How do we handle hidden agendas?
We have all been in these type of meetings. Things seem to be productive, everything is moving right along, until the chair of the meeting opens it up for new business. Next thing you know, someone brings up the minuscule salary increases; someone else complains that their department budget was cut 3%, and someone else's only 2; and someone else drones on about their committee assignment vs. the assignment the new hire just received.
Why does this happen in meetings? Typically because it is the only place that people feel comfortable voicing concerns. Employees don't trust leadership enough to walk into their office and sit down to discuss issues, so they raise them in front of their peers in order to feel safe.
So how do we avoid these scenarios? How do we keep meetings productive, yet also give everyone a voice in the organization? And where does servant-leadership fit into all of this?
One of the things that I've mentioned over and over is that creating a servant-leader organization is not done overnight. It is a culture that takes time to build. Why? Because helping employees to hold the organization in trust is not an easy task. Rightfully so, they need to see leadership "walking the walk." And depending on past practices, it may take a lot of "walking" for that trust in organizational leadership to form. And once the trust in the organizatoinal leadership is there, then and only then will employees begin to take the step of trusting the organization as a whole.
Once this begins to happen, amazing things will begin to fall into place: employees feel comfortable bringing up concerns to the leadership team; and voicing concerns to leadership in their office rather at meetings is not only considered o.k, it is encouraged.
Just remember: the next time you are sitting in a meeting where these hidden agendas begin to come out, don't blame the person who brings the issue up. Rather, ask yourself what level of trust exists between the employees and leadership that would make the person feel the need to bring it up in this setting.
Why does this happen in meetings? Typically because it is the only place that people feel comfortable voicing concerns. Employees don't trust leadership enough to walk into their office and sit down to discuss issues, so they raise them in front of their peers in order to feel safe.
So how do we avoid these scenarios? How do we keep meetings productive, yet also give everyone a voice in the organization? And where does servant-leadership fit into all of this?
One of the things that I've mentioned over and over is that creating a servant-leader organization is not done overnight. It is a culture that takes time to build. Why? Because helping employees to hold the organization in trust is not an easy task. Rightfully so, they need to see leadership "walking the walk." And depending on past practices, it may take a lot of "walking" for that trust in organizational leadership to form. And once the trust in the organizatoinal leadership is there, then and only then will employees begin to take the step of trusting the organization as a whole.
Once this begins to happen, amazing things will begin to fall into place: employees feel comfortable bringing up concerns to the leadership team; and voicing concerns to leadership in their office rather at meetings is not only considered o.k, it is encouraged.
Just remember: the next time you are sitting in a meeting where these hidden agendas begin to come out, don't blame the person who brings the issue up. Rather, ask yourself what level of trust exists between the employees and leadership that would make the person feel the need to bring it up in this setting.
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