3 Reasons To Build A Filter-Free Culture

For Filter-Free Friday™, lets discuss why a Filter-Free environment is good for morale and how it can save your organization money on Conflict Resolution courses.

Conflict Resolution seminars can actually erode a functioning corporate culture because they are based on the premise that a workplace or a relationship has conflict. But the truth is that conflict only arises in the absence of respect.

People who don't respect each other fight with each other. They are not able to articulate their feelings, ideas and concerns without it escalating into conflict. A relationship or workplace devoid of respect will have many petty arguments about nothing mostly. Once a discussion escalates to conflict, then the original discussion is no longer the issue that needs to be addressed but the conflict instead - regardless of what the discussion was about. And once the conflict has been quelled, there still is no resolution on the original discussion - at which point it would likely be abandoned for fear of it escalating again.

Filter-Free Fridays are designed to articulate a truth to another in a non-hurtful way. Once a workplace gets used to articulating their issues without reprisal or escalation, there becomes a bedrock of trust and respect for them to work in.

Here are the three reasons a manager needs to create a Filter-Free departmental culture:

1. People get along better and work together better when they know where they stand. There is no animosity and there is a trust that everything can be discussed rationally - without personal attacks.
2. The dreaded "unsaid" is a killer to corporate culture. Always biting your tongue in order to avoid conflict creates stress and subsequent absentee days. People who don't speak up harbor resentment and, worst case, can go postal.
3. A department that respects its people enough to tell the truth is admired and envied by other departments. But the best news is that high-performing job-seekers will apply to work in an environment of respect. A Filter-Free workplace attracts better employees and helps reduce turnover.

Filter-Free Friday™ came about because the idea of speaking the truth to each other intimidates and sometimes scares the crap out of many. So instead of trying to build an overnight honesty culture, the thought was to start with one day a week and see how it goes. Once you get used to being honest in a non-hurtful way, every day eventually becomes Friday.
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Kevin Burns - Management Attitude/Culture Strategist
http://www.kevburns.com

Creator of Filter-Free Fridays™
Creator of the 90-Day System To A Greatness Culture™

Coming Soon Kevin's 8th Book - "Your Attitude Sucks - Finding Your Excellence In A Wasteland of Mediocrity

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