Love them or hate them, it’s likely that your calendar is packed full of meetings. Some good, some bad, and some utterly pointless (just like the time I was put into a weekly meeting to justify having a website like we were back in the 90s). So how can you ensure you’re getting the best out of them and those involved? If you want input and creative ideas, then you need to create a safe space. 

You can’t beat a good ol’ fashioned face to face, but when the first national lockdown hit, working from home became the norm and with it came the dreaded doom of Zoom.

Now, I’m not saying that I completely hate virtual calls, for a start they’re a great way of connecting teams when working remotely, cutting travel costs and saving time. But without being able to see the faces of the people I’m speaking to, and with microphones on mute, it's impossible to read the room. And when people brush past my points, shoot down my ideas, and hog up all the air time - the motivation is zapped out of me and my input in the next meeting is likely to be non-existent. 

To be at my most creative and get the most out of a meeting, I need atmosphere. I also need a chance to speak, and know that what I have to say will actually be listened to, considered and appreciated. Which brings me to my point:

Are you even listening?

If you’re too busy rehearsing what to say next in your head, then how can you be listening to what others have to say? 

• Stop checking emails, working on tasks, flicking through socials, replying to WhatsApp and be present. 
• By listening and encouraging others, you’ll help grow both your team's confidence and their creativity. 
• Take long pauses after you’ve finished speaking to allow others the opportunity to pitch in. 
• To cater for introverts make sure to provide multiple ways for people to share their thoughts, like a simple Google sheet, comments in live chat, or follow-up email. 

(Yet another Liz Fosslien image, because they’re always on point.)

The cringiest thing in the professional world is having an ego, I’ve got no time for it. The best CEOs and MDs I've ever worked with, open their ears to everyone in the business and the worst following the chain of hierarchy. 

And my biggest pet hate? Using ‘I’ or “my’ instead of “we’ and ‘ours. The old cheesy cliché of ‘there’s no I in team’ works pretty well here. 

It shouldn’t be ‘I did this’ or ‘this is MY plan’ - it should be ‘WE did this’ and ‘this is OUR plan’.

An old boss of mine would drop a presentation on me last minute. Tell me to stay behind and email it over when I was finished, change 2-3 small things, stick her initials on the end of the title and email it to the Director taking all the credit, even having the cheek to copy me in. She was a repeat offender, this happened over and over again.

This is the same toxic boss that called me knowing I was in the pub with my team on a Friday evening and asked me to get the laptop out to work on something ‘little’, then claimed that work too. I just wanted to sip my neck oil and chew the fat in peace. 

How are you going to make your team feel empowered if you don’t celebrate their efforts and successes, and take all the credit for their hard work? 

Don’t shoot down everything that’s suggested either! Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that make us feel uncomfortable at first because they’re different, but different becomes sticky. Your opinion is your opinion, so let ideas breathe and see how others react to them first before just saying NO!!!

Own your mistakes and never play the blame game - that ain’t cool! Embrace self-awareness, ask for honest constructive feedback and most importantly encourage others to be individuals and love their true personalities. 

This was a passionate letter about psychological safety in the workplace and how being more empathic and socially intelligent will better those around you, boost their creativity and wellbeing.

More things to read 📚 and listen 🎙️ to: 

Need a confidence boost? - Surena Chande - How To Rebuild Your Confidence At Work 🎙️

Stimulate creativity and create atmosphere  - Caroline Forsey - 30 Fun Ice Breaker Games 📚  

Trust and empowerment keeps staff - Jen Gustavson - 6 Things Leaders Can Do to Counter The Great Resignation 📚 

Store positive feedback - Content Folks - Talk About Praise Jars 📚  

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Thanks for reading, this issue was written by Dominic Apes (NORTH - Senior Marketing Manager) If you fancy a chat, then please reach out!