Dear Friends,
The Waymakers Change Group is committed to helping leaders create healthy workplaces where all people feel seen, respected, valued, and protected. Healthy workplaces help us focus and contribute internally when the external environment is unsteady. But to realize healthy workplaces, we must first nurture genuine connections between our people. These connections create psychologically safe environments where people are free to try, innovate, and accomplish more for themselves and for our companies. Bridging is the leadership skill that helps us nurture those human connections.
In our last issue, we met Emily, the new leader of an established internal communications team. After noticing dis-ease in her team, Emily embarked upon the 5 Steps of Bridging to help lay the groundwork for a healthier team culture. Step one, Purpose, saw Emily setting the stage with her team. They worked together to identify and agree on the whys of their work, ground rules for their interactions with one another, and the desired outcomes of their journey.
Today, we’ll walk alongside Emily and her team as they complete step two, Exploration. During this stage, the team will explore different, and maybe even conflicting, feelings and perspectives about their work.
Bridging Step 2: Exploration
Based on the heated exchange during their team meeting, it was clear that Emily’s team held deep-seated frustrations and concerns. But how could Emily create a safe space for both clearly identifying the issues and equitable problem solving? The answer: Exploration.
Insight Out
Emily leveraged The Waymakers Change Group Gaining Insight tool to help her team air frustrations productively, in alignment with their previously agreed upon ground rules. The team’s reflections were kept anonymous, yet the tool allowed each team member to respectfully challenge or clarify the ideas that came up. Getting these insights out in the open created transparency. All people became keenly aware of what the issues were, how everyone felt about the issues, how their teammates preferred to solve the issues, and the concerns they needed to mitigate while solving for them.
Validate Assumptions
Next, Emily shared her own assumptions and allowed the team to validate or invalidate them. For example, Emily said, “It seems Todd and Jamal handle the bulk of our press releases while Kris and Angelica handle communications that are more visible to our employees. Is that right?” She shared several other assumptions using “I’ve heard…” or “I’ve noticed…” This approach gave the team a way to look at themselves from different perspectives and provided Emily with additional clarity.
Managing Dialogue
The Exploration step of Bridging was passionate and emotionally charged. Truth telling—and hearing—usually is. The team kept the ground rules they agreed to in the first step, Purpose, posted to keep their exchanges fruitful. Emily also helped the team stay on task by using our Managing the Dialogue tool to diffuse comments that could have derailed the team’s success or caused harm to team members.
The Exploration step of Bridging can be difficult. Airing frustrations and vocalizing concerns can sometimes lead to defensiveness. But the clarity this stage brings is critical to building a strong, connected team.
In our next issue, we will join Emily and her team for step three of Bridging: Imagination. During this step, the team will use what they discovered in Exploration to chart a better future… together.
Until next time, friends, keep making a way.
The Waymakers Change Group
