Being a Powerful Connector: Strategies for Building Psychologically Safe and Thriving Teams.
Building powerful connections is at the heart of effective leadership. As leaders, your ability to build strong relationships can make or break your success in guiding teams and achieving results.
There are key strategies for becoming a powerful connector and creating an environment where your team can thrive.
The foundation: psychological safety.
At the core of any high-performing team is a sense of psychological safety. This concept, coined by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, refers to "a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking."
In other words, it's an environment where team members feel comfortable being themselves, speaking up, and even making mistakes without fear of negative consequences.
Creating psychological safety is crucial because it allows team members to:
Share innovative ideas
Take calculated risks
Admit mistakes and learn from those mistakes
Collaborate effectively
Engage in challenging conversations
On the flip side, a lack of psychological safety can lead to decreased productivity, increased stress and burnout, higher turnover rates, and missed opportunities for growth and innovation.
I know what a lack of psychological safety feels like. I experienced this many years ago when I was designing, developing, and implementing a major change leadership program for a large organisation and 100s of their leaders. One of the key sponsors had so much doubt in my ability to achieve this that I was micromanaged, bullied, and often challenged in front of groups of peers and senior leaders. So, I did not feel safe, and my confidence plummeted. While the program was ultimately successful, with fabulous participant feedback and ongoing stickiness of the learning, the lack of psychological safety initially impacted my and my team's wellbeing and slowed down the rollout.
Building trust: the keystone of connection
Trust is the foundation upon which all strong relationships are built. As a leader, it's your responsibility to cultivate trust with each team member and encourage trust-building among the team.
Here are three key elements to focus on:
1. Reliability
Do what you say you'll do. It's hard to have confidence in someone who makes promises they don't keep. Reliability means following through on your commitments, no matter how small. This includes respecting your team's time by not regularly rescheduling or cancelling one-on-one meetings.
2. Acceptance
Accept others for who they are without judgment. Everyone wants to feel valued for their unique qualities and contributions. Be mindful of the language you use, avoiding technical jargon or inside jokes that might make some team members feel excluded.
3. Openness
Be straightforward and honest, even when the truth is unpleasant. People are more likely to cooperate with you if you level with them and provide the full picture. Share information generously (within the bounds of confidentiality) to keep your team informed and engaged.
The power of perspective. Bumblebees vs blowflies
Our perspective shapes our reality. Consider the analogy of bumblebees and blowflies: bumblebees seek out beautiful flowers and nectar, while blowflies are drawn to waste and decay. Both creatures invariably find what they're looking for.
As leaders, we have the power to choose our perspective. Are we looking for the best in our team members, or are we focusing on their flaws?
Our Reticular Activating System (RAS) in the brain filters information based on what we deem important. By consciously directing our attention to positive aspects, we can create a more constructive and supportive environment for our team.
Building rapport: the key to relationship management
I call this one the magic maker. Rapport is the foundation of effective relationship management. It's about reducing the differences between yourself and others at an unconscious level to create harmonious relationships. This skill allows you to connect with anyone, regardless of personal feelings.
One powerful technique for building rapport is matching and mirroring. This involves subtly aligning your body language, tone of voice, and even breathing patterns with the person you're interacting with. While we do this naturally with people we like, consciously applying this technique can help bridge gaps with more challenging relationships.
Becoming a powerful connector takes practice and patience.
By focusing on creating psychological safety, building trust, maintaining a positive perspective, overcoming attribution biases, and actively building rapport, you'll create an environment where your team can flourish.
As you implement these strategies, you'll likely notice increased engagement, more open communication, and a stronger sense of team cohesion. These are crucial elements for achieving exceptional results.
The strongest leaders are those who step beyond their comfort zones to build real connections and have the conversations that matter. If you're ready to elevate your career and communicate with confidence, join me for Your Career Game-Changer. Secure your spot today!