Safe to Speak Cultures and Teams

A common barrier to productivity, collaboration, innovation and team cohesion are groups and meetings within which participants do not feel safe to speak—free to engage, suggest options, express opinions, and be open and fully participative. This might stem from a fear of retribution, marginalization or professional diminishment – or just because a team or leader has purposefully or inadvertently adopted a style that works against collaboration and inclusion – in favor of control. OKA’s Safe to Speak Cultures and Teams workshop helps leaders and teams see the impact of the status quo and provides a mental model and tools to effectively move along the control – collaborate continuum in a manner that supports “safe to speak” goals and outcomes. Participants also practice collaboration behaviors that contribute to team/group safety and cohesion.

Participants will:
• Paint a behavioral portrait of the team’s current state
• Understand how behaviors along the control-collaboration continuum impact inclusion, productivity and innovation
• Learn and practice tools to help boost collaboration and create safe to speak cultures
• Learn and discuss the process for setting and maintaining desired group norms
• Develop a personal action plan to apply workshop insights