Five Ways to Create a Culture of Accountability in the Workplace by Violet Dhu

People are often not fully vested in their work because they don’t feel like they have any responsibility or accountability. They’re just trying to get by, not excel and certainly working within their limits. We see this culture of “getting by” in many businesses, with projects that are delegated but never properly completed.  A culture of accountability creates a workplace …

Using Dissension, Discussion, and Divergence to Create Psychological Safety by Violet Dhu

Psychological safety is an important aspect of effectively handling difficult conversations. It is important in saying no, giving feedback, providing criticism, and delivering bad news.  If the recipient of this difficult message does not feel safe, they may reject the message, feel like they are being bullied or have been treated unfairly. If they don’t feel psychologically safe during the …

The Importance of Self Appreciation by Violet Dhu

One of the biggest risks for us in our workplaces is that we rely on others to give us appreciation and we depend on this external appreciation. In an ideal world, our leaders would be showing us appreciation frequently. However, the reality is this often doesn’t happen, and we can become frustrated and annoyed because of the lack of appreciation …

The Importance of Psychological Safety in the Workplace by Violet Dhu

“Psychological safety isn’t about being nice. It’s about giving candid feedback, openly admitting mistakes, and learning from each other. This kind of organizational culture is increasingly important in the modern economy.”  – Amy Edmondson According to a study on team performance by Google, the highest-performing teams all have a psychologically safe environment. Other studies show that a psychologically safe environment …

How To Be More Resilient in The Face Of Difficult Conversations by Violet Dhu

Difficult conversations can be tough, uncomfortable, and draining and, consequently, some managers avoid them, delay them, or don’t handle them well. In this article, I want to give you some tips on how to be more resilient when involved in having a difficult conversation. My hope is that with some of these skills you will be more prepared and be …

Clarifying Expectations Reduces The Risk of Miscommunication and Difficult Conversations by Violet Dhu

At a recent small business seminar, I spoke about how to make your business more resilient by reducing the risk of Difficult Conversations with staff and customers by clarifying expectations. According to negotiation expert Allan Parker, “clarifying the necessary points allows you to move toward clear understanding, which helps in establishing a common ground that eventually leads to agreement.” Lack …