273 - Creating a Culture of Feedback and Safety with David Kline
Jun 11, 2024
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Dave Kline, an executive coach and co-founder of The MGMT Accelerator, shares insights from over two decades of leadership training. He delves into creating high-performing teams through effective feedback and psychological safety. Kline emphasizes the importance of shared purpose and the distinction between intentions and expectations. He discusses transforming 'problem children' into valuable contributors and highlights strategies for building trust in remote teams. Tune in for practical approaches to enhance team dynamics and foster a culture of honest communication.
Creating psychological safety is essential for high performance, allowing team members to openly share feedback and learn from mistakes.
Effective leadership involves facilitation skills that focus on asking the right questions, helping teams articulate goals and navigate challenges.
Rituals of performance reviews and candid feedback are vital for fostering continuous improvement and preventing recurring mistakes in teams.
Deep dives
Creating Psychological Safety in Teams
Building psychological safety within teams is essential for fostering open communication and high performance. Leaders can create an environment where team members feel safe to speak up by actively encouraging feedback and establishing rituals that promote candid discussions. The podcast emphasizes that leaders should model vulnerability and accountability, demonstrating to their teams that sharing mistakes is part of the learning process. This culture allows teams to embrace challenges and learn from failures in a constructive manner, thereby enhancing overall effectiveness and collaboration.
The Role of Facilitation in Leadership
Facilitation is a critical skill for leaders aiming to guide teams effectively towards high performance. Rather than providing answers, leaders should focus on asking the right questions that prompt team members to articulate their goals and identify obstacles. This approach helps create a shared vision, enabling teams to collaboratively navigate their challenges. The podcast illustrates that good facilitation hinges on understanding the dynamics of group interactions and leveraging them to foster engagement and accountability.
Lessons from High-Performance Teams
High-performance teams consistently engage in rituals that revolve around performance reviews and candid feedback, which are vital for growth. The podcast shares insights from various organizations, including sports teams and military units, which adopt routine evaluations to reflect and improve on their performance. By examining what went wrong and celebrating successes, teams can foster a culture of continuous improvement. The discussion highlights that without these rituals, teams are likely to repeat mistakes without understanding the underlying issues.
Navigating Challenges of Change
The dynamic nature of contemporary work necessitates adaptability and resilience in teams. Leaders should proactively address challenges by ensuring that team members have a shared purpose and are aligned with the team's mission. The podcast discusses the significance of maintaining an environment where feedback is normalized and where teams can experiment with new processes without fear of failure. This adaptability is foundational in agile environments where teams are constantly forming and reforming, requiring clear communication and trust.
Recognizing and Supporting the 'Problem Child'
Identifying and engaging with team members deemed 'problem children' is crucial for maintaining a harmonious team dynamic. The podcast emphasizes that these individuals often possess valuable insights that aren't appreciated due to their blunt communication styles. Leaders are encouraged to actively listen and validate their concerns, fostering a more inclusive dialogue that allows everyone to contribute meaningfully. By doing so, the team can harness the unique perspectives of all members, leading to innovative solutions and a more cohesive team environment.
If you were to create a formula for a high-performing team, what would it look like?
Dave Kline, executive coach and trainer, accomplished writer, and co-founder of The MGMT Accelerator, a program designed to level-up the next cohort of leaders, has the code. And it’s one that he’s perfected over two decades, 250 group diagnostic sessions, 1000 performance evaluations, and many, many talented leaders later.
Learn from the master himself, as we dissect the composition of an effective feedback culture, as we explore the power of bitesize experimentation, and join us as we ask, how do you cultivate an environment that breeds honesty, trust and purpose?
Find out about:
What Dave has learnt from his time leading high-impact teams in asset management, consultancy and financial services
How to enhance higher performance in your teams
The importance of a shared purpose in creating psychological safety
The distinction between setting an intention and an expectation
How to speak up and speak the truth as a leader
Validating the ‘problem child’ of a group to transform their contribution
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a free 1-page summary of each upcoming episode directly to your inbox, or explore our eBooks featuring 50-episode compilations for even more facilitation insights. Find out more: https://workshops.work/podcast
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