Sarah Rozenthuler, a leading international figure in the field of multi-stakeholder dialogue. A chartered psychologist and leadership consultant, gives her top ten reasons for clear and comprehensive communication.
1. Builds trust. Without this vital ingredient, teams don’t work, leaders lack traction and projects fail. The quickest way to build trust is through being willing to talk about what matters most – and encouraging others to do the same.
2. Inspires new ideas. People share their best thinking, work hardest and come up with their freshest ideas when they are engaged. The wealth of untapped intelligence in organisations can be best accessed by listening to people and helping them listen to each other.
3. Cultivates collaboration. Without good dialogue, problems remain unresolved and “silo working” sets in. Good communication is at the heart of productive teamwork, successful projects and effective leadership. People who talk together create together.
4. Improves relationships. We deepen our connections with people by talking openly and honestly. When we look beyond our own self-interested perspective and try to see others’ points of view, we build bridges with them.
5. Resolves conflict. Difficult feelings – resentment, frustration or disappointment – often fester if we don’t communicate them. A good conversation helps to clear the air and make space for something new, whether it’s a restored relationship, a gracious goodbye or an agreement to disagree.
6. Encourages creativity. To produce quality goods and services, we need the spark of new ideas which often emerge from the creative tension between different points of view. In a team, everyone holds a piece of the puzzle. The only way to complete the jigsaw is by finding a way to talk together.
7. Increases wellbeing. Research shows that people who have substantive conversations are happier than those who just do small talk. When we have time to reflect with each other, we feel more fulfilled in our work and wider lives.
8. Creates more meaning. Younger people entering the workforce (“millennials”) don’t just want to make money. They want high impact work and to feel that they can shape their destiny. Employees who are inspired by meaningful dialogue are more likely stay with their organisation than move on.
9. Opens doors. Finding the courage to speak out creates new opportunities. A conversation could lead to a pay rise, a promotion or an unexpected perk. Sometimes the next chapter doesn’t start until the threshold of talking together is crossed.
10. Expands flexibility. Being skilful at dialogue makes us more agile. We are better able to understand others, see the bigger picture and come up with solutions that we might never have reached by working alone.
Sarah Rozenthuler is a leading international figure in the field of multi-stakeholder dialogue. A chartered psychologist and leadership consultant, she creates transformative change for global leaders and their organisations, including Old Mutual, EY, PwC, Virgin and the World Bank. She previously worked with global thought leader Bill Isaacs, founder of the consultancy Dialogos, and co-led the Leadership for Collective Intelligence programme for senior executives. Her book Life-Changing Conversations (2012) has been featured in numerous publications, including the Sunday Times, the Observer and the Huffington Post. www.sarahrozenthuler.com
Sarah will co-present the innovative skill-building programme Leading Systemic Dialogue: Unlocking Collective Intelligence at St Ethelburga’s Centre in the City of London, 9th & 10th November, sharing tools to co-create lasting transformative change in organisations. For more information visit: http://www.wholepartnership.com/open-programmes/
