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Play 8: Support Open Dialogue (Staff)
Communication is key when discussing sensitive topics. Innovative staff are not afraid to bring up topics where conflicts and differences occur, but they do so in ways that promote constructive discussions to find out what is driving dissent. They are also not afraid to tackle internal politics or organizational dysfunction by developing relationships that can have a positive impact and outcome on negative behaviors.
Build Networks to Impact Positive Change
Politics exists in all organizations because people bring their emotions, needs, ambitions, and insecurities to work. There are varying levels of power as well as resources that lead to competition, which can lead to office politics. Innovative staff know to manage office politics. They
- Know who to connect with. Get to know those who demonstrate champion characteristics and have a passion for a topic or area. Reach out to those who may resist changes in the organization. Do not avoid but rather get to know these people in order to effectively counter any of their negative behavior. Neutralize negative personalities by neither joining in nor spreading rumors and by always remaining professional at work. Practice keeping an organizational perspective instead of focusing on selfish motives.
- Know how to connect. Build high-quality connections where both parties feel valued. Focus on simple connections, like a quick exchange in a meeting or a short email. Use these touch points to transform brief connections into ones that benefit everyone and, ultimately, the customer. Be fully present during these touch points and demonstrate trustworthiness, and offer support to others. Become a bridge for staff, their leaders, and other colleagues by sharing new ideas with recently developed connections.
Manage Issues by Openly Discussing Them
Innovative staff
- Research, debate, reconcile, repeat. Be bold and prepare well before bringing up any number of work issues to leaders. Only go to leaders when their influence is needed to intervene or make changes. Leaders value solutions over complaints, so provide them with information. Approach leaders with clear, well-thought-out ideas and solutions for them to consider. This process can be a powerful tool to build trust and give the staff member credibility. It also demonstrates the innovative staff member's passion for their job and organization, and it shows initiative.
- Advocate for collaborative methods. Suggest collaborative approaches to problem-solving when complex issues cannot be resolved through regular communication or even escalation. A process such as ”hacking” a problem through a ”hackathon” may be necessary. Processes like these can be beneficial in bringing in a diverse group to think differently about an issue.
