By Dr. Michael O'Brien
Curiosity and conversation can lead executive teams through fear and into productive action.
As the head of your health system, you know all too well how difficult it can be to change the status quo. No matter how promising an initiative, ideas that change the way work gets done are almost always met with resistance, even from those who stand to benefit the most. As unnatural as this hesitance may seem, it is actually driven by one of the most basic human motivators: fear.
Employees might fear losing their jobs and having to learn new processes. Management might be afraid of being perceived as poor leaders or thought of as unprepared for the new environment. The organization as a whole could fear risking its reputation. The problem with fear is that, while it is widespread, it is rarely spoken aloud. Instead, it manifests itself in people's decisions and behavior, hiding behind their default defensive routines.
Note just how common these defensive routines are in your workplace:
- Using evidence to prove the superiority of one's views.
- Using directive questions.
- Using personal attacks on those who hold opposing views.
- Speaking as the only authority.
- Superficially agreeing with critics just to placate them.
- Hiding motives behind questions.
- Glossing over problems or appeasing the opposition.
- Using jokes, sarcasm and snide remarks.
- Avoiding those with differing views.
While fear is widespread, it is rarely spoken aloud.
The above routines are normal and ubiquitous in daily interactions – be they professional or personal. However natural, these routines are the result of our basic propensity to fight or to flee from things, ideas and people that we perceive as threats. Although executives don't choose to feel this fear, and many wish they were not burdened by it, it cannot simply be eliminated – it is too basic a human response. What they can do, however, is master it.
To help yourself and your executive team master your fears, consider these two interrelated practices: being curious and making requests.
Being curious
Being curious, in general, forces us to try and understand other people's points of view, especially those with whom we disagree. This is not about being nosey or suspicious, it is about showing an honest interest in what someone else is thinking, doing and saying. Simply, this is about a desire to know someone else's story – the reasons why they are so resistant to change, for example.
Everything a person does makes sense in his or her own mind. Curiosity allows us a peek into those places. In being curious, you will learn to ask questions, to listen for the answers, to reach a mutual understanding and to tailor your behavior and strategies according to the information you've received.
Nothing gets accomplished without someone making a request and another person making a promise.
Making Requests
Once you have cultivated your curiosity, you're now ready to ask for the specifics: the who, what, when and how of actions and results. In organizational life, nothing gets accomplished without someone making a request (or an offer) and another person making a promise. This pairing of a request and a promise can help your leadership team not only to clarify the lines of accountability, but also change non-functioning behavior and introduce better practices.
With this approach, it is no longer enough for someone to say, "I support your effort." That usually leads you nowhere. Leaders have to request a full explanation and a conversation, hold responsible those who made a promise and offer resources and tools to help the effort move forward. By being curious and making requests, leadership teams can gain a full perspective of their individual and collective stories, learning to move beyond their fears into productive action.