When you think about encouraging your team to fully participate and collaborate, have you supported the effort both symbolically and environmentally? Take King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, for instance. King Arthur did away with the long [conference] table and replaced it with a round one. He knew that to achieve the unity he desired, he could not seat some people in privileged up-table positions where he could hear them and others at the opposite end where they would have to shout to be heard as that only resulted in a divisive court, struggling for status.
If you want access to the pooled knowledge of your team to take advantage of the experience that lives within it, put everyone at equal distances around your table – both symbolically and practically – successfully creating an environment where everyone feels welcome to share their ideas.
The Lesson: As a leader, you must be transparent, making space for people to both listen and to share their concerns, ideas and questions – with you and with each other. Invite them to be part of the conversation, having a seat at the table. What is one thing you can do this week to help everyone on the team feel like a valuable member of the team? It could be as simple as a seating arrangement!