A high performing team
in a brave space
Deep Democracy
Soft skills training
Imagine...
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Your team is brimming with ideas, makes clear decisions and sticks to them
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Your team identifies where things are going wrong honestly and constructively
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Your team members help one another and cover for each other’s mistakes
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Regular post-mortems and performance reviews celebrate successes and identify ways to improve next time
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People know what they’re doing well and are continuously supported to become a better version of themselves
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People feel that their talents contribute to the results, that their expertise is recognised, and are motivated to give it their all
Do you recognise this?
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We agree upon decisions in meetings, but afterwards nothing happens.
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We talk endlessly, but we don’t make any progress.
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We only hear the loud voices. We don’t manage to get the introverted staff member to speak up.
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The team lead doesn’t dare to clearly point out where a staff member is falling short.
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The atmosphere is always good; we always agree, which means we don’t dare to call each other out on mistakes, irritations and shortcomings.
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Team members are cutting corners and don’t seem motivated.
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People complain at the coffee machine about issues that are never raised at the meeting table.
If you leave these symptoms
unchecked for too long,
they will get worse.
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The results are mediocre. KPIs are not being met. Customers are complaining about poor service.
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Staff are quietly disengaging and are merely clocking in to fulfil their hours. The atmosphere is becoming toxic and grim.
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There is constant resistance to change.
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Talented people are leaving again quickly.
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Year after year, you are advertising the same vacancies because staff turnover is so high.
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The team becomes understaffed and goes into survival mode when people leave. Burnout rears its head time and again.
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The manager spends too much time dealing with uncertainty, chaos, gossip and frustrations rather than focusing on future plans and strategy.
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The team loses momentum every time new staff need to be trained.
The costs of staff turnover and burnout are high: on average, it takes between 5 and 9 months for a new employee to reach full productivity. In an SME where knowledge is largely stored in people’s heads, this can take more than a year.
My approach
A tailored program
The impact of a standard training with pre-prepared slides is small.
That is why I start every process with an intake interview: What is going on in this team? What does this team need? What training have they already received?
Based on this, I put together a customised programme in consultation with HR or L&D. The methodology I use is Deep Democracy. Its essence is: there is more wisdom in every team than in the voice of the majority alone. Those who do not listen to it miss crucial information.
This is what a programme looks like
For example: a group of managers struggling with giving feedback. Through the Dynamic Dialogue technique, recognition emerges. We then teach Deep Democracy tools to create a brave space in every team, so that people dare to say what they otherwise wouldn't say. The managers put this into practice themselves. A follow-up session reflects on the practice.
The methodology
What is Deep Democracy?
The methodology in which I am trained is Lewis Deep Democracy. It was developed in the 1990s in South Africa by the psychologists Myrna Lewis and Greg Lewis, during the historic transition following apartheid. The first project took place at a state-owned energy company (Eskom), where they were asked to break down racial hierarchies and reduce tensions amongst staff.
Standard counselling methods were ineffective in dealing with the deep emotional undercurrents at play. Lewis therefore developed practical tools to tackle workplace conflicts, power imbalances and marginalised voices. The core of the method is this: in every team, wisdom lies with the minority. Those who fail to listen to it miss out on crucial information.
I was trained by Fanny Matheusen, the pioneer of Lewis Deep Democracy in Belgium.
"Actually, there is no safety; forget the safe space. The question is: how do we create a brave space? A place where we are brave enough to dare to speak, to want to listen to each other, and to let myself be moved by what the other says."
Fanny Matheusen, Hummus
What is Deep Democracy unable to do?
Deep Democracy is a method designed to facilitate dialogue within a group and enable everyone to express their truth.
It is not intended to provide feedback to one specific person – such as a team lead or colleague who is the subject of a complaint – and then ask them to change their behaviour.
We look for what we recognise in one another, but also for our deep differences. We then explore how we can work together more effectively despite – or perhaps even because of – those differences.
What does your team need?
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