It is human nature to surround ourselves with people who reason like us, look like us, and agree with our views. This is not peculiar to leaders alone. No one wants dissenters surrounding them; we all want to avoid discomfort. We all love to feel heard and know that our opinions are valued. So we surround ourselves with people that only agree with us or reason as we do.
The problem is that this creates a bubble where the only ideas we encounter are those we agree with. On the surface, this might seem harmless, but it is harmful. Such behaviors create echo chambers, leading to potential troubles in our daily lives.Â
An echo chamber refers to an environment where one encounters only beliefs and ideas that mirrors their own and where their existing ideas are reinforced. Echo chambers stifle diverse perspectives, alternative ideas, and creative thinking. Solving problems or creating an inclusive group becomes hard when opposing viewpoints and ideas are suppressed.
We see this play out steadily on social media. Some cliques and groups do not accept any other ideas or views apart from the ones they believe, leading to the deterioration of civil discourse, extremism, and polarization of society.
Many seasoned professionals are aware of the dangers of echo chambers and make it a duty to step out of their comfort zone every once in a while to consider different ideas. However, a better way to ensure that you’re not living in a bubble where all your ideas are cheered on and viewed as unchallengeable decrees is to encourage feedback and listen actively to diverse views while imbibing civil discourse definition.Â
Another way is to follow the tips detailed below religiously. After all, practice makes perfect. You can’t hope to be an effective leader leading a diverse team if you don’t make these behaviors part of you by constantly practicing them.
Strategies to Avoid Echo Chambers
Seek Out Different Ideas
It doesn’t matter how free a leader is; some people will not offer you a contrary opinion, information, or even valid concern. Your team might love you or feel that you’re approachable. However, they would still be wary of risking their jobs by offering counter ideas. Your job is to assure these people that they are free and safe to come to you with their different ideas.
This assurance can come in the form of continuous solicitation of input and views, whether they agree with your opinions or not, and publicly thanking and acknowledging the feedback you receive, whether you agree with the idea or not. This way, your team will see that you are willing to listen to them even if they disagree with you, and they’ll be more willing to offer their concerns and perspectives.
Celebrate Differences
One crucial thing you’ll notice when you leave your echo chamber is that millions of people do not toe your line of thought. It might be scary if you’re not used to seeing different perspectives and views. But that is just how the world is. Instead of seeing this as a bad thing, it is helpful if you see it as an opportunity to learn different things. Different perspectives mean that there are ideas you have yet to think of or even consider.
For this to work, you have to incorporate active listening. There’s no way a different perspective will spark innovation and creativity in you as a leader if you hear a different opinion without really listening and considering it.
Listen First
Groupthink is a common sight anywhere large groups of people gather or work. As a leader, your job is to ensure that you don’t lead or encourage this groupthink. In meetings, you need to listen first before speaking. This presents an opportunity for your team to lay their suggestions, perspectives, and concerns on the table.Â
Also, it will make them feel heard and valued and boost team morale. Listening first and speaking last doesn’t mean you’ll not contribute to what your team is saying. Active listening involves asking clarifying questions and seeking to comprehend what the other individual is saying. The advantage of this is that when you speak last, you’ll have a load of ideas to work with, and you’ll better understand what your team thinks.
Final Thoughts
What you do as a leader is more evident than what you say. Your team will look out for how you react to disagreements and diverse viewpoints. Therefore, it is crucial as a leader to let your actions speak louder than your words. This will show your team that you’re committed to listening to their feedback without them having to worry about resentment or punishment for disagreeing with you.
To create a better connection with your team, apply the strategies mentioned earlier and encourage your team to share their perspective. These strategies might be difficult initially. You might even feel like it robs you of your leadership power, but in time you’ll see that it breeds more connection and leads to more solutions to problems.
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