20/08/2026
๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ง ๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค๐๐ซ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ.
We often begin training programs with icebreakers to get people talking, participating and engaging.
But there is something else I put on the table right at the beginning: ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ.
Of course, there are the usual ones:
๐ Keep your phones on silent.
๐ Avoid side conversations.
๐ Be present.
But there is one rule I follow in ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ.
And it has consistently given me the result I want most:
๐
๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ.
The rule is simple:
๐๐ง๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ, ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐, ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฌ๐ค ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง.
And nobodyโabsolutely nobodyโwill make fun of that person, ridicule them or humiliate them for doing so.
And there is one important addition:
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ.
If I want participants to feel safe enough to speak up, I have to be willing to receive their questions, opinions and disagreements without becoming defensive.
Because participation doesn't come from repeatedly asking people to โspeak up.โ
It comes from creating an environment where people know:
โ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ค ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ.โ
That is when the room changes.
People ask better questions.
๐ก They challenge ideas.
๐ก They share experiences.
๐ก They agree to disagree respectfully.
And most importantly, they engage without fear.