Permission Slips

On a beautiful day during a vacation on the Amalfi Coast, we decided to take advantage of the arrangement our hotel had with its sister property. We inquired at the front desk and received a permission slip to use the pool.

Upon arrival, we presented ourselves and permission slip at the desk and were directed to the pool, as if we belonged there. Just like when we were kids, a permission slip allowed us to do something we otherwise would not have considered doing.

Permission slips at work

Early in my career, my Department Head decided to prepare for a presentation to the Board of Directors by running through it with his direct reports. As a very junior employee, it was odd to find myself invited to the meeting. Upon my arrival, another leader asked why I was there, and the Department Head said “because she’s the only one who will tell me where my mistakes are.” He had given me a verbal permission slip to tell him his errors!

Message received: performing well meant making sure he looked good to the Board of Directors, not in the prep meeting.

Working for this same leader for seven years, my formative professional experience was spent with someone who expected my honest input. At my next job, I was shocked to be taken aside after a meeting by a colleague who admonished me for sharing a view that conflicted with that of my manager. “But it’s in the company’s best interest,” I said. “True, but it’s not in your best interest,” he replied. And so, I learned self-suppression to be a workplace survival technique.

Sadly, when employees withhold their observations and opinions, improvement is stifled. If you are looking for your employees to take risks, speak up with candor, and try new things, it’s all about creating a safe environment — with your words AND actions. Their stretch depends on you.

How can you give “permission slips” to encourage your employees to stretch?

·       Specifically state you are seeking candid input

·       Challenge the team to poke holes in your proposal

·       Invite team members to edit your work

·       Value idea generation, not just good ideas

·       Assign a team member to play Devil’s Advocate in each team meeting

·       Treat new approaches as experiments - when trying new things, the goal is to learn what will work

·       Show your vulnerability and discuss the mistakes you make

·       Be mindful of your reaction when an employee makes a mistake

Give your team permission slips to reduce risk and encourage the behaviors needed for improvement.

Melissa Janis builds management capabilities to create a workplace that's better for your employees and better for your bottom line.