#093: How to Have Difficult Conversations at Work: Notice, Name, and Navigate Team Tension

Why do talented people quietly disengage from a team? It is usually not because they lack talent, intelligence, or ideas. Often, it is because a conversation everyone feels has gone unnamed for too long. In this conversation from 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, Dwight Spencer explores the real cost of avoidance in teams and creative communities: stalled decisions, lost momentum, reduced trust, burnout, resentment, shallow collaboration, and people no longer bringing their best ideas to the room. You will learn the three-part Notice, Name, Navigate framework for working with creative tension: •𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 the signals: recurring jokes, repeat problems, energy drops, redirected conflict, and silence around the same subject   •𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 the real question: replace blame with curiosity and ask what concern has not had a safe place to be heard   •𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 with care: create enough safety, structure, and listening for honest conversation and shared commitment One question to bring into your next meeting: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱? For the Love of Creatives serves heart-centered creatives who want to move from surviving in isolation to thriving in community. If you are a creative professional, leader, facilitator, manager, entrepreneur, or collaborator who wants a more honest and humane way to work together, this conversation is for you. Listen to the full conversation: https://www.fortheloveofcreativespodc... If this helped you name something you have been feeling in your team, please:   • Subscribe for more conversations about creativity, community, leadership, and becoming   • Like this video so more heart-centered creatives can find it   • Share it with a teammate, manager, or facilitator   • Leave a comment: What conversation is your group avoiding?   • Rate and review the podcast wherever you listen Your story can help shape future conversations. You can also share an anonymous question or situation through the show’s SpeakPipe link at https://www.speakpipe.com/ForTheLoveO... Chapters 00:00 Why talented people quietly disengage 01:01 The real cost of avoidance 02:15 Talent is not the issue 03:35 Why teams avoid the truth 05:05 The cost of minimizing yourself 06:17 Creative tension is part of collaboration 07:09 The Notice, Name, Navigate framework 07:23 Notice the signal 09:44 Name the real question 12:00 Navigate with care 13:14 Honesty and care must work together 14:40 A real-world story of team tension 20:37 What avoidance becomes 21:28 When people can be honest and still belong 22:35 A question for your next meeting 24:02 Leadership begins by making room for the real question #CreativeLeadership #TeamCulture #PsychologicalSafety #WorkplaceCulture #Leadership