How many times have you been told that it takes months or even years to see real culture shift. Conversational Intelligence is a framework that uses training and coaching to create a culture shift away from self-protective behaviours towards partnering and collaborative behaviours. The benefits can be seen over night as people become less I-centric and move to a more WE-centric mindset. When people have a voice and feel listened to they become more engaged.
An Executive friend who had inherited a disengaged workforce recently shared with me a key frustration. He invited people in his team to come and talk to him about their concerns over the past organisational restructure yet people had become so disillusioned by recent changes that not one person came to see him privately or spoke up openly at their team meetings. He could not understand why they did not appear to trust him despite his openness and concern.
Sometimes the situation and the environment make people feel unsafe to share their ideas and perspectives. Despite our best intentions we may inadvertently say and do things that contribute to the situation or even make others feel uneasy or undervalued. This can lead to a culture of confusion and uncertainty and results in a lack of trust.
The key to rebuilding trust is to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses in our interactions with others. Looking honestly at your own mindset is vital. Have you already made up your mind on a topic? How interested are you really in the experiences and position of others on that issue? If we genuinely want to connect we need to be asking questions to find out about what we don’t know about the other person including what are they actually thinking and how they see the world from their perspective. This is especially important when people are disengaged. It is important to understand the reasons they are resisting our connection or why they have become sceptical about a new initiate.
Yes this takes time but is a critical investment in the wellbeing of your team and your business. Once people know we are genuinely interested in listening to them we can make room for real and open conversations. Judith E Glaser* says “everything happens through conversations”.
In my friend’s situation maybe there was something he was not aware of in his interactions or his behaviours which resulted in others not trusting his attempts to connect. Perhaps he was just an unknown quantity to a group that had learnt that it did not pay to trust strangers.
What was needed was a space for real two way conversations where ideas and problems could be shared and explored and where people knew it was safe to speak their mind even if it was not what the business wanted to hear. Facilitated conversations between managers and teams are sometimes required to openly explore the individual issues and previous experiences that lead to resistance, scepticism and disengagement.
Trust needs to be earned. It will only appear when leaders are open to hearing the perspectives of each team member without judgement and criticism. It requires openness and the real desire to share more than information. People are smart and well positioned to contribute and want the opportunity to share their beliefs and ideas for improvement.
Our modern times require for new flexible and engaging approaches that enlist willing participation, optimise and galvanise resources, inspire individuals and draw out strengths of the people in being able to work together.
The Conversation Intelligence (C-IQ) framework is a simple yet powerful conversational framework with accompanying practical tools to inspire groups to co-create new ways of working that build trust and deepen relationships.
Supported by advances in behavioural, cognitive and neurological sciences, the C-IQ framework is built on the belief that along with survival instincts, human beings have Vital Instincts for growth which unleash our natural inclination to engage, grow, develop and thrive. It moves people away from resistance and scepticism to become experimenters and co-creators.
The benefits of developing Conversational Intelligence flow throughout the organisation immediately. A shift to a more engaging culture can be seen from the outset. You don’t have to wait years or even months to see the difference. People become more engaged, connected, collaborative, creative and productive. The tools provided are practical and can be applied straight away. In many businesses this speed equals productivity as less time is lost dealing with conflicts and miscommunication. As trust builds people are inspired to work more closely; anticipating problems and expressing themselves with care and candour. They begin to participate more, articulating where there are differences in beliefs and perceptions without inadvertently causing threat responses in others.
A recent coaching client involved in a strongly adversarial Enterprise Bargaining negotiation reported he felt increased confidence and calm after the first C-IQ coaching session. He found that the C-IQ coaching helped him to trust his own skills and insights and to value and honour the needs and perspectives of the other parties. He found that C-IQ was a logical evidenced based model for considering and engaging in the whole process.
If you want to find out more about improving your conversational intelligence register for a free 45 minute webinar “Turn Intention into high Leadership Impact – Better relationships and results for you and your team”
When: Thursday 9 March, 2017 at 4.00pm Australian Central Daylight Time.
You will discover:
- The impact of neurochemistry on your conversations
- Why you may not be saying what you think you are saying
- Strategies to build trust when talking to others
- The vital components of a transformative conversation
- How increasing your C-IQ turns your intention into high leadership impact.
You will take away one of the C-IQ tools that you can start using immediately to turn a challenging conversation into a vital conversation. To register for the session click here
Interested but cannot attend the session email robert@icoachsolutions.com and we will let you know when the webinar is being held again.
Robert Stocks is a “Certified C-IQ Coach” having completed a year-long program with Judith E. Glaser* and her team.
Robert has been Consulting, Training and Coaching with C-IQ expertise and working with leaders in organisations such as The Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
*Judith E. Glaser and the CreatingWE ® Institute are the source of the Conversational Intelligence® materials and framework. Judith E. Glaser is a renowned business strategist and sought after author and speaker. The C-IQ framework is being recognised globally as a leading business transformation approach.
More information is available about Conversational Intelligence at www.icoachsolutions.com
Robert Stocks
Director
Integrated Coaching Solutions Pty Ltd
M: 0403 843 604