If you’re stuck in an echo chamber, surrounded by people who think like you and agree with you, you might be unconsciously sending signals to your team that you’re not open to dissenting opinions and ideas. How can you ensure that all of your employees — even the ones whose beliefs differ from yours — feel psychologically safe at work? Start by continuously soliciting feedback and input. Set aside time and space for your team to ideate honestly. Tell your team, “We all have blind spots, myself included. I need your help to see mine and want you to question and disagree with me if you think I’m off base.” Next, ask your team for their ideas (even if they’re half-baked). And be sure to publicly acknowledge and thank independent voices that share a dissenting opinion, question your logic, or disagree with you. When your team sees that you meet challenging comments with gratitude, you’ll encourage more fearful employees to speak up. Finally, adopt an attitude of curiosity and ask questions to better understand others’ perspectives. For example, you might ask, “What led you to that conclusion?” or say, “Tell me more,” and build from there.
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