Are you being heard?

In a traditional team environment, a leader or manager comes to their team with updates and information and the team is expected to listen to what they have to say. Not all information will be received positively, but there is an existing power dynamic that ensures leaders are listened to – there is space made for what they need to say. 

But those leaders aren’t just leaders of their own teams, they’re also members of a different group – the leadership team. In this setting, leaders aren’t the boss. That familiar power dynamic doesn’t always exist in this group because the leaders are often equal with each other. When it’s time for the leadership team to come together to discuss important issues, it can be difficult for each person to be heard. 

Making your voice heard within leadership teams

Leadership teams take different forms across organisations, but often these teams are filled with leaders on a similar level. When that clear hierarchy doesn’t exist, each individual uses different tactics to make sure their voice is heard. Who can be the loudest? The most aggressive? The most confident? The most opinionated? 

It’s likely you can think of your most recent leadership meeting and identify members of your own leadership team who have resorted to these tactics. There isn’t usually any ill-intent with these approaches; each person comes to the meeting with their own agenda, their own expectations, and their own opinions and their focus is on being heard by any means possible. 

Being heard doesn’t have to come at the expense of drowning other voices out. 

Want to be heard? Prepare. 

There is no silver bullet that will make your fellow leaders sit up and listen to what you have to say. A little preparation, however, can go a long way. 

• Agendas matter. Want to make sure your topic is raised at the meeting? Get it onto the agenda. Email the facilitator to get your topic on the agenda or, if there is no agenda, email the whole team to flag the topic. Include some pre-reading or other information so that it’s easy for them to come to the meeting ready to meet you where you’re at.
  
• Be ready to lead the discussion. Putting an item on the agenda isn’t enough. You need to be ready to start the conversation in the meeting environment, have your own thoughts and opinions prepared, and create a space where discussion is welcome. Even if there is no agenda, be sure you are ready with data, confidence, and experience to back up your opinions and articulate your point effectively. 
  
• Follow up, no matter the outcome. After the meeting ends, make sure you email the team to confirm any decisions that were made and outline the action points moving forward and, of course, thank them for their time. Not all issues will be resolved in one discussion, so make sure you follow up regardless, providing the team with a recap of what was discussed and any extra information that might help them to feel good about making a decision.

It may seem simple, but being ready shows your colleagues, your fellow leaders, that you are worth listening to – that your opinion isn’t just a gut feeling, it’s one backed by intention and evidence. You don’t need to rely on being the loudest person or the most aggressive in the room; you have the information to help everyone move towards a positive outcome. 

Creating an environment where everyone is heard

As a leader, it can be tricky to straddle the two worlds of being in a position of power within one team, and being on equal footing in another but taking your turn as a member of a team, rather than a leader, can show you what it means to really be heard.

Consider your own team environment. Although you are the leader and your team waits to hear from you, are you creating a welcoming space where they can raise their own issues and be heard? 

Want to know how to create space for better team discussions? People Make the Difference can help. To find out more, visit www.pmtd.com.au or call us on 0412 333 415.