Consistency.

In an article from BetterHumans.pub, Katy Morin shares that the root cause of social anxiety is fear. Whether it be fear of how others are viewing us or fear of how others will react to our intended efforts, social settings are greatly hindered by fear. Knowing that successful teams can’t exist without a healthy social setting, how do we eliminate fear in social interactions?

The fear isn’t the actual conversation or communication. Rather, it is the fear of judgement and of reaction. As leaders, it is our job to build successful teams by fostering healthy conversational settings. To do this, we should look to be open to new perspectives before placing judgement and be consistent in our reactions. My blog on Perspectives clearly shares the importance of perspectives and why we should be slow to judge, but what about consistency in our reactions?

If our teammates are constantly guessing how we will react to their ideas/actions, there is a good chance they will not share/act at all. If they manage to build the courage to try regardless, they will likely be walking on eggshells the entire time. Being consistent is the key to building a culture where people can share and act with confidence, allowing them to bring to the table the best of what they have to offer and provide large opportunities of growth within the organization. So, what does consistency look like?

Consistency does not mean we are always the same. We know that change is important as the world never stops changing, meaning if an organization and its leadership are unchanging, the world will move right on by. Consistency means that your reactions are no stranger. Reaction in a simple definition is, “To behave in response.” Your reaction is the behavior in which you approach your response. Response in a simple definition is, “To answer.” Your responses, or answers, should be situational and changing. However, the behavior in which you react should be consistent.

For example, a consistent leader will listen first and speak second each and every time a new idea is brought to the table. Team members can share ideas and act knowing that their leader will listen in reaction, but their response could be unexpected. An inconsistent leader will sometimes listen, sometimes blow up in an emotional outrage that someone even thought up such an idea, or sometimes instantly begin trying to talk over the teammate, and then proceed to give a response after one of these three reactions has occurred. Team members fear the reaction they will receive for new ideas and actions, and never benefit from the unexpected response due to the fear of the unexpected reaction.

The truth is that not every idea will be a good or bad idea, and not every action will be a good or bad one. While our responses should be contingent on the situation and direction our organization is headed, our reaction should be consistent. If you are inconsistent with your reactions, you are sure to create a social environment where people are walking on eggshells.

When we are consistent, the people around us can come to us with confidence in their knowledge of how we will react in hopes that we give them an eye-opening, unexpected response. Consistency makes our reactions predictable, eliminating fear and allowing us to be honest and insightful in our responses.