Episode Summary
In this episode of Mondays with Mike, host Mike Staver tackles the important question: How do you encourage more honest communication? Drawing from his coaching experience, Mike Staver explores why fostering authenticity and openness is critical, yet so often lacking in organizations.
He begins by emphasizing that creating a safe environment is the single biggest factor in encouraging honesty. Mike explains that, while many organizations claim to value transparency, real honesty often leads to embarrassment, defensiveness, or even punishment—which only reinforces silence. To counter this, he suggests leaders must make it genuinely safe for people to tell the truth, and respond to honesty non-defensively.
Mike also stresses the importance of validating people’s perspectives, noting that although perception isn’t necessarily reality, it’s still each person’s truth. He recommends acknowledging others’ viewpoints with empathetic language and exploring alternative explanations together. Instead of immediately pushing back or offering excuses, leaders should be curious and open, which encourages people to share openly in the future.
Finally, He shares a cautionary story about the pitfalls of favoritism—and the way it shuts down honest feedback within an organization. He wraps up by reiterating the importance of safety, validation, and open exploration in cultivating a culture where honest communication can truly thrive.
Key Takeaways
- Honest communication is only possible when people feel safe expressing their thoughts without fear of embarrassment or retaliation.
- Leaders should validate others’ perspectives—even if they disagree—by recognizing their reality is real to them.
- Respond to honest feedback non-defensively and use curiosity (e.g., “Could there be other explanations?”) to explore issues together.
- Creating psychological safety helps surface hidden problems, like favoritism, that would otherwise go unaddressed.
- Making honesty safe, maintaining openness, and collaboratively seeking solutions are essential for a genuinely transparent culture.
Notable Quotes
- “You encourage more honest communication by doing this very simply: make it really safe to give you honest communication.”
- “A lot of organizations say, ‘We want authentic, transparent communication.’ And then somebody’s authentic and transparent—and they get embarrassed, they get a lecture, they get told they’re wrong. That’s not a safe place to be honest.”
- “We can validate their perspective… I use phrases like, ‘I realize it seems that way, and maybe it is. We need to investigate.’”
- “So make it safe, receive it non-defensively, and then explore alternative explanations or solve for the problem.”
Mike Staver is the CEO and Founder of The Staver Group, a proven leadership development firm dedicated to improving organizational performance by closing the gap between intentions and execution. To learn more about working with Mike and The Staver Group, email info@mikestaver.com.
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