What kind of leaders do employees want to guide them through these
tough economic times?
According to a
recent study conducted by Towers Watson, a worldwide professional
services company, employees hunger for leaders who connect with them
on an emotional level.
They want leaders
who are:
Trustworthy
(79%)
Care about
the well being of others (67%)
Encourage the
development of talent (56%)
Highly visible
to employees (42%)
How do you or
your leadership team measure up?
Connecting on
an emotional level is also important when communicating difficult
news to employees.
Breaking bad news
- especially when it affects peoples' lives, careers or jobs - is
never easy. And when handled poorly, can even make matters worse.
But if you take
advantage of the tips I've listed in the article below, your communication
efforts will be much more effective.
All the best,
Joel
P.S.
I hope you've had a chance to check out my weekly updates on Parade
Magazine's website. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I'm
providing job counseling to Steve, a client who has been looking for
work for more than six months. As you'll see, we've made a lot of
progress in the past few weeks!
So many companies
are announcing layoffs, corporate re-organizations and downsizing
due to the recession. Most do a poor job communicating negative information
to their employees.
Here are some
practical tips on how do effectively deliver negative or difficult
information:
Make the
communication as personal as possible.
Ideally, employees should be told bad news on a one-on-one, face-to-face
basis. Obviously, this isn't always possible. However, ALWAYS deliver
the initial information via a live human being, not by an email,
voice message or employee newsletter. Then use these other less
personal communication channels for follow up information and progress
reports.
Start with
"the big picture."
Begin by putting your company's situation in a larger context. Explain
how market forces, changes in the economy, reduced customer demand,
price-cutting by competitors, etc. are impacting your organization.
In other words, tell employees WHY these actions are necessary.
Focus on
the facts when sharing negative news.
Employees have an easier time embracing negative news when it comes
in the form fact-based information. Make sure your tone is neutral
when delivering the news.
Show what
you are doing to improve the situation.
Employees need to know what you are doing to make the situation
better. They are pretty aware of all the negative issues going on
and don't want this to be the entire focus of the communication.
They need hope that the situation will improve.
Be honest
and transparent.
Employees know when management is trying to hide something and it
can affect the trust between them and management. The more transparent
management is to the actual situation, the better the outcome in
the long-term. If you don't have an answer to a question, admit
it. But promise to follow up as soon as the information becomes
available.
Make sure
management takes responsibility.
Don't share the blame or get on the defensive when sharing the negative
news with employees. Management needs to be accountable for what
happened by taking responsibility when appropriate.
Show that
you care.
Management needs to bring empathy and understanding to the challenge
this situation brings to the employees. Recognize that employees
feel angry, frustrated and powerless. Management has an opportunity
to show they care and are doing everything possible to make the
situation better.
Continue
sharing information once the negative news has been released.
Management needs to keep the updates going as new information comes
in after announcing the negative news. Employees need to feel informed
so they don't feel surprised by any more negative news.
Express
your appreciation to your employees.
After delivering negative news, it's important for management to
continue to reinforce how much they appreciate each employee.
EXECUTIVE COACHING: Garfinkle Executive Coaching provides individualized,
customized coaching to help you move to higher levels of leadership
by creating impact, exercising influence, boosting visibility and
achieving significant victories on key projects. http://www.garfinkleexecutivecoaching.com/
CAREER COACHING: You spend one-third of your life at
work, so you deserve to feel fulfilled by it. Joel's unique 7-Step
Dream Job Process focuses first and foremost on helping you find the
perfect job that aligns with your passions and natural talents. http://www.dreamjobcoaching.com/coaching/career/
SPEAKING: Frequent speaker at keynotes, meetings, conventions
and seminars. He will energize your keynotes, meetings, conventions
and seminars with his compelling and inspirational speaking style.
http://joelinspirationalspeaker.com/
EMPLOYEE OUTPLACEMENT PROGRAM:This
proven 9-step program provides unique, personalized services to displaced
workers. Whether you are a manager on your first job or a seasoned,
high-level executive, you will receive intensive one-on-one attention
and support to help you move quickly and successfully through the
job search process. http://www.outplacement-firm.com/
