Encouraging Others to Amplify Their Voices
Cathie Leimbach • May 2, 2023
Too frequently, leaders make workplace decisions with inadequate information. A group decision may be based on only the leader’s preferences and experience. It may serve the leader’s personality style and ignore the emotional or functional impact of team members. The organization fails to experience the benefits of group collaboration.
Many employees have tried to speak up, only to have their input ignored, so they have stopped offering ideas. They do their work but keep their great ideas to themselves. What can you do to encourage team members to share their insights, experience, and preferences for higher quality decision-making and stronger organizational results?
Let’s consider 5 ways you can encourage others to speak up in workplace meetings.
- Let your team members know you want to hear their ideas. Tell them in group meetings, by email, or during one-on-one conversations that you want their input on workplace matters.
- During meetings, ask your team members to share their thoughts on an agenda item before you share your own. This usually brings out a variety of information rather than everyone simply agreeing with your thinking.
- Call on team members individually. Share the meeting topics a day or two before each meeting and ask them to be ready to share their perspective on each topic. During the meeting call each person by name and ask them to share their thoughts.
- Listen to what each person says. Acknowledge their contribution by paraphrasing it or asking an open-ended question to learn more.
- Show you value their input. Thank them for sharing. Put their best ideas into practice and let them know why the others aren’t being implemented.
As the leader, be intentional about amplifying other people’s voices. They will experience more job satisfaction and buy-in. Your decisions will be more informed. And, the organization will be more successful.
Many organizations assume their biggest challenges are rapidly changing technology, customer retention, and employee initiative. But quite often, the root cause is people leadership problems. That’s one reason The Imperfect CEO by Jim Brown is so timely. Releasing today, May 19, the book explores how leaders build healthier organizations not by pretending to have all the answers, but by creating cultures grounded in trust, clarity, accountability, and meaningful conversations. Brian Besanceney, Chair, Board of Orlando Health, Inc., described the book this way: “Through vivid stories, real-world examples, and a model grounded in collaborative culture, Jim Brown gives leaders permission to wrestle honestly with the generational divides, misaligned targets, and cultural fractures that can too often sabotage high-potential organizations.” Greg Apple, CEO of Amgine.ai, connected the book to leadership beyond business alone: “In a fast-moving company, culture is everything. Jim Brown’s principles have helped our team lead with greater clarity and alignment. The Imperfect CEO distills those lessons brilliantly. Every leader should read it.” What stands out to me is how closely this book aligns with the principles behind Conversational Management. Healthy cultures are rarely built through policies alone. They are built through the quality of everyday leadership conversations — how expectations are clarified, how accountability is handled, how feedback is delivered, and how trust is strengthened over time. That’s why leadership development cannot stay theoretical. Culture changes conversation by conversation. The Imperfect CEO is an easy-to-read business fable that illustrates common people leadership challenges and provides suggestions for overcoming them. Order your copy today and start building healthier leadership conversations inside your organization.
Chick-fil-A restaurants often receive far more job applications than they have openings. This is not luck. It is leadership. People apply where they believe they will be treated well. At Chick-fil-A, employees experience respectful communication, clear expectations, and leaders who support their success. That reputation spreads quickly through word of mouth. Leaders in these restaurants do simple things well. They ask questions before they assume. They listen to employees. They provide encouragement and clear direction. They notice good work and address problems in a helpful way. As a result, employees feel valued. They enjoy coming to work. They tell others. That is what attracts more applicants. Many organizations focus only on hiring. Strong organizations focus on how people are treated after they are hired. When leaders create a workplace where people feel respected, supported, and clear on what success looks like, something powerful happens: People stay. People perform. And more people want to join. This is what leadership really is. Would you like to see several leadership and culture practices Chick-fil-A uses to attract and keep quality employees? Click here to view: How Chick-fil-A Attracts Quality Applicants