How you can support critical thinking and constructive discussion within your team

Every manager should try to get their subordinates to practise critical thinking and discuss constructively among themselves. Only old-fashioned, authoritarian managers believe subordinates should ask no questions, never argue, and do only as they are told. An effective manager, on the other hand, welcomes feedback and to some extent allows subordinates to comment critically and constructively on what is happening in the team and on projects the team is responsible for. How can you encourage critical thinking and constructive discussion in your team, but at the same time avoid perpetual debate and team paralysis?

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These tips were brought by Forbes.com.

Create opportunities for peer-to-peer discussions

First and foremost, you need to create a platform where discussion can occur at all. This could be team meetings or perhaps regular review meetings with individual subordinates. If you do not offer subordinates the space to express themselves, they can hardly give you their impressions and ideas.

Give space to all subordinates, not just the most vocal

In constructive team discussions, everyone should be given equal space. If you permit a completely free-flowing debate, often only the loudest and most extrovert people will speak up. Therefore, ask all your subordinates for their opinion.

Set boundaries for constructive debate

Discussions need certain rules to be effective. Set clear rules and do not allow free discussion within the team to get completely out of control.

Explain the context of your decisions

In order for management and team decisions to be debated, you need to explain. A lot. Provide subordinates with an explanation and context for your decisions so they know what is going on, and be as transparent as possible in your communications.

Do not take a fatalistic approach towards mistakes

Critical thinking, new procedures and new ideas often lead to dead ends. This is the necessary toll of inventing something new. Therefore, you need to have some tolerance for mistakes and not consider them something fatal, but rather as opportunities.

 

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