As a leader, when you reflect on the company culture you hope to cultivate, a few words likely come to mind: collaboration, communication or transparency. What about the word tension? On the surface, it isn’t an inherently positive word. In fact, most people tend to think of it negatively, but I see it as a tool for unlocking a stronger culture to drive greater collaboration and business growth.
Healthy internal debates strengthen strategies
The notion of harnessing tension in the workplace came from a really impressive previous boss of mine. One of his favorite sayings was, “fierce internal debate, one external voice.” He provided everyone with the opportunity to have their voice heard, encouraged them to speak up, pressure-tested the ideas and moved forward steadfastly as a unified team once a clear conclusion was reached.
Implementing this approach when I became CEO of Nature’s Bakery has improved the dynamics of our team — particularly with employee empowerment and accountability. As a result, when team members identify areas of improvement or challenges, they know their voice will be heard, so they will voice their suggestions to help the collective find more efficient solutions.
Diverse opinions breed innovation
We’ve worked hard to establish trust between colleagues and encourage open dialogue in every meeting, from monthly town hall meetings to engagement surveys and 1-on-1s. The culture of transparency goes hand-in-hand with the trust we’ve built within the team. High-performing teams leverage this trust to challenge ideas and have open debate respectfully. We all think differently, and approach opportunities and challenges in unique ways, so our employees must push their ideas and challenge others to ensure we’ve truly found the best path forward. This philosophy has also enforced communicating with respect. Challenging your peers’ ideas or poking holes in a plan to see how it can be improved isn’t always easy. Operating with the mindset that we’re all working together toward a common goal of bettering the company and that all ideas are valuable has cultivated a culture that uniquely blends empowerment and accountability.
One of the key benefits of fostering this type of culture is that it leads to more innovative solutions. When team members feel comfortable voicing their opinions and challenging the status quo, they are more likely to come up with creative ideas that can drive the company forward. This kind of environment encourages employees to think outside the box and take calculated risks, knowing that their contributions are appreciated and their ideas will be given serious consideration.
Bolder decision-making strategies drive growth
When different perspectives are brought to the table and debated, the team is more likely to identify potential pitfalls and refine their strategies. This process helps to ensure that the decisions made are well thought out and robust, reducing the likelihood of costly mistakes and increasing the probability of success. That said, no process is perfect, and even the best efforts can lead to missteps. Mistakes happen — and they’re not only normal, but they’re also essential for learning. What’s important is how you respond; being resilient by failing fast, learning lessons and moving onward is key. Having solid processes in place helps your team navigate those imperfect moments and instills the confidence needed to avoid playing it too safe or too slow.
By following these practices, I believe we’ve genuinely unlocked our team’s creativity and, in turn, our company’s growth. Our team members are now proactively flagging areas for improvement, including operational efficiencies that have enhanced supply chain capabilities to ensure we can meet growing demand while expanding distribution.
Whether we like it or not, tension in the workplace is inevitable. People will have conflicting ideas, personalities will clash and misunderstandings will happen. As a leader, it’s up to you to determine how to harness challenges and turn them into something positive for your company. By fostering an environment where open dialogue, respect and collaboration are encouraged, you can transform it into a powerful tool for driving innovation, improving decision-making and promoting growth.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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