Stressful Conversations
A response to the Harvard Business Review chapter on Taking the Stress out of Stressful Conversations (animation and discussion)
Delivering bad News
In business at one point or another, you may have to have some stressful or stress-triggering conversations with subordinates, employees, or coworkers. Understanding these will happen as in business or as we are managers, we should learn how to best facilitate these conversations as they arise. We should prepare in order to be effective and stress-limiting messengers. The Harvard Business Review (HBR) chapter written by Holly Weeks shows us how to identify and properly prepare for these situations. we will refer to these as we discuss them as she describes it as an "I have bad news for you" conversation.
A situation in my life where this has happened is when I had to speak to a coworker whom I was training about a large error she had made counting the cash at closing one evening. The way Holly in the HBR tells us to address this is by using a gambit called "Honour thy partner." Basically, this method tells us to acknowledge our own fault/part in this situation before we point out another's fault. The idea is that instead of aggravating the listener right off the bat and alienating them you are sharing in the situation. When you do this they might be less inclined to lash out or might take constructive criticism better. So in my personal situation, the way I could display this gambit is as follows:
" I realize I played a part in this situation as I have not gone over some of the procedures in enough detail or walked you through each step in this closing process."
By doing this my trainee may feel more comfortable listening to my correction and less attacked. overall our coworker relationship will be strengthened by this and stress will be minimized as much as possible.
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant.” — Jim Rohn
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