Workplaces are full of rumour and speculation about ‘what’s really going on’. If you want to disrupt cynicism in your workforce in 2018, and become a respected and effective leader, the single most powerful move you can make is to start breaking your own bad news.
Itās not hard to understand how the withholding of ābadā news from employees became a deeply entrenched business tradition. Fear of sensitive internal information leaking outside the business, fear that good people might leave, fear that āweāll look stupidā or just the overarching belief that āwhat they donāt know wonāt hurt themā have dominated thought about what to say, and when, for a long time.
Problem is, these convictions have no evidence base ā and they give rise to communications practices that are not only ineffective, but counter-productive.
What we do know, via a significant and fast-growing body of international peer-reviewed research in the fields of neuroscience and psychology, is that employees are at their most innovative, productive and change-ready when they feel trusted by their employer. The game has changed.
So, if you want to make the transition from manager to leader, or if you want your organisation to shift from good to great, learn to break your own bad news. Here’s how.
Step 1: If you are not already clearly and consistently visible to your workforce, start building the habit now. Big investments in bells-and-whistles internal communications channels are not a prerequisite; your people are interested in how you think, and what you say. Whatever mechanism you choose ā town hall meeting, video blog or just a good olā fashioned all-staff email ā schedule it to happen at least monthly, commit time to doing it well, and stick to it like glue.
Step 2: Identify your topics by considering five significant issues or outcomes in your business right now. If any one of them is being talked about around the leadership table, around the water cooler, in the media or across industry networks, thatās your ālead storyā. The temptation to exclude issues that are newly emerging, for which a solution has not yet been found, or which speak to a failed effort, will be strong; and yet these are precisely the items of news that you must be the first to ābreakā to grab your audienceās attention, and become the source of truth for your people.
Step 3: Spend time crafting the message. Try to get a balance between the facts, and the humanity ā including your own human response to the issue or situation. Also critical is a ācall to actionā, or āaskā, even if it is something as simple as āplease stay tuned for my next updateā. Invest time to get the words right, and ensure your tone is appropriate to the topic whether you’re delivering your message via text, video or face-to-face.
Step 4: Embed your messages into the organisationās DNA by using them again and again, not just via your monthly (or similar) formal staff briefing, but also in the boardroom, in the coffee queue, and in the lift. Every interaction provides a leadership opportunity, and consistency of messaging is an enabler of success.
Iāve seen significant change in workplaces when leaders make the decision to ābreak their own bad newsā, including improved productivity and the cessation of negative media leaks. To find out how you can build credibility and leadership by breaking your own bad news, use the contact form or email enquiries@jaynedullard.com.au