is a red team/blue team variation that works just as well, sometimes even better.
In this format, smaller groups either generate the positives or the negatives and then reveal their views to the group. While this can take 10-20 minutes, the candidness it creates in real time is worth it.
The increased engagement and idea generation will energize the group and the discussion, creating more openness in the process.
By getting team members talking, generating views, and describing what they believe are advantages and disadvantages, they prime themselves to discuss the topic or issue more candidly.
Going back to basics, like brainstorming and idea generation, leaders can often find a simple solution to a gnarly problem.
Perhaps nothing is more critical for teams than to discuss challenging problems, decisions, and issues boldly and with the conviction created by open advocacy and debate.
Priming a team hesitant to engage fully is sometimes as easy as getting them to first brainstorm before taking up the issue again. The only way to strike discussion oil is to first drill a well.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
