I have recently observed several executive meetings where you could almost smell the highly collaborative climate.
A collaborative climate does not mean being nice to everyone, it is finding the balance between being tough on issues and supportive with people and their ideas.
Here are five practices I observed at these meetings where the collaborative climate was high:
-It was not hectic; people were not rushing in to talk over each other.
-There were periods of silence, which encouraged thought and reflection between and after ideas and comments.
-High quality listeningwas present, with good follow-up questions and ideas that developed from these exchanges.
-Good questions were asked to learn more, and nobody was trying to look good, or score point with their questions.
-I did not witness any so called “killer phrases” that knocked people back in their seat.
-The senior leaders in these meetings let others discuss and share ideas first, creating involvement and came in at the end or when they had something highly relevant to add.
Are the collaborative climate aromas seeping out of your leadership team meetings? If not, it is time to change the recipe!
Image by Tyler Kellen & Tara Allan @ Flickr