When does Nonviolent Communication land well in an organisation?

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a powerful concept. Its effects in an organisation are remarkable! Teams function better, employees are motivated to bring their best, internal and external service quality rises significantly, and the organisation enjoys considerably more enthusiastic and satisfied employees.

A few principles that clarify when Nonviolent Communication lands well.

People like doing ‘good’ work

A key principle in NVC is that people enjoy meaningful work and take pleasure in delivering quality. When employees see that their work contributes to someone else’s satisfaction (a customer or colleague), they draw fulfilment from it. The more a company culture focuses on employees finding pleasure in doing their work well, the more leadership will be geared towards nurturing the natural inclination people have to deliver good work.

Together we are stronger

In NVC, we opt for a leadership style based on ‘power with’. Making agreements together where every person involved is respected leads to better quality and more job satisfaction. ‘Power with’ stands in contrast to ‘power over’, where people use their authority to make others do what they want. With ‘power over’, people lose a great deal of energy because they’re mainly busy controlling and influencing others. Those on the receiving end of this power often lose their natural motivation and redirect their energy towards resistance, rebellion, and doing the bare minimum.

The importance of needs and values

In NVC, people’s behaviour and communication are always aimed at fulfilling their own needs. When an organisation fails to respect certain needs of its employees, people will often find ways to meet them regardless. Important needs an organisation can address include:

Autonomy

When employees have a certain freedom in how they do their work, they bring more creativity and energy to fulfilling their role.

Clarity

Clarity about goals, expectations, and sufficient information helps employees feel safe. Frustration often arises when employees don’t have enough information.

Understanding

Sometimes people work under less pleasant conditions. When they complain about this, it isn’t always an implicit request for better conditions but a way of being heard. Genuinely listening to the concerns of employees doing difficult work helps them feel heard and acknowledged. Of course, it makes sense to optimise working conditions wherever possible.

Ease

Modern technology offers many possibilities for simplifying work. Human nature strives to do work as efficiently as possible. Supporting the need for ease and comfort leads to greater engagement and satisfaction.

Safety

Most companies ensure employee safety through legal standards. Continuing to pursue healthy working conditions will reassure employees and help them feel safe.

Learning and development

People have a natural need to learn new things. Offering a broad framework of training and development where every employee can fulfil their learning needs results in engaged, satisfied employees.

Purpose

Most people find fulfilment in doing something meaningful with their lives. When earning a living coincides with doing meaningful work, employees are highly motivated to do their job well. Emphasising the added value of the work people do and systematically giving them feedback on its worth helps them see that what they do has meaning in a bigger picture.

Love and friendship

For most people, life beyond work is one of the key sources of joy. Young parents, for instance, have a strong need to dedicate time to their families. Companies that acknowledge this reality and adopt a ‘family-friendly’ policy where employees can combine a full role with caring for a family will motivate a large group of employees towards respect and commitment to the company.

Strong, self-aware leaders

Organisations where Nonviolent Communication lands well are led by people who are personally convinced of the value of NVC. They live and embody NVC’s values and principles. Business psychology teaches us that such cultural elements can only be introduced top-down. This requires leaders who are aware of their own values and who lead from a kind of inner calm and wisdom. For leaders, the skill of self-empathy, feeling and connecting with your own needs and values, is a key competency. This skill enables empathic listening and the ability to provide direction in an inspiring way. In their communication, they inspire their employees to communicate in the same connecting way with each other and with themselves.