07/10/2024

Creating a Culture of Conversation – Practical Help & Real-World Examples

In nearly every successful organisation, there is a strong culture of conversation (with the notable exception of The Diogenes Club, where the premise is based on the opposite!). It’s this shared culture that allows for meaningful collaboration, innovation, and mutual respect.

Leaders who prioritise open communication create environments where ideas flourish, problems are addressed before they become beasts with horns, and team members feel valued and heard. It’s important to remember that we’re not aiming for perfection right out of the blocks—maybe never—but by embarking on the journey towards a conversation culture, the rewards start coming pretty soon, and they don’t stop there.

We’ve put together our Super Six Takeaways, which form the basis of a practical strategy for cultivating a place in which conversation thrives. Take what you want, add to it, adapt it for you—and don’t forget to enjoy the journey.

1. Encourage Open Dialogue

One of the most important aspects of a conversation culture is encouraging open dialogue at all levels of the organisation. This means creating an atmosphere where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas, concerns, and feedback without fear of judgement or retaliation. Leaders can role-model this behaviour by being approachable and open to input from others, demonstrating that every voice matters and why.

Perhaps an extreme end of the conversation culture idea can be seen at Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge fund managers. Founder Ray Dalio has implemented a culture of radical transparency, where open dialogue is not just encouraged but expected. By creating systems that support this level of communication, Dalio has built a workplace where ideas can be freely exchanged, leading to better decision-making and innovation. It’s also interesting to see how Dalio learned the importance of this by betting against the US economy in the 1980s. During his TED talk, he shares a great video of himself with the footnote: “I’d lost so much money I couldn’t afford to pay the people who worked with me.”

2. Create Safe Spaces for Conversation

To encourage meaningful conversations, it’s essential to create safe spaces where team members can speak freely. This might involve setting up regular check-ins, creating small group discussions, or engaging in a Lead Happy Tribe. Opinion is divided on offering anonymous feedback channels where employees can voice their thoughts without fear of repercussions. At Lead Happy, we come down on the side against. If people are in fear and feel the only route is anonymity, then is this really a Safe Space?

Inclusivity and respect should be buzzwords when creating your safe spaces. People come in all their different personality flavours, and ensuring that everyone is heard means ensuring everyone feels comfortable contributing. This isn’t simply a well-meaning attempt to get everyone involved—natural introverts at every point on the scale have great ideas, different ideas. If you don’t bring them into the fray, you’re potentially missing out on gold.

Active listening, acknowledging different perspectives, and being mindful of cultural sensitivities will bring out the best in everyone. When people feel safe, they are far more likely to engage in honest conversations that lead to constructive outcomes. If you’ve been part of a Lead Happy Experience, you’ll know how integrated Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is to everything we believe. If you’re familiar with it, you’ll know that right after food, warmth, and health comes safety.

3. Lead by Example

As a leader, the way you communicate sets the tone for the entire organisation—CEOs, C-Suites, and other senior leaders ignore this at their peril. You can demonstrate the value of conversation and show others how to engage in it effectively. This includes being transparent in your communications, showing empathy in your interactions, and being willing to have difficult conversations when necessary.

Jacinda Ardern’s leadership in the wake of the Christchurch shootings in New Zealand in 2019 is a powerful example of how clear, compassionate communication guided a nation through its darkest hours. By leading through conversation—both private and public—she helped to heal a community and set a global standard for how leaders can respond to crisis with empathy and decisive action. 

Immediately following the attack, Ardern made a point to engage in conversations directly with the victims’ families and the Muslim community. She visited the affected community, wearing a hijab as a sign of respect, and spoke with survivors and family members, offering her condolences and support. Her words were not just of sympathy but of solidarity, as she famously declared, “They are us,” reinforcing the idea that the Muslim community was an integral part of New Zealand society.

Ardern’s approach to these conversations was characterised by deep empathy and a clear commitment to listening. She created the space for the community to express their grief, fears, and concerns, and she responded with a promise of action. This was evident in her swift move to tighten gun laws in New Zealand, a decision she communicated with clarity and resolve.

In her public addresses, Ardern was careful to avoid giving the attacker notoriety, refusing to speak his name and instead focusing on the victims and the broader message of unity. Her words during these speeches were carefully chosen to emphasise the need for love, compassion, and inclusivity, setting a tone that resonated deeply both within New Zealand and around the world.  For this website at least, she is one of the greatest modern politicians at leading by example.

4. Provide Resources & Support

Not everyone naturally excels at conversation, and that’s okay. We talk a lot about this in all of our Lead Happy Experiences. One of our founding beliefs is that everyone—should they choose to—can be a brilliant leader by understanding who they are and how that shows up for them. Providing support and resources to facilitate this can help team members develop the skills they need to engage in effective dialogue. It’s not one size fits all; it’s different for everyone. By empowering people to explore what they need, you give them some of the tools for better conversations. See the Lead Happy Masters Series for an introduction to some of our own resources for this.

To take a corporate example of this approach, let’s have a quick look at Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company known not only for its commitment to environmental sustainability but also for its strong internal communication culture. Patagonia emphasises the importance of clear and open communication as part of its organisational ethos, and this is reflected in the training and resources it provides to its employees. Maybe take a look at their values sometime.

The company offers its employees extensive training programmes that focus on communication skills, particularly around leadership and environmental advocacy. These programmes include workshops on how to effectively convey the company’s mission and values to both customers and the broader community. The training isn’t just about selling products—it’s about empowering employees to engage in meaningful conversations about the environmental and social issues that are central to Patagonia’s brand.

As if that wasn’t enough, the organisation actively encourages its employees to participate in activism and environmental campaigns, providing them with the tools and platforms to voice their concerns and advocate for change. This level of empowerment through communication support ensures that employees are not only well-informed but also confident in their ability to contribute to conversations that align with the company’s mission.

Their investment in these resources has built a culture where communication is central to both internal collaboration and external advocacy, an approach that has not only strengthened employee engagement but has also helped the company maintain its reputation as a leader in corporate social responsibility.

5. Recognise and Reward Effective Communication

Recognising and rewarding effective communication reinforces the importance of conversation within your organisation. At one end of the scale, it’s as simple as acknowledging team members who contribute valuable insights during a meeting, and at the other, it’s as formal as including communication skills in performance evaluations. People generally respond incredibly well to receiving positive feedback for their communication, and it can even create a snowball effect of great communication!

Whether you’re a fan of their work or not, global media behemoth Disney has their Disney Legacy Award, which is the highest honour a Cast Member (their name for their employees) can receive. This award recognises employees who consistently embody the company’s core values, including excellence in communication, whether it’s through guest interactions, teamwork, or leadership.

Cast Members are nominated by their peers for the Disney Legacy Award, and nominees are evaluated based on their ability to inspire others through clear, positive, and effective communication. Winners of the award are celebrated with a special ceremony and given a blue name tag, a symbol of their exceptional contributions, which they wear proudly while on duty.

Celebrating successes that come from great conversations—whether it’s a project completed ahead of schedule, a conflict resolved peacefully, or an innovative idea that emerged from a brainstorming session—almost always encourages a culture where conversation is valued. OK, so maybe blue badges for your cast members isn’t the right thing for your conveyancing firm, but the principles are no different. You get the picture…

6. Keep the Dialogue Ongoing

Creating a conversation culture isn’t a one-time effort; it’s an ongoing process. Regularly check in with your team to see how conversations are evolving, and be open to making adjustments as needed. Encourage continuous feedback and keep the lines of communication open at all times.

IDEO, a design and innovation firm, provides a great example where ongoing dialogue is a fundamental part of their creative process. They are known for their collaborative approach, where team members from diverse backgrounds and disciplines come together to brainstorm, prototype, and iterate on ideas. Central to this process is what they call “feedback culture,” where open, candid communication is encouraged at every stage of a project.

The organisation encourages and enables this culture by holding regular feedback sessions, known as “design critiques,” where team members present their work and receive constructive input from their peers. These sessions are not just about critiquing the work but about engaging in a dialogue that helps refine ideas and push the boundaries of creativity. The firm’s leadership ensures that these conversations are structured in a way that is both supportive and challenging, allowing for honest feedback while maintaining a positive and collaborative atmosphere.

This emphasis on continuous, open dialogue helps IDEO maintain its reputation for innovation and creativity. By making conversation an integral part of the design process, the company ensures that ideas are constantly evolving and improving, leading to regular groundbreaking solutions for their clients.

Building a Culture in Which Conversation Thrives

As we have seen through exploring the different aspects of creating a culture of conversation, it requires a lot of intentional effort at every step of the way. If it’s not something that has prevailed at your organisation before, there’s a mindset change to factor in too—but the rewards are well worth it—transformational in all the cases we have been involved in.

When leaders prioritise open dialogue, they create an ecosystem where ideas not only thrive but become the lifeblood of the organisation. Problems are solved collaboratively, and every team member feels valued. By encouraging open dialogue, creating safe spaces, leading by example, providing training, recognising effective communication, and keeping the conversation going, you can cultivate an environment where conversation is not just a tool, but the reality of the everyday in your organisation.

We know it’s easy to say, and if you’re coming at this from a cold start, it can feel daunting. So many companies don’t operate in this way and still turn a profit, no doubt about that. But when the chips are down and crisis looms—the most adaptable, the most resilient, and the most pioneering organisations will be those where the humans in them have got each other’s backs and aren’t afraid to be themselves, with open lines of communication in every direction.

As you work to build this culture, remember that conversation is more than just talk—it’s the foundation of connection, collaboration, and ultimately, growth—both business and personal!

If you’re looking to get serious about creating a conversation culture in your organisation, talk to us.  We have a specific Masterclass entitled “Exploding the Monologue” which explores this in an interactive Day-Experience.  We’d love to hear from you.