Even looking at the stock market, things are tough. If you aren’t Amazon, Facebook, Google, or Wal-Mart, your business hasn’t weathered the past seven months without taking a little water. Here’s how to talk about rough seas with your team the right way.
Leaders carry a tremendous amount of responsibility, but one of the easiest roles to forget is also one of the most important. A single word said, or left unsaid, can make or break the morale, motivation, and trust of everyone in the organization, with long-lasting results. During the tumultuous spring, summer, and fall of 2020, we’ve all had to make difficult decisions on the future of our companies. After those decisions comes the equally tricky challenge of communication.
No one wakes up dreaming of delivering a somber speech or sending a worrying email. We’re trained to imagine leaders only as offering inspiration, innovation, and a sense of hope. We imagine that our teams are sitting in their seats, waiting for that Moonshot speech John F. Kennedy delivered, or perhaps some upbeat (if awkward) product launch from Steve Jobs.
The reality is different. Employees want an honest picture of the challenges their companies face. There are many reasons for this, but it isn’t just self-preservation. Like you, many of your most talented team members will rise to face those challenges, steeling themselves for the fight. Plus, whether you’ve communicated new issues or now, these people are integral parts of the function of the firm. They know more than you think and, if you ask them, may have more to contribute to solving problems than you give them credit.
From your top-performers to steady veterans to new hires, offering employees an honest outline of challenges is the most effective way to generate a plan of action. You don’t have to take on the world alone! If you’ve done your job and surrounding yourself with smart, passionate, and creative people, you already have the answers in-house.
When you do communicate bad news or big problems, tone is important. No one wants to hear that the sky is falling, that there’s no way out, and that all is lost. Be level-headed, be methodical, and wait thirty minutes before you hit ‘send’ on an email. Emotion doesn’t need to play a role in the process, other than being considerate of the needs and worries of the people around you. Honesty allows your team to build an accurate picture of risk; people do well with risk, but they fare poorly with uncertainty.
Good leaders are confident in themselves and in the people around them. Don’t bury your head in the sand or paint a rosy picture. Instead, give it to ‘em straight, and then get to work making things better.