Ridge Insights - July 2007
Debriefing
Ridge Insights
A monthly e-brief from Ridge Training
Date: July 19, 2007
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What We're Thinking About This Month: Debriefing
When astronauts return to earth, or soldiers return from an important mission, they're "debriefed" before anything else happens. It's a way of processing what's happened before their memories, impressions, and learnings are compromised by the outside world.
The same process happens naturally at work every day: the meeting ends, and the meeting after the meeting begins. People are processing their internal experience of what happened. But when it happens at the water cooler, those impressions can't be managed for the good of the person and the team.
By taking 10 minutes to debrief at the end of a meeting you can focus attention on key points, involve people more deeply, harvest learnings, surface misunderstandings and objections, give people air time, motivate people, and show respect. You can apply it to one-on-one meetings, group meetings and trainings. Here's how:
1. CHOOSE YOUR QUESTION.
What do you want the person or group to focus on?
If you want to know what people's reactions to a decision are, you could ask: "What do you like about moving ahead with this?" And then, after people have responded and you've listened, ask the group, "What concerns do you have?
If you want a reading on people's commitment, you might pose this question: "How would you rate your commitment to our solution, 1 being low and 5 being high? Why would you rate it this way?"
If you want to hear about how people are reacting to the dynamics, you could ask, "What's most effective about how we made that decision?" And then, after people have responded, say, "What are we doing as a group that's not serving us well?"
2. WAIT FOR A RESPONSE.
Be patient. It may take people some time to digest your question and look inside for an answer. This may feel like forever to you but in reality it will be only a minute or two. Your waiting silence sends the message that you are truly interested in their reactions.
3. HONOR OTHER PEOPLE'S POINTS OF VIEW.
When someone answers, give that person your full attention and listen. Restate their thoughts and feelings, or simply thank them and ask for other reactions.
It's tempting to offer your point of view about every person's answer, but don't do it. They're entitled to their opinion. When you respond it shuts down the conversations: other people won't have much to say. If you want to know what people really think, you need to hear their perspective without reacting to it. Trust that making space for honesty will be worth it.
4. KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING.
Without being specific, invite others to respond to the question as well: "Anyone else?" When several people have responded to one question, you might ask another. Continue to wait for and listen to responses. Another way to debrief is to go around the room to hear from everyone. Be sure to give people the option to "pass"; this will create a more open and honest atmosphere. At the end, you may want to share your point of view in responding to what people have said. Thank people for their reactions.
Debriefing is a deceptively simple yet powerful tool for sharing knowledge, building relationship and motivating, promoting candor, and surfacing objections and resistance. Try it! You just may find that it's the most valuable ten minutes of your meeting.
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Copyright 2007 - Ridge Associates, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2008 Ridge Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved.