It is critical for 2i2c’s team to feel comfortable being honest with one another and engaging in potentially challenging or controversial conversations. Doing so productively requires thoughtfulness and skill. Here are some principles that can help.
- Assume Positive Intent
- Create Psychological Safety
- Seek to Understand, Not to Be Understood
- Be Honest (Do Not Avoid Uncomfortable Topics)
- Welcome Critical Feedback
- Focus on Shared Interests, Not Positions
Assume Positive Intent¶
Engaging in conversations that challenge our worldviews can be difficult. It often leads to defensive interactions because we feel attacked, preventing us from understanding or hearing what is truly being communicated.
Create Psychological Safety¶
Without psychological safety, teams and individuals cease to have productive conversations. Mistrust takes root, and crucial conversations become veiled in suspicion, bias, and blame.
Seek to Understand, Not to Be Understood¶
When discussing important and controversial topics, it is easy for everyone to try to get their point across. This often leads to talking at each other, causing tensions to flare.
Be Honest (Do Not Avoid Uncomfortable Topics)¶
When sharing honest feedback and critical information, don’t be a jerk. Just because you are speaking the truth doesn’t mean your language has to be caustic and hurtful. Be mindful that you are speaking with a human, even while maintaining the message during emotional duress.
Welcome Critical Feedback¶
Nobody likes receiving critical information that exposes their failures or shortcomings. However, this is the type of information that can help us grow, and we shouldn’t avoid it, even if it may cause some discomfort.
Focus on Shared Interests, Not Positions¶
Instead of disagreeing with or challenging the person, disagree with or challenge their position. Ultimately, we want to separate the person from their position so that it’s the position we are challenging.