Sometimes leadership training includes what NOT to do. This month’s topic, back-channeling, is much more prevalent in the workplace than it should be, and it adversely affects productivity, trust, and morale. It’s the antithesis of authenticity. And you will know it when you see it, and when you feel the impact of it.
What exactly is it? Another term for back-channel communication is triangulation. Instead of directly expressing an opposing view, you privately complain to a third party. As you well know, it not only happens in the workplace, but also among friends and family members. Whether you’re on the receiving or “dishing” end of the equation, it’s likely you’re not immune to this passive-aggressive practice.
Here’s an example: You’re on a call or in a meeting where the lack of dissenting views makes it seem as though the group has reached consensus. But after the meeting, a coworker takes another team member aside and starts venting about everything they felt was wrong about the direction of the meeting. With ready access to email, text, and Slack, maybe the back-channeling even begins before the meeting is over!
Why do people back-channel? There may be many reasons for this behavior. Maybe someone is intimidated by the leader or doesn’t feel confident speaking up in a large group. Maybe they identify as a “nice person” and don’t want to seem antagonistic by bringing up opposing views. Or maybe the person feels their self-interests are threatened and so they actively and consciously undermine the authority of the leader. Understanding the cause will be helpful in addressing this challenge.
Is there an upside? A 2016 study by researchers at INSEAD, Columbia Business School, and Singapore Management University suggested there might be. How so? If those in greater positions of power become aware of back-channeling, they may be more inclined to make inquiries and engage in dialogue with dissenters, giving greater influence to minority views.
Side conversations can be productive as long as they don’t encourage maneuvering, marginalizing, or fostering inappropriate alliances. But by their very nature, exchanges that occur only in private exclude others, so it’s important to ask yourself who’s missing from that conversation.
What’s the harm? If it becomes the principal method of communication, expressing frustration or disparaging coworkers behind their backs can become toxic over time. If you do this as a leader, you hurt your credibility, normalize the behavior, and encourage your team members to follow suit – amplifying this contagion.
When team members avoid difficult conversations and reserve discussions about disagreements for after a meeting, it becomes challenging to resolve conflicts in a healthy way. The workplace culture may become poisonous. Then mistrust mushrooms, cohesion crumbles, and productivity plummets.
What can you do? For starters, model better behavior and support open, direct communication within a safe environment. Ask your team to refrain from back-channel communication as much as they can. In meetings, pay attention to the silent minority (or majority) and actively seek out their opinions.
If someone comes to you about a “secret complainer,” you can let them know you’ll take it from there and talk directly to that person. If this triangulation happens again, suggest that the “middle person” encourage the complainer to come directly to you. When you talk to the person with the complaint, ask if they would like you to make a change and encourage them to be more direct in the future.
If one of your direct reports has trouble with another of your direct reports, you might consider bringing them together to coach them on how to directly handle their disputes. At the beginning of this meeting, explain your objective and set ground rules on how they can give constructive feedback to each other.
As a leader, mastering your communication styles are critical. In the case of back channeling, communicating as mentioned above, gives you the opportunity to have the back channeler become a more productive member of the team, and maintain the productivity and trust of the group.
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