“Someone with whom I can have good conversations.”
That was a CEO’s answer when I asked what she wanted in a new direct report.
In the generative dyad concept, someone with the authority to act joins forces with someone with the insight to see clearly. Her description reflected the three conditions I identified for this pairing: sense-making alignment, psychological safety and a shared stake.
That still left me with a question. How do these two people create those conditions for good conversations?
Getting there takes preparation, and this article proposes three questions to ask before an important conversation. What psycho-physiological state am I in right now? What is my intention? What is happening for the other person, and what is my part in it?
The CEO also has a part to play. The candidate must make their specialist insight useful, and she must make it safe to share. Her reaction to unwelcome information can switch the dyad off or on.
The same logic reaches beyond one hire. When an organisation can have such conversations at every level, I would expect it to perform better.