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Research shows that having team conversations in the workplace are critical to productivity and well-being. Unfortunately, there are lots of reasons for avoiding important conversations:
- It’s not always clear how to facilitate a good conversation.
- The value is unclear.
- Conversations about feedback can feel awkward or intimidating. Managers can improve the employee work experience by leading Team Conversations to share results, invite their teams to prioritize Focus Areas, and brainstorm action taking.
Team Conversations brings the Microsoft Viva Glint ACT Conversation methodology to managers. It provides online presentation exports, Focus Area creation guidance, and links to suggested learning resources. Team Conversations is compatible for all feedback surveys.
Team Conversations results sharing is available at the program level for customers and can be enabled and disabled on a per program basis.
Manager Quick Guide to Results and Conversations
Share the Manager Quick Guide to Results and Conversations with your managers to help them navigate the Viva Glint platform and interpret and use survey results. ACT conversations build quality managers who lead engaged teams.
Read thought leadership from Microsoft Viva People Science: Propelling action-taking through team conversations.
Why should our organization use the Viva Glint ACT framework?
ACT framework:
- facilitates trust, as transparency and openness are key elements of trust.
- involves employees as active participants and collaborators in reflecting on results and sharing improvement ideas.
- strengthens ownership among the team.
The ACT foundation:
- is built on a combination of behavioral science and practical expertise about what fuels change in organizations.
- encourages integration of Team Conversations into the daily flow of work. It ensures that employees feel heard, participate in determining focus areas, and selecting next steps. Employees leave an ACT discussion with a sense of shared ownership.
- targets even the most introverted employees who may not have strong working relationships with their manager.
- supports confidentiality of all conversation responses.
Team Conversations should exist in the flow of work. Make Team Conversations part of the regular workday. These conversations should become the norm and not a planned conversation initiated by a meeting agenda. People within your organization with the right mindset, skills, and behaviors can learn to support this shift in conversations.
Use the ACT framework to support Team Conversations
Team Conversations uses Viva Glint’s ACT conversation framework. ACT methodology encourages a manager and their team to consider feedback results in the following way:
- Acknowledge where we are
- Collaborate on where we want to go
- Take one step forward
Is an ACT conversation just one more thing to do?
No! Leaders and managers are already too busy. Creating more work is a recipe for failure. Acting on survey feedback should be integrated into the "way we do things around here."
| Questions about ACT conversations | Answer |
|---|---|
| Should action planning be a separate meeting? | Creating more meetings isn't the answer. Make Focus Areas part of regular team meetings. Check-ins don’t have to be long. |
| If we asked a question in a survey, must we address it? | No. Employees understand that everyone is busy and that resources are limited. As long as they play a part in prioritizing and they see progress, they know their feedback is valued. |
| How much is too much? | Get to the root of what you're trying to solve. Try not to add new things without taking something away. Change requires as much undoing as doing. Discuss what behaviors are needed to start, stop, and continue. |
| How do I support an environment of ongoing learning? | Less focus on goal achievement and more on ongoing learning creates a growth mindset.- Acknowledge conversations nudge the team to share what’s working and what’s not. During the Collaborate phase, encourage deconstructing what we need to start, stop, and continue doing to improve outcomes. In the Take one step forward phase, teams commit to when they check in again, signaling an initial chat isn't the end of the conversation. |
What is the manager's role in ACT conversations?
Driving engagement and performance is a team sport. Leadership has a role to play in influencing key drivers, such as decision-making, collaboration, prospects, and purpose. When feedback results show up as org-wide Focus Areas, it becomes clear that senior leadership intends to own some of the actions.
Managers are close to the experience and create accountability. They can craft solutions to enhance what matters most to their people and use existing processes to drive progress. Managers can use survey feedback to build closer connections within their teams and increase participation to make things better.
The role of the manager in the feedback process is not to fix problems but to own ongoing conversations about taking action to fuel progress.
Managers play the role of:
Coach: Managers must show confidence in the team’s ability and willingness to solve problems. They should provide direction to keep the team on track and avoid going too broad or too deep. They should act as a role model.
Facilitator: As a facilitator, managers help teams collaborate on an outcome. Managers provide guidelines and then seek out team opinions to ensure all voices are heard.
Roadblock remover: Taking action can be tough due to organizational constraints. Managers are the frontline of escalation to help overcome roadblocks. Managers often must navigate larger organizational structures to help drive change.
Connector: The most important role of the manager is to have ongoing, meaningful conversations with their team that align with priorities. Managers should check in frequently through team meetings or one-on-ones, then course correct as needed. Managers should also connect with other groups that may be working on similar challenges.