Generative Engagement
The best leadership events and change programmes don’t just spark energy — they spark honesty. In this article, we explore why dissent is not disruption but a vital part of building trust and momentum for change.
‘Constructive vent welcome here’ is a powerful mindset when leading change.
In a recent leadership townhall that a colleague (@DavidHenderson) and I facilitated, a blunt challenge from a senior leader — in response to a director’s context-setting input — shifted the conversation completely. It sparked raw honesty, surfaced deeper insight, and led to stronger alignment and a more effective response to operational challenges in the days that followed.
This wasn’t disruption. It was engagement — at its best.
Dissent builds trust — when it’s welcomed.
Handled well, dissent fuels insight. It surfaces what’s really going on, invites others in, and builds trust in the process. It reflects what Patrick Lencioni describes in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: without trust and healthy conflict, high performance is nigh on impossible.
When people feel heard early, they’re far more likely to commit to what comes next. But too often, dissent is avoided or shut down in the room, seen as risky or unhelpful. We believe that’s a missed opportunity.
Whether we’re supporting a leadership event, shaping a change programme, or designing wider organisational processes, we intentionally build in multiple opportunities for ‘constructive venting’. These aren’t one-off moments — they’re thoughtfully designed interventions that create space for honest voices to be heard. Why? Because we know these pivotal exchanges are key to building trust, surfacing insight, and shaping change that’s grounded in what really matters.
How to create space for constructive vent
Three things that can help:
Run a dynamic diagnostic. Use different methods to help people individually and collectively articulate what they are thinking about and experiencing in their work, team and organisation. This early insight highlights dissent hotspots.
Link dissent to performance. When someone raises a concern, welcome it. Explore it. Ask how it might help or hinder team goals and ways of working.
Prioritise together. You can’t fix every issue. Ask for group help in selecting the most important items calling for action.
In summary
When people speak up with challenge, it’s often because they are invested in the process and want things to be better. Creating space for that challenge, and responding with openness, can shift the conversation and lift the whole tone of an event.
And if you’re curious about how to create these conditions more intentionally in your events and change programmes — let’s talk!
