Why Didn’t You Say Something?
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer

Have you ever been in a meeting and thought things went so well? You were so proud of how your team came together, how differences were put aside, and how everyone seemed to be pulling in the same direction. That is, until after the meeting when several “meetings after the meetings” popped up. What happened? You were sure everyone was in agreement.

You just experienced the reality of misunderstood behavioral profiles. If you were so sure that everyone was in agreement, my guess is that you are either a high Dominance or high Influence behavior profile. If you are the high “D,” you are wondering why it even matters. If you are the high “I,” you are stunned that you weren’t able to get them all in agreement and you might even be wondering if they are blaming you for the result of the meeting.

The only thing you did wrong was not being aware that your Steadiness and Compliance behavioral profiles will only speak up if they feel the environment is safe or if they are certain of the information they have. They didn’t feel comfortable speaking up during the meeting, and once they were back in a safe environment they shared their feelings. Both the “S” and “C” profiles are introverted and keep things inside. As a leader, we need to make sure that we draw out their thoughts and comments. We also need to make sure that the more extraverted “D” and “I” team members don’t overpower them. Be careful that you don’t put them on the spot in front of their peers. Take time before the next meeting to let them know that you will be calling on them for their input.

Once you get everyone on your team to speak up, the meetings after the meetings will slowly come to an end. If you would like more tips on how your “S” and “C” team members communicate, join Marisa and me for Episode 109 of The Next Page podcast.

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