“A lot of interaction isn’t actually interaction, it’s asynchronous proclaiming.” I recently heard this statement from David Dunning, a social psychologist best known for co-developing the Dunning-Kruger effect. While he was referring mainly to online communications, it rings especially true for me as I work with leadership teams day in and day out.
We’re constantly challenging teams to find the right balance of healthy conflict. Call it what you will - constructive dissent, engaged dialogue, problem-solving. It’s about the entire team leaning in to have an informed, engaged, and constructive conversation about the issue at hand.
How many times have you been on a team and experienced these situations…
- ● The same few folks dominate the conversation with their thoughts (often on repeat)
- ● Colleagues bounce between levels without a bridge to help make sense (e.g. tactical vs strategic, future vs past, subjective vs objective)
- ● Folks dive right into discussions without even understanding what they’re trying to achieve (brainstorm, inform, discuss, decide?)
- ● People seem really interested in their own opinions and less so in the opinions of others
All of these less-than-productive ways of dialoguing as a team often come down to the idea of “asynchronous proclaiming.” I’m a big fan of focusing on what we can control. In this vein, my advice is to go first. Don’t wait for your colleagues to change their ways of interacting. Try these tactics instead:
- ● Listen instead of proclaiming
- ● Seek to clarify the objective of the conversation at the outset (and again throughout)
- ● Be a bridge - connect dots where you can
- ● Ask for input from your less talkative teammates
What tools have you used to make your team conversations more productive?