Published: June 2, 2022
“How do you develop someone who thinks outside the box, but who stays within the framework of your playbook?” -Dave Turin
The real challenge when it comes to getting people to think creatively and share their ideas is to build a safe environment within your company that says it’s okay to speak up.
If you create that safe environment, that person will step up, and then you have the opportunity to encourage that independent thinking.
It Starts from the Top
As a leader, you have to allow people the freedom to speak up. By your actions and the way you communicate with others, you show your team that they will be heard and valued and that they can cultivate and share out-of-the-box ideas. That's what happened with Aaron Witt and Dan Briscoe here at BuildWitt. They've got all kinds of stories about how Dan's willingness to speak up and Aaron's willingness to listen have made BuildWitt better.
Be Constructive
In order to truly create this kind of culture, you have to be constructive, and that sense of constructive encouragement must permeate throughout the entire company
Like with all of these principles, it’s top-down and bottom-up. The principle of creating a workplace where every single employee feels free to bring new ideas to the table, from laborer to general superintendent, is rooted in having great individuals in every position on your team.
Check out Dave's next lesson, Developing Confidence and Humility.
