This is never an easy task. Getting your employees to open up and being expressive is not easy, especially in Asian culture. However, I have worked with CEOs and business owners to enable a safe environment that gets the team to be open.

Remember, when you are asking a question to your team, getting a response from them is a 4-part process that is intangible, and at times, CEOs tend to discount this process.

  1. Think – pause to consume your question
  2. Process – analysing the best answer in response to your question
  3. Express – ways to communicate their response to you
  4. Handle Rejection – overcome the fear of possible rejection, or bosses’ reaction to the response

As you can see, there are 4 parts of responding to questions that you pose.

Most employees struggle with Step 3 and 4. They may know the answer, but they struggle with communicating effectively, and more so, they might be fearful of the response you might give them.

As a boss, it is important to create a work environment that encourages open communication and trust. Here are some tips to help your employees open up:

  1. Be approachable: Make sure your employees feel comfortable approaching you with any questions or concerns they have. Show that you are open to feedback, and that you’re there to help them.
  2. Be clear: Make sure your questions are clear and specific. This will help your employees understand what you are asking and give more relevant and accurate answers.
  3. Be patient: Give your employees enough time to think and respond. Do not rush them, and avoid interrupting them before they finish their answer. Your response (words and non-words), are important here. Remember your body language says a lot, that you might not be aware of, that you are communicating.
  4. Listen actively: Pay attention to what your employees are saying, and show that you are engaged in the conversation. Make eye contact, nod your head, and ask follow-up questions to show that you are interested.
  5. Provide context: Give your employees enough context to help them understand why you are asking the question. This will help them provide more relevant and useful answers. This is important to give your employees the bigger picture, and better clarity around where your question is coming from.
  6. Respect their input: Show that you value their input, even if you don’t always agree with their answers. Be respectful and avoid being dismissive of their opinions or ideas. My practice is always to say “thank you”, regardless of the accuracy of the answer and response. When you express gratitude, you will reinforce to your employees that their behaviour of attempting the response is appreciated.
  7. Follow up: After your employees provide an answer, follow up with any necessary feedback or next steps. This will help them feel that their input was valuable and appreciated.

Remember, we tend to underrate the process that is taken for employees to speak up. We often have forgotten who we were when we were growing as leaders, and we were given time and space to speak up, with no judgment.

It is important to provide that safe environment for employees to speak up with confidence. Work on the premise that your employees have the answers, and you need to access their thinking process so you can understand them better than they even understand themselves.

THIS IS THE ROLE OF A LEADER.

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