creating safety in teams through deep democracy (so that they thrive)
TRANSCRIPT
Team safety usingDeep Democracy
Andrea Blundell and Pru Gell
Acknowledgement of county
Pru GellMy why:Lit up by people and groups living their potential, to enable positive change Why I’m talking: ● Facilitator● Mediator ● Educator ● Deep Democracy
Coach
My why:Inspired by people and groups who imagine a new future and move towards it Why I’m talking: ● Agile Coach● Facilitator
Andrea Blundell
Team safety using Deep Democracy
1) What is team safety and why it is important?
2) Diagnosing safety in our teams?
3) Tools to increase team safety?
4) If there’s a part of you that does not want to be here:
a) What part of you is that? i.e. part of you that has a pressing deadline to meet or…
b) What would it take you to come along and be here?
1) How are you feeling at this point in your day?
2) What are your hopes for this session
3) Do you want to be at this session? Is there anything that makes you want to be somewhere else?
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The Lewis Method of Deep Democracy
Why do a Check-in?1. Recognised as humans rather than
mere cogs in a workplace, humaness welcomed
2. Everyone given opportunity to talk3. Equalise rank4. Makes what’s unconscious,
conscious … and more
CONSCIOUS
UNCONSCIOUSWhat some people in
the group are aware of but others are not
What everyone in the group are aware of…
Group’s Wisdom & Potential
What is Deep Democracy?Goal of Deep Democracy tools is to:1.Keep people on the boat and engaged with
the decisions 2.Lower the waterline so that a group can
uncover new innovations and insights.
NEW WAYSOF WORKING
Deep Democracy grew out of a very complex time in Apartheid South Africa.Myrna Lewis, a psychologist and her late partner Greg Lewis, a psychologist and quantum physicist are the co-founders.
Once Apartheid ended, there was a need to transform hierarchies/dynamics AND find new ways of working
Change had to be speedy, so they translated complex psychological tools into simple tools teams could use to work on issues on team issues, ‘teaching people to fish for themselves’
UKDenmarkFranceUSAIsrael
IndiaAustraliaLebanonKenyaBelgium
South AfricaItalySwedenIrelandNetherlands
New ZealandPalestineZimbabweTurkeyNorway
GermanyCanadaIraqRussia
What is team safety and why it is important?
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TYIdentify/remember a time when you were in a meeting and you wanted to say something but felt a bit hesitant, vulnerable, uncomfortable to say something. Maybe you had a view that was different to the other ones being shared.
1) When have you experienced this?
2) What was happening in the room that didn’t make you feel comfortable or safe to speak?
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Psychological Safety?
“Psychological safety is a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking”
Google’s Project Aristotle
Psychological Safety = #1 trait
“Team members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other”
• Conversational turn taking • Empathy • Bring real person to work
Detection of threat in the environment
• Calm • Embodied• Present• Open • Curious• Relaxed, yet alert• Competent
Safety
(Social Engagement and Communication)
Danger
(Fight/ Flight mode)
• Increased heart rate• Reactive• Increased respiration• Worry/ panic/ anxiety• Anger/ Rage
Life Threat (Freeze/
Collapse/ Shut down)
• Low heart rate • Low energy• Disconnection• ‘Spacey’• Under responsive
Porges, S.W. (2004). Neuroception: A subconscious system for detecting threats and safety.
Diagnosing safety in our teams?
Resistance Line
COVERT OVERT
Inefficient & Ineffective
COVERT OVERT
Inefficient & Ineffective
Sarcastic Jokes
Resistance Line
Resistance Line
COVERT OVERT
Inefficient & Ineffective
Sarcastic Jokes
Excuses
Resistance Line
COVERT OVERT
Inefficient & Ineffective
Sarcastic Jokes Gossip
Excuses
Resistance Line
COVERT OVERT
Inefficient & Ineffective
Sarcastic Jokes Gossip
ExcusesPoor
Communication/Breakdown
Resistance Line
COVERT OVERT
Inefficient & Ineffective
Sarcastic Jokes Gossip Disruption
ExcusesPoor
Communication/Breakdown
Resistance Line
COVERT OVERT
Inefficient & Ineffective
Sarcastic Jokes Gossip Disruption
ExcusesPoor
Communication/Breakdown
Go Slow
Resistance Line
COVERT OVERT
Inefficient & Ineffective
Sarcastic Jokes Gossip Disruption Strike
ExcusesPoor
Communication/Breakdown
Go Slow
Resistance Line
COVERT OVERT
Inefficient & Ineffective
Sarcastic Jokes Gossip Disruption Strike
ExcusesPoor
Communication/Breakdown
Go Slow War/Withdrawal
QU
ESTI
ON
S
1) Have you felt yourself using these kinds of behaviours?
2) What was going on that led you to use them?
COVERT OVERT
Inefficient & Ineffective
Sarcastic Jokes Gossip Disruption Strike
ExcusesPoor
Communication/Breakdown
Go Slow War/Withdrawal
Tools to increase team safety?
Increase safety using Deep Democracy byLet people feel that it’s safe to express their viewsHave people know that their views are heardFactor in their views
Benefits:1. People stay off or at least reduce time on the Resistance Line 2. Extra wisdom/insights added into decisions
Good for business and humans within
Well how to do that?How can we increase levels of safety?
List of tools1.Check-in 2.Four Steps
Tool 1. Check-in 1. Recognised as humans2. Everyone given opportunity to talk3. Equalise rank4. Make what’s unconscious, conscious
More reasons for why to do it …• enables you to ‘read’ the group and gain insight into
the dynamics that will influence the meeting• allows insight into the Resistance Line• set a relevant agenda
Tool 2. 4 steps1. Gain all the views2. Make it safe to say “NO”3. Spread the ”NO”4. Ask the Question:
What do you need to go along?
Step 1: Gain all the views1. With what you say
2. Set tone with how you talk
3. Speak from the ‘I’. Why?
• 2nd/3rd person generalities slow, no
decisions made
• Accountability & responsibility made
when people speak from the ‘I’
Step 2: Make it safe to say the ‘no’How to do?• Be aware of tone and ensure
address all sides equally.• Bring/invite in no view if it’s
not coming in
Step 3: Spread the ‘no’Ask “Anyone else feel a little bit like this?”
Recognise person with ‘no’ = Spokesperson for all not expressing their views.
Step 4: What would it take you to come along?
Take aways
Team safety using Deep Democracy
1. What is team safety and why it is important?2. Diagnosing safety in our teams?3. Tools to increase team safety?
From here practical first steps
• Resistance Line• Check-in• Spread the ‘no’
Learn more about Deep Democracy
Myrna Lewis’s book ‘5 steps to decisions that last’
www.deep-democracy.net
or using Deep Democracy in agile environments