As I watched the Memorial Day Parade in my local community this past weekend, I was taken with the diverse groups who shared their banners and costumes. The marchers had enormous smiles across their faces as they valiantly waved flags and shouted out cheers. The spectacle included town wide organizations as well as veterans who served so proudly in the name of freedom. One could not help but feel a sense of connectedness and belonging, two values that have steered us for so many years. As an entire nation comes together to honor our most important reason for our existence, being free, we celebrate in unison across the land.
The same can be said for leading on our teams. Wherever we are leading from in our work worlds, allowing freedom to light our way, is the best strategy for high performance and teamwork. Teams that value a commitment to being free will grow future leaders and cultivate an environment of transparency.
Seven ways to bring freedom to our workplaces:
1. Use clarity in all communication
No matter our message, make sure the words we choose are clear and reflect the truth. Even if we have to share bad news, be honest and don’t beat around the bush. Just say it. Don’t leave information out so the entire team hears the complete story and facts.
2. Offer an abundance of praise and gratitude
There’s no such thing as giving too much credit. Letting your team members know how much you appreciate them and how they made a difference in the outcome of a project goes a far way. Even better, take a team member or co-worker out to lunch to show your appreciation.
3. Listen to opposing perspectives
The United States was founded on the principle of uniting different cultures and backgrounds. Empower each person we connect with to share their suggestions and listen with intent to really understand what they are saying.
- Don’t interrupt while others are explaining
- Ask empowering questions, not ones that are judgmental
- Let your body language and facial expressions reflect your involvement in the conversation
- Share your reactions in a supportive way using words like “and” instead of “but”
[Tweet “When leaders listen with intent, they cultivate freedom to speak.”]
4. Allow mistakes to guide success
Look at mistakes as a gift- a way to create a better outcome. By encouraging risk-taking we are saying that it is far better to make a mistake with trying something different than being afraid of attempting something new. Share your stories of how a mistake led to a great discovery and taught you an important lesson that impacts your choices even today.
5. Value each person’s contributions
Being part of a workplace that values freedom means seeing as well as acknowledging how each individual contributes to the whole. No team member’s contribution is less critical than any other. Without each piece of the puzzle, the completed deliverable won’t be the best it can be.
[Tweet “Leaders build freedom when they recognize each person’s contribution.”]
6. Create a team mantra
Just as America calls itself-“land of the free and home of the brave”, it really helps to describe what freedom looks like in our work worlds.
- Think of words that identify the team’s personality
- Brainstorm different suggestions of overlapping and critical values your team stands for
- State the direction the team members see themselves moving towards
- Create an image that pulls everyone together
7. Build a culture of mentorship
Similar to how our veterans feel responsible for each other, we can support the growth and development of our co-workers and colleagues through mentoring partnerships. Feeling free to share our challenges and dreams with a mentor cultivates a community of trust and respect. Having partners who hold us accountable leads to high performance and connectedness. That is true workplace freedom.
How have you developed a leadership strategy of freedom?
It’s interesting. I’m watching my client’s organization through their eyes. The biggest stumbling block to feeling a sense of freedom, connectedness and belonging is positional leadership. There’s no listening, no “I hear you and here’s what we’re doing,” no recognition of the impact of their decisions – it’s top down all the way. The qualities you describe here are one of inclusion and caring – the cornerstone of creating a great place to work.
Thanks, Terri! Will share!
Alli
You are so right Alli! When leaders are willing to listen and empower their teams to be part of the conversation and decision-making, there is trust and inclusion. All of those qualities lead to a work world of freedom and choice.
Every team members wants to feel valued and adding a contribution. Isn’t it time we allow more freedom to share, to speak out and to belong?
Thanks Alli!!
Excellent and remarkable post.
Very practical and true points indeed.
For a “World ranking” organization all these points are essential to implement and monitor. by the Sr. Management.
Performance excellence is not possible without all these.
Regards,
Zafarmanzoor, Sr. Executive, FFC, Pakistan.
Thanks Zafar! I appreciate your kind words!
Another spot on article, Terri!
I’ve always believed that the more confident we are as leaders, the more willing we are to share praise and give others a chance to grow. Confidence in our abilities means that we are willing to experience failure in order to find that growing edge…
Confidence is so important to leaders being able to share their stories and vulnerabilities. Confidence is also the key to leaders seeing the potential in others and coaching them in ways to grow and develop. All these skills build a team of free thinkers and doers. It also adds to an environment of respect, trust and innovation.
Thanks LaRae for your wonderful insights!
7 excellent tips for cultivating freedom in the workplace, Terri. This article was thought provoking. I especially related to tip #3 – opposing views.
When a workplace values freedom of speech, it reaps the benefits of higher performance from inclusion and engagement. Leveraging different points of view and different ways of thinking raises awareness, exposes more about a situation and enables better problem solving. Moreover it is an underpinning of the respect, trust and innovation you note as vital to an organization’s success.
Wonderful points Terri- ” Leveraging different points of view and different ways of thinking raises awareness, exposes more about a situation and enables better problem solving”! And better problem solving leads to more successful decision-making. When team members feel they are being heard they are more likely to contribute their valuable ideas and suggestions and even take more risks. And then freedom truly permeates throughout the workplace.
Thanks Terri for adding to our dialogue!