I could feel the discomfort well up inside me. The disagreement was palpable, even though no one was voicing opposition. The silence and nodding of heads signaled to me that my idea was not going over well with my team. The problem was, I didn’t know why, or how to move forward. Then it occurred to me I had a choice; push through my idea, assuming that ‘no news is good news,’ or back up a few paces and engage the team in their feedback. The former was certainly the most expedient of the two choices. And in the short term at least, the most comfortable. But I chose the latter. I paused, first reminding the team that my ideas aren’t always the best, and invited their feedback, even if it meant they disagreed with me. Ideas started flowing.
To my surprise, I learned that the team actually liked the foundation of my idea. But there were some parts of the plan that members of the team felt would be hard to work into their daily workflow. The discussion revolved around slight modifications to the plan. I felt the mood lighten, including my own. I had invited dissent, and I had survived.
Dissent and the collaboration that inevitably follows happens frequently now. I encourage my team to also bring their own ideas to our meetings. They are empowered to add their own agenda items and upload material for their fellow team members to review before the meeting. They present and lead the discussion on their agenda items. I consider it my job to come to meetings with my team prepared with an exercise or some other method that that will allow the entire group to collaborate on the best solution to the problem, the best path to our goal. What I find now are energized and passionate discussions where team members feel safe to voice their opinions.
As a leader, it’s sometimes difficult to invite your team to disagree with you, because there’s a risk of the unknown. But the rewards of an engaged and empowered team are worth it, particularly in healthcare marketing, where we have so many competing priorities and deadlines, and the need for collaboration is great. If you haven’t tried this, I encourage you to make it part of your daily operations. I crossed the bridge from avoidance of dissent to embracing and even encouraging it. And there’s no going back.
Christina Deidesheimer 