Chester Elton Podcast: EP. 14
“To be innovative, you have to challenge the status quo!”
This tidbit of advice from employee engagement and teamwork expert Chester Elton comes with a warning: challenging the status quo can be dangerous. If handled incorrectly, this can lead to negative results, especially for new employees. However through healthy debate and open discussion, change can occur.
The challenge?
Having open communication among employees and team members can be tricky. Once you factor in different opinions, ages, and personalities a healthy dialogue may seem impossible to achieve. But it’s not!
Chester’s Solution:
Have a safe space that encourages healthy and engaging debate among employees and leaders. The following are a set of ground rules to follow when creating a healthy environment for creative discussion that will produce results and ultimately lead to change.
Challenge the idea, NOT the person.
Never turn a heated discussion into a personal attack. When the debate is about the idea and not the person, employees are more likely to participate and open up about their own thoughts and ideas.
Know your players and how to communicate with them.
In a workforce spanning four to five different generations, it is important for leaders to make sure all of their employees know the role they play within the company. Along with knowing their roles, a leader should know how to communicate with their employees as well. Seasoned employees should not be handled or treated the same as new hires–the communication level varies based on the job.
Transparency is important!
The larger the team, the more important it is to have a safe place for discussion and debate. Transparency plays a large role in healthy communication and creating an ideal space. By sharing your challenges or even ongoing projects, other employees will feel encouraged to open up and share as well. More importantly, team members will feel they can rely on one another for support when issues arise.
As a keynote speaker, Chester Elton provides real solutions to leaders looking to manage change, drive innovation, and lead a multi-generational workforce. To learn more about Chester and to find out what he can bring to your event, watch our full interview below!
For more information on booking Chester Elton and Chester Elton Podcast, email [email protected] or call 1.800.345.5607
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