Honesty Drives Social Learning

 

Learning within a group in a social manner requires honest engagement. In my view the only way to truly contribute to the success of a team or organization is to act from a space of honesty. This means to forget who you are supposed to be or the rank you are supposed to portray and just be authentic. This is challenging because honesty can feel risky, uncomfortable and offer little places to hide. 

 

For social learning, honesty is crucial in creating an environment of sharing, where people feel comfortable to contribute opinions and insights to the discussion. It is estimated that 70% of the knowledge within organizations resides in the minds of its people. Nurturing an environment where this information can flow is essential to improving organizational performance.

The alternative to this is to take false positions, regurgitate standard opinions and not share our insights for the sake of keeping the peace. This is definitely the wrong answer. Honesty is what drives innovation, learning and change.Honesty allows organizations to look at the reality of situations with all of its complexity and seek real solutions.

How do you manage honest communication within your organization?