The biggest barrier to leading successful change is the elephant under the table

Many leaders are under huge pressures to drive performance and meet targets. To transform a culture, they need to communicate in a way that will inspire people. Yet most staff are silent about the latest strategic plan or performance framework because they don't understand it. But they feel unable to say what they think. In highly charged political work environments it can feel too risky, dangerous in fact, to speak up and challenge how effective new initiatives really are.

When people feel unable to speak honestly about the real issues, it can create the sort of frustration and confusion that soon leads to a culture of low morale, blame, distrust, resistance and ultimately sabotage. This can be a big problem for leaders, as they often get shielded from the truth, so don’t get the honest feedback they need to lead effectively. If this gap of meaning between leader and staff goes unclarified, it can spiral out into unproductive cycles of unreality and pretence. Eventually no one wants to talk about the real issues at meetings, even though they are staring everyone in the face. It is too dangerous to talk about them. This is the elephant under the table.

Where can people find the space to talk honestly about the issues that are really important to them?
How can leaders get the feedback they need in order to know what is really going on in their organisation?
What is the financial cost of not having honest conversations?

We all know how good it feels to be courageous and speak up, and how it creates the sort of energy that motivates us to deal effectively with whatever confronts us at work. Delta7 supports leaders to create a safe space for people to discuss difficult subjects. We encourage honest inquiry into the real issues that block change. To experience how our approach can create meaningful conversations throughout your organisation contact us.