S1 E7 Promoting Innovation through Externalization

Summary   In this conversation, Dr. Marc Reynolds explores the power of externalizing thoughts and plans with your team. He discusses the benefits of externalization, such as team alignment, increased employee engagement, and promotion of innovation. Dr. Reynolds provides practical tips for capitalizing on this power, including tying everything back to mission or values, pointing out successes, and focusing on positive feedback. He also emphasizes the importance of avoiding common pitfalls in feedback and idea-sharing, such as using the 'but' statement and shutting down ideas. Dr. Reynolds concludes by highlighting the significance of returning and reporting as part of company culture.   Takeaways

• Externalizing thoughts and plans with your team enhances team alignment, increases employee engagement, and promotes innovation.
• Tie everything back to your mission or values to create a sense of purpose and guide decision-making.
• Point out successes and provide positive feedback to encourage employees and foster a culture of celebration.
• Avoid common pitfalls in feedback and idea-sharing, such as using the 'but' statement and shutting down ideas.
• Make returning and reporting a part of company culture to empower employees and ensure accountability.

Chapters   00:00 Introduction 02:37 Celebrating the Positive 03:02 Avoiding Common Pitfalls 04:30 Setting Clear Time Limits 05:39 Making Returning and Reporting a Part of Company Culture 06:09 Conclusion   Keywords   externalizing thoughts, team alignment, employee engagement, innovation, positive feedback, idea-sharing, returning and reporting, company culture  

Episode Transcript

(00:14):
If youare a business leader looking to foster
a positive workplace culture, enhanceteam effectiveness and navigate challenges
effectivelywhile focusing on strategic objectives.
Or if you just want to make work workbetter, then
join us for a mini workshop where we sharethree things you can do today.
I'm your host, Dr. Marc Reynolds.
Today we're going to explore the powerof externalizing

(00:36):
your thoughts and plans with your team.
This is something that Dana Oakesshared on his last interview.
We invite you to check it out.
first,one of the benefits of externalizing
your ideas is that itenhances team alignment.
It aligns team members aroundcommon goals and objectives.
Secondis it increases employee engagement.
Engaged teams showhigher productivity and profitability.

(00:58):
And finally, it promotesinnovation, encourages diverse ideas
and improves decision making outcomes.
What are the things that you can do todayto capitalize on this?
First, tie everythingback to your mission or values verbally
if it doesn't seem annoying and repetitivethen it's not enough.
It will actually free peopleto be more innovative

(01:18):
and to feel confident that they knowhow to make decisions on their own,
because they understand the values
and principles that are guiding everythingthe company does.
Second, point out successes.
Point out the good examples the peopleyou want other employees to emulate.
Rotate it around.
Make sure that everyone feels likethey've been given credit at some place.

(01:40):
One of the things that I foundas an educator
in higher education is traditionally
the first things that come outof a teacher's mouth is critical.
It's fix this, fix this, fix this,or you don't know this.
And giving them informationthey don't know.
That might seemlike an obvious way to teach.
But one semester, I purposely just focusedon trying to identify the things

(02:02):
that they did well, even if it was justa small improvement from the time before.
And often they're in areas
that I would want much greater improvementthat weren't what I wanted yet.
And when I pointed out the positives,an interesting thing happened.
Not only didthey get better at those positive things,
but they often
naturally fix the negative thingsthat I didn't say a thing about.

(02:24):
They just intuitively startedfixing and addressing those other issues
that were things that I would havetraditionally called out critically.
So we might be afraid
that if I don't call it out,if I don't address it, it won't get fixed.
And there is a time and placefor critical feedback and telling people

(02:45):
what needs to change, what needsto be improved, and giving the knowledge
they don't have.
But that is received a lot betterand is much more effective
if the majority of things coming out ofyour mouth are things that they're doing
well, that you're trying to celebrate.
When people are sharing their ideaswith you or trying to spitball
different ideas and optionsand if you open yourself up to feedback

(03:09):
and to concerns or questions,that is great.
There are common pitfallsthat people fall into in those situations.
Number one is avoid the “but” statementthat is, “oh, you know what?
That's a good idea...
But we're not going to do thatbecause bla bla bla bla.
” Just avoid the “but”.
Just say that was a good idea.

(03:32):
And then either
add on to it and develop itor move into something else.
This is what is calledthe yes and statement.
This is an improv tool.
And basically that is rather than negatingwhat someone saying, say yes
and then add something more onto thator take it in a new direction.
The response to that is one of innovation,of creation,

(03:55):
of collaboration and synergy,rather than of people feeling
shut down and not wanting to sharebecause they're going to feel rejected.
Other common statements to avoid are“I should have...”
or “I've already thought of that”.
You can validate a personfor sharing ideas
and giving feedbackwithout committing to the action,

(04:16):
or committing to doing somethingabout their suggestion.
If it's a good one,follow up on it, great.
If not, just validate the sharingand get the ball rolling
so that as many people are giving inputand suggestions as possible, Something
to help you in feeling comfortableto do that is, set a clear time limit
and a timer for that feedbackand those ideas to be injected.

(04:38):
So you'll say we're going to do thisfor the next five minutes.
That way people know that if they reallywant to share and now is the time.
And you also know that this isn'tjust going to devolve
into some long winded conversationwhere everyone's going
to have to have their say.
It's become this unmanageable mess.
Don't go there. Set a time limit.

(05:10):
Finally, make returning and
reporting a part of company cultureby doing it yourself with your teams.
If people commit to do something,they need to offer the outcome
without being asked.
So if I'm asked to go follow upwith this other person and do x, y, and z,
then what I need to do the next timeI see you is say, this is what I did.

(05:31):
I was able to follow up with this personand do x and z.
I still am waiting to hear backso I can finish y.
That should be the company culturewhere the person returns and reports -
not that the leader or the manager goes tothe person and has to ask every time.
Each personshould be empowered to own the tasks

(05:52):
they've been given, and to want tothen respond and tell of their successes
or the help that they need.
We hope that this gives yousome really practical tools to be able
to explore the power of externalizingyour thoughts and plans with your team.
That abilityto not just hold everything in your head,
but to lay out crucial, relevant piecesso that everyone can see

(06:13):
is going to help people line upbehind you, get on board
and enact your visionwith a more empowered
and innovative approachthan you would be able to do on your own.
Good luck on making work workbetter this week!
See you for our next mini workshopwhere we'll talk
about navigating pain pointsthat are beyond your control.

(06:36):
See you next time.