{"id":2065,"date":"2021-02-23T17:11:12","date_gmt":"2021-02-23T22:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kellymeerbott.com\/?p=2065"},"modified":"2024-08-05T11:15:14","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T15:15:14","slug":"how-to-create-listening-circles-for-belonging-at-work-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/how-to-create-listening-circles-for-belonging-at-work-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Listening Circles To Build Trust, Boost Performance, and Improve Retention"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><em>Updated July 2024 \u2014<\/em><\/strong> In an era characterized by economic fluctuations and societal divides, the call to action for leaders is unequivocal: establish a culture where authenticity and inclusivity are paramount. This foundation is crucial for boosting innovation, productivity, and team morale. One transformative strategy at the forefront of this mission is the adoption of Listening Circles (also often called Dialogue Circles).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Why Listening Circles?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coqual.org\/reports\/the-power-of-belonging\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Research by Coqual<\/a> underscores that a genuine sense of <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/services\/organizations\/\">belonging in the workplace<\/a> is achieved when employees feel:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognized for their unique contributions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connected with their colleagues<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supported in their daily tasks and career aspirations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proud of their organization\u2019s mission and values<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Revitalizing Your Workforce through Listening Circles<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rooted in the ancient tradition of Talking Circles, Listening and Dialogue Circles offer a potent framework for inclusive dialogue, conflict resolution, and team cohesion. These circles have been pivotal for organizations seeking to navigate challenges by providing a platform for open, honest conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During challenging times, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dickssportinggoods.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dick\u2019s Sporting Goods<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/inclusion.dickssportinggoods.com\/assets\/docs\/Dialogue_Circle_Pride_Month.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">harnessed the power of Listening Circles to tremendous effect<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/julie-lodge-jarrett-1626b49\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Julie Lodge-Jarrett<\/a>, Chief People and Purpose Officer, remarked, &#8220;Our employees needed a safe space to engage and talk. So we created literal circles for dialogue where we brought employees together to talk about anything and everything that might be on their minds that day. It was incredibly insightful from an HR standpoint.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Advantages of Listening Circles in Cultivating Workplace Belonging<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listening Circles facilitate a type of dialogue where individuals can freely express their thoughts and experiences without fear of judgment. This environment cultivates psychological safety and trust, fostering a stronger community feel and promoting inclusivity.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Implementing Listening Circles for Greater Inclusivity &amp; Belonging<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To successfully integrate Listening Circles into your organization, consider these steps, suitable for both physical and virtual formats:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Preparation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Schedule the sessions at times and via platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams) that ensure maximum participation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Communication: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clearly convey the objective, expectations, and details of the Listening Circle to your team.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Opening: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kick off with welcoming remarks, a brief grounding activity to center participants, and establish clear guidelines to maintain a respectful and safe environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Activity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Guide the discussion around specific themes or questions, allowing for personal reflection and sharing in a non-advisory, supportive setting.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Closure:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Conclude with a session recap, highlighting insights or takeaways, and plan for subsequent meetings.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listening Circles stand as a powerful mechanism for leaders aiming to address conflicts, enhance team unity, and deepen a sense of belonging within their organizations. As part of a well-rounded diversity and inclusion strategy, they play a critical role in uniting teams and propelling business performance forward. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Need help? We offer facilitation, team and leadership development, and other services including executive leadership coaching. We&#8217;d love to help you build an amazing culture. <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/contact\/\">Get in touch!<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8230;..<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Kelly Meerbott, PCC<\/strong> is a sought-after keynote, TEDx speaker, author, podcast host, and an award-winning leadership expert. Kelly has worked with organizations, executives, the C-suite, and senior military officers \u2014 with 90% of clients achieving their goals. Kelly is the author of three books, most recently <a class=\"app-aware-link \" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3TSPqO1\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">Meerbott\u2019s Fables: Stories, Questions, and Adult Coloring Pages for a New Generation<\/a>. To learn more about working with Kelly, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/about\/working-with-kelly\/\">click here!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listening circles can help you better support your team, resolve conflict effectively and promote a greater sense of belonging. Find out more here&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3401,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[33,78,76],"class_list":["post-2065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leadership-development","tag-leadership-development","tag-personal-development","tag-transforming"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2065"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4207,"href":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2065\/revisions\/4207"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.kellymeerbott.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}