Q&A: How Does #lovework Support Critical Conversations?

Welcome! We’re starting a new series where we answer questions about #lovework — today’s question comes from Bob in New York, who asks:

“I am curious as to how the #lovework platform allows people to call things like they see them. For example, if you have a hard time working with your co-worker and feel like they’re holding you back, how can this help remedy the situation? If your boss refuses to make timely decisions, how can this help? How does #lovework allow for the critical conversations that matter?

Anybody who’s ever tried it understands communication is difficult. And the author is correct: the above situations will definitely require some critical conversations to resolve!

So, how does #lovework help create an environment where these conversations happen?

In our view, critical conversations are primarily dependent on two things:

1. Individual maturity, and
2. Group safety.

Let’s discuss both of these a bit further.

First, in order to be able to address thorny topics at work, I need to be secure enough in myself as an individual to believe that I can speak up about hard things. This isn’t easy, particularly when complex organizational dynamics like hierarchies of power are at play. It requires a healthy amount of self-assurance and personal agency, and not a small amount of courage to even consider putting myself in a difficult conversation. We used the word “maturity” above, but let’s be clear: this has almost nothing to do with age. It’s mostly about development and how much inner work we’ve done.

Second, in order to have a crucial conversation, I also need an environment that won’t absolutely destroy me if and when I decide to say something. This is called “psychological safety,” and you’re probably already aware that this is a primary ingredient of high-performing teams. Generally speaking: great teams have this, mediocre and poor teams don’t.

So there’s an individual dynamic AND a group dynamic, and they both need to be, for lack of a better word, healthy in order to get to the results Bob wants to see.

#lovework builds both of these things: we help you grow confidence as an individual AND we help your group build a more safe space.

This is one of the things that makes #lovework incredibly special and different.

You can find other solutions out there that address individual development and team development separately, but it’s quite rare to find them together. And the problem with doing these things as separate initiatives is that people start to feel fragmented by the very things that are meant to help. It’s no small bit of magic to provide both of these things at once… and did we mention we do this in only 5 minutes a day from your individuals and 15 minutes a week from your teams…!?

If you’re ready to learn more about #lovework, please email us!

P.S. Bob’s “boss” question is more about that person failing to actually demonstrate true leadership behaviors — #lovework actually helps with this, too, by including leader-specific sessions once a month!