Imagine you are in a project approval meeting where you have been assigned to lead a team in a foreign country. When you express support for the project, the local team simply nods silently.
This scenario was presented by the instructor at an international business leadership seminar I recently attended, and he asked, “Is your team agreeing with you because it’s a good project or because you are the boss from head office?” How do you make it safe for the team to respectfully disagree and suggest other approaches? How do you create a culture in which innovation thrives?
Whether at home or abroad, as in-house counsel, we are often on multi-disciplinary teams where the same scenario plays out. Or we are presented with a project proposal as a fait accompli, and we are called on to structure and paper it. How do we voice concerns and recommend alternatives while still preserving confidence in our abilities?
These questions came sharply into focus when I moved to our Mexico office. In a culture where hierarchy is strong, I need to ensure my team has a safe space to speak up. This may mean going for coffee with each member and taking the pulse of a project in that informal setting.
Differing communication styles are also a factor. One of my favourite examples dates back to my early days in Mexico when a local lawyer said a proposed project would be difficult. My Canadian colleagues took that to mean they would just have to work harder. My Mexican friend was really saying it would be impossible, but in this culture, people seldom deliver bad news directly. Learning these nuances takes time and patience.
Let’s not forget non-verbal cues. Are head nods actually a form of disagreement among your team? While deciphering body language cues can be difficult in your own culture, it can be a huge challenge in another culture. For example, the Indian head bobble can mean yes, no or maybe. No wonder we experience intercultural misunderstandings!
Whenever I run into problems like these, I am reminded of Commander Deanna Troi, the empath character in Star Trek Next Generation whose job was to interpret the emotional intent of the various alien species the crew encountered. Why is a certain question being asked? What might I be missing that the team would be willing to share if only I could discover the key to safe communication?
Researchers have found that high-performing creative teams behave differently than what we typically see in business meetings. Ideas are debated, examined from different angles, turned inside out and expanded. They are not simply accepted but improved upon and made stronger by the team’s collective efforts and contributions.
So coming back to the initial scenario, the first step is for the team leader to demonstrate a willingness to listen. Second, they should create a structure to allow for dissenting views to be heard, such as Warren Buffet’s red team/blue team set-up, where one side presents the case for a project while the other presents the case against it. Alternatively, before presenting their opinion, the leader can set aside 15 minutes to only hear why the project should not go ahead. This is a powerful tool to allow the quiet dissenters to express their concerns and the team to build a better solution.
Innovation can flourish on any team in any country. We just need to ask good questions, listen carefully to the answers and build a process that brings out the best ideas from all corners of the room.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not those of her employer.
Patricia Osoko is the Legal Director for ATCO México, where she supports operations in energy infrastructure and modular construction, as well as new growth opportunities. She also leads Silver Birch Innovations, where she studies and implements innovation and cultural transformation through digital reinvention, policy and process restructuring. Connect with her on LinkedIn.