Psychological safety in organizations is an oft discussed subject today. A key element of psychological safety is the ability to freely share a contrarian thought or idea; disagree with our co-workers, manager, or seniors.
To build a psychologically safe workplace, we expect our co-workers and seniors to be
open, not wedded to their ideas and
willing to be challenged
Within same context, surprisingly some people seem to successfully influence others to accept their divergent thoughts, while few others seem to get snubbed.
Ever wonder why? The answer I believe lies in the fact that organizations are made up of people; and human beings are entangled with emotions, egos, good and bad days.
When we understand this nuance, we can adapt
How we share our contrarian idea or suggestion, as “I disagree with you” OR “Here’s a different idea”
When we share it – in one-on-one / small group setting or in larger gathering
The HOW and WHEN determine the response we get: whether our contrarian idea is accepted or rejected. The two-by-two matrix above outlines the same.
At the outset, I would like to thank you for stopping by my Blog.
I believe that there is nothing right or wrong in this world. What’s right in this moment and context may be wrong in another moment and context. This belief has inspired me to name my blog ‘Perspectives’.
Perspectives is a platform for me to share my experiences, thoughts and perspectives on various subjects. You may have a different point of view. I look forward to hearing them, these are the triggers for rich and deep conversations.
On personal front, I live in Mumbai, India. I love to read; Somerset Maugham and Nevil Shute are my favorite authors. My favorite books are The Razor’s Edge, Mrs. Craddock, Chequer Board and Gone with the Wind. I am thankful to my father who inculcated the habit of reading in me early on.
I am also passionate about traveling, I have been to most parts of India and to several countries across the globe.
On professional front, I work in Human Resources function. Over two and half decades, I have worked across multiple industries and cultures. I focus on Leadership Development, Talent Management, Visioning and Culture, Large-scale change, Employee Listening & Engagement, Employee Well-being, Inclusive work culture, HR effectiveness, Behavior and Mind-set shifts through sustained interventions
I currently lead Organization Effectiveness Function for Aditya Birla Group, a $44.3 billion conglomerate with 120000 employees across 35 countries.
I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading my blog. I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions.
Thank you!
View all posts by Padma Rajeswari Nandi
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