Strengthen your team: A simple activity for open dialogue

"If we must disagree, let's disagree without being disagreeable."
- Lyndon B. Johnson

Within any organization, it is important to build an environment of psychological safety. What is psychological safety? It is when people feel secure enough to take interpersonal risks, speak up, disagree openly, and surface concerns without the fear of negative repercussions or judgement. Why is psychological safety vital in the workplace? According to the Harvard Business Review, psychological safety can lead to better decision-making due to a diverse range of perspectives, make team members feel more engaged and motivated, and positively impact performance. 

Below I offer one short team-building activity that can be administered in your law firm, nonprofit, or organization to foster an open dialogue where it is okay to disagree. Please feel free to utilize this brief activity at your next staff meeting, within a presentation, or how you see fit.

1) Have group members break into pairs. 
2) Explain the activity:
- Choose someone to go first. The first person will make a statement involving something they believe to be true. For example, "I believe the sky is blue." 
- The second person must respond in disagreement. For example, "The sky may be blue today, but during a storm the sky is black." 
- The person who went first must respond. For example, "I see what you mean, the sky can be blue or black, or even cotton candy colors depending on the weather." 
3) Repeat the exercise at least four times, with each person going first twice. 
4) Facilitate a group discussion to conclude the exercise: 
- How did it feel to disagree? 
- Why is it important to be able to disagree with each other in a respectful way? 
- How did it feel to respond after the disagreement? (Noting that the final response is critical to ensuring that those who disagree are heard and their voice matters)
- Any other comments you would like to share with the group?
- Explain psychological safety and why it is important to your team. Thank the participants. 

I hope you find this activity helpful in keeping an open dialogue in the workplace, improving psychological safety, and keeping your team connected and motivated.