Have you ever been in a meeting where you felt afraid to share a difficult and truthful statement? Was "the obvious" in the room the whole time, but no one would speak up and talk about it? If so, then the time has come for your organization's leadership to embrace the role of a Courageous Communicator.
Organizations that act Agile and responsively on the outside usually have incredible leadership dynamics operating on the inside. One critical dynamic is when senior leadership supports the role of Courageous Communicators. These emerging workplace leaders bring a fine-tuned set of skills and emotions to bear when circumstances are difficult and will surface the "hard truth" that is essential to the success (or perhaps survival!) of the organization. However, for a culture of courage to thrive, an organization's senior leadership must be supportive of open and honest behavior in the workplace. Think 'Family Core Value #6' from the often-admired Zappos company culture.
...a software company ships a broken feature to your smartphone prematurely and it causes you (the customer) a big headache. Application Developers might have known that the quality was suspect, but perhaps they felt management pressure to ship it because of a competitive threat or a customer obligation. Or even worse, maybe the Developers have a financial bonus that will only be awarded if they ship the feature immediately.
If you were a Team Member in this situation, consider the answers to these questions:
This situation can be avoided with Courageous Communication. Perhaps someone would respectfully and calmly step up to senior management and say something like:
Courage is a profound value of great leadership, but it requires skillful communication, emotional awareness and a degree of professional safety to be effective in the workplace. Let's use an abbreviated definition from Wikipedia to dive a bit deeper:
I've seen many great moments of courage unfold in the workplace, especially in organizations that experience a breakthrough moment in the pursuit of higher performance. Someone steps up and makes a truthful (and possibly painful) statement, but at the same time, this person fosters alignment from everyone and creates a better outcome for all. Have you ever seen this play out in your organization?
An Example
Okay -- let's try this one out:
Imagine you're invited by a Scrum Team to observe a Retrospective at the end of a 3-week Sprint. It can be a powerful learning event if the conditions are healthy, but sometimes, it becomes another wasteful meeting where nothing is accomplished. In a productive Retrospective, Courageous Communication is critical.
As you are observing as a fly-on-the-wall, the Scrum Master intentionally breaks an important rule of this event & invites senior technology managers to participate, so that the Team's performance can be "evaluated". You sense that the environment is uncomfortable for the Scrum Team, so when it's time to examine its own challenges, the room becomes eerily silent - you could drop a pin on the floor. The managers break the silence with feedback: "We have evaluated each Developer's performance and here's where you all can improve ...."
Out of nowhere, a leadership moment emerges from one of the Team Members. It might sound like ............
This person goes on to share the issues with an individual-driven performance evaluation process and how it is putting the Team on the defensive. Suddenly, the other Team members come out of their shells and nod their heads in agreement. Even the Scrum Master realized the terrible error in judgment that was made. The Courageous Communicator also admitted a fear of being fired right on the spot for honesty, but felt that it was the right thing to do for the organization.
Whoa.
That incredible moment of courage shattered the current reality for the managers, but it opened the door for a shared understanding of the real problem (judging individuals), so they could move forward in the right way (empowering and trusting the Team). It changed everything for this Scrum Team's performance and the relationship with senior management.
This type of communication isn't easy, but with practice, you can elevate your own leadership ability and exemplify courage to benefit yourself and others around you. Here are a few tips to consider as you examine your own capacity for courage:
1. Be open and honest about your own fears.
Courage requires a leader to be vulnerable in front of others. If there is something about the situation that scares you, be honest and say it -- respectfully. If you do this, you will help others feel safe to speak their own views in an honest and open manner.
2. Do not judge.
Read through the example above (again). Notice that the Courageous Communicator did not point fingers or verbally attack anyone. Rather, this person took a non-judgmental stance and did not blame the stakeholders. Point a finger at an issue and not at a person. If it's a 1:1 conversation, point a finger at your fears and the behaviors that are making you feel that way. Then, seek a common purpose between both of you, so you can open the door to a fruitful dialogue.
3. Stay calm.
Don't let emotions get the best of you. I have seen many situations where someone tried to show some courage in the workplace, but emotions were out of control and everyone tuned out. A Courageous Communicator can state "the obvious" in a calm and seasoned manner that helps everyone accept the reality.
4. Don't wait.
The worst thing you can do is go silent and wait until later. If a situation has escalated and the "hard truth" needs to be understood by all, then a great leader will step in on the spot and communicate the truth and foster alignment. The time is now, not later. Just make sure your skills and emotions are in check first.
5. Celebrate courageous moments from others.
Courageous Communicators are influential leaders that live in all levels of an organization. Be on the lookout for well-timed and skilled moments of courage, and if you witness courage in action, show some appreciation and praise it! This is a demonstration of your own leadership when you celebrate and encourage others to be courageous in the right way.
If so, then Courageous Communication starts with your willingness to 'lead by example'. If you embody this value within your organization, then you will encourage a healthy environment of professional safety where people are completely comfortable to be open and honest when it matters most. If you don't, then you will hear what you want to hear, but it might not be the truth that you need to make effective business decisions. Agile leaders understand the power of Scrum and constantly reflect the mirror on themselves in an effort to continuously learn & improve. Are *you* a Courageous Communicator? Are you fostering a culture where courage is valued?
Have you witnessed Courageous Communication in action recently? What was it like? I invite you to share your experience in the comments section below.
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I really appreciate you taking time to read this post. If you learned something new or were inspired in any way, please consider sharing with your colleagues so we can collectively make a difference in organizations of all shapes and sizes. Scrum On!
I am living my passion by teaching, mentoring and coaching People, Teams and Organizations to high levels of performance in an Agile environment. Want to experience some of my teachings in person? I would be privileged to collaborate with you at one of my upcoming events.
Try some of my recent posts and let me know if they inspire you to bring out the best in Scrum in your organization:
Organizations that act Agile and responsively on the outside usually have incredible leadership dynamics operating on the inside. One critical dynamic is when senior leadership supports the role of Courageous Communicators. These emerging workplace leaders bring a fine-tuned set of skills and emotions to bear when circumstances are difficult and will surface the "hard truth" that is essential to the success (or perhaps survival!) of the organization. However, for a culture of courage to thrive, an organization's senior leadership must be supportive of open and honest behavior in the workplace. Think 'Family Core Value #6' from the often-admired Zappos company culture.
For example, what if...
...a software company ships a broken feature to your smartphone prematurely and it causes you (the customer) a big headache. Application Developers might have known that the quality was suspect, but perhaps they felt management pressure to ship it because of a competitive threat or a customer obligation. Or even worse, maybe the Developers have a financial bonus that will only be awarded if they ship the feature immediately.
If you were a Team Member in this situation, consider the answers to these questions:
How would this management pressure make you feel?
How would your fellow Team members feel about all of this?
What is important to both the Team *and* Management in this situation?
How can you be truthful to management without getting in trouble, losing your bonus, or getting fired?
This situation can be avoided with Courageous Communication. Perhaps someone would respectfully and calmly step up to senior management and say something like:
I feel like the management approach is forcing us to do something that could be damaging to our customers and our company's reputation. This feature doesn't meet our mutually-agreed standards of quality and completeness. If it isn't "done", what will happen if we ship it now?
What is Courage?
Courage is a profound value of great leadership, but it requires skillful communication, emotional awareness and a degree of professional safety to be effective in the workplace. Let's use an abbreviated definition from Wikipedia to dive a bit deeper:
- Courage - the ability and willingness to confront fear, pain, uncertainty or intimidation.
I've seen many great moments of courage unfold in the workplace, especially in organizations that experience a breakthrough moment in the pursuit of higher performance. Someone steps up and makes a truthful (and possibly painful) statement, but at the same time, this person fosters alignment from everyone and creates a better outcome for all. Have you ever seen this play out in your organization?
An Example
Okay -- let's try this one out:
Imagine you're invited by a Scrum Team to observe a Retrospective at the end of a 3-week Sprint. It can be a powerful learning event if the conditions are healthy, but sometimes, it becomes another wasteful meeting where nothing is accomplished. In a productive Retrospective, Courageous Communication is critical.
As you are observing as a fly-on-the-wall, the Scrum Master intentionally breaks an important rule of this event & invites senior technology managers to participate, so that the Team's performance can be "evaluated". You sense that the environment is uncomfortable for the Scrum Team, so when it's time to examine its own challenges, the room becomes eerily silent - you could drop a pin on the floor. The managers break the silence with feedback: "We have evaluated each Developer's performance and here's where you all can improve ...."
<silence gripping the room>
Now what? Where's the real leadership in the room?
Out of nowhere, a leadership moment emerges from one of the Team Members. It might sound like ............
I feel like we all understand the importance of this work and the impact it will have on our company's success. However, I am afraid to admit that none of us understands how The Scrum Framework is really supposed to work. To be successful, we must acknowledge this and commit to a better understanding of Scrum and how we can all work together for a great outcome.
This person goes on to share the issues with an individual-driven performance evaluation process and how it is putting the Team on the defensive. Suddenly, the other Team members come out of their shells and nod their heads in agreement. Even the Scrum Master realized the terrible error in judgment that was made. The Courageous Communicator also admitted a fear of being fired right on the spot for honesty, but felt that it was the right thing to do for the organization.
Whoa.
That incredible moment of courage shattered the current reality for the managers, but it opened the door for a shared understanding of the real problem (judging individuals), so they could move forward in the right way (empowering and trusting the Team). It changed everything for this Scrum Team's performance and the relationship with senior management.
How can you become a Courageous Communicator?
This type of communication isn't easy, but with practice, you can elevate your own leadership ability and exemplify courage to benefit yourself and others around you. Here are a few tips to consider as you examine your own capacity for courage:
1. Be open and honest about your own fears.
Courage requires a leader to be vulnerable in front of others. If there is something about the situation that scares you, be honest and say it -- respectfully. If you do this, you will help others feel safe to speak their own views in an honest and open manner.
2. Do not judge.
Read through the example above (again). Notice that the Courageous Communicator did not point fingers or verbally attack anyone. Rather, this person took a non-judgmental stance and did not blame the stakeholders. Point a finger at an issue and not at a person. If it's a 1:1 conversation, point a finger at your fears and the behaviors that are making you feel that way. Then, seek a common purpose between both of you, so you can open the door to a fruitful dialogue.
3. Stay calm.
Don't let emotions get the best of you. I have seen many situations where someone tried to show some courage in the workplace, but emotions were out of control and everyone tuned out. A Courageous Communicator can state "the obvious" in a calm and seasoned manner that helps everyone accept the reality.
4. Don't wait.
The worst thing you can do is go silent and wait until later. If a situation has escalated and the "hard truth" needs to be understood by all, then a great leader will step in on the spot and communicate the truth and foster alignment. The time is now, not later. Just make sure your skills and emotions are in check first.
5. Celebrate courageous moments from others.
Courageous Communicators are influential leaders that live in all levels of an organization. Be on the lookout for well-timed and skilled moments of courage, and if you witness courage in action, show some appreciation and praise it! This is a demonstration of your own leadership when you celebrate and encourage others to be courageous in the right way.
Are you a senior leader who just read this post?
If so, then Courageous Communication starts with your willingness to 'lead by example'. If you embody this value within your organization, then you will encourage a healthy environment of professional safety where people are completely comfortable to be open and honest when it matters most. If you don't, then you will hear what you want to hear, but it might not be the truth that you need to make effective business decisions. Agile leaders understand the power of Scrum and constantly reflect the mirror on themselves in an effort to continuously learn & improve. Are *you* a Courageous Communicator? Are you fostering a culture where courage is valued?
Have you witnessed Courageous Communication in action recently? What was it like? I invite you to share your experience in the comments section below.
---------------------------------------
I really appreciate you taking time to read this post. If you learned something new or were inspired in any way, please consider sharing with your colleagues so we can collectively make a difference in organizations of all shapes and sizes. Scrum On!
I am living my passion by teaching, mentoring and coaching People, Teams and Organizations to high levels of performance in an Agile environment. Want to experience some of my teachings in person? I would be privileged to collaborate with you at one of my upcoming events.
Try some of my recent posts and let me know if they inspire you to bring out the best in Scrum in your organization:
- Are You a Manager or an Enabler?
- 4 Secrets to Great Agile Leadership
- What Does a Great Team Feel Like?
- The 1 Skill Every Agile Leader Must Learn
- Empathy in the Air
- What Does it Take to Change?
- The Power of Appreciating Others