It was a typical day for Pete, a division manager who oversees the work of 1200 employees for a large multinational enterprise. Like many others, the day was full of meetings, deadlines and urgent tasks, when one issue rose above the rest: rumors had surfaced that the company was planning on selling off one of…
Communication
The Ambiguity Factor in Leadership Communication
As a leader, have you planned for the Ambiguity Factor in your leadership communication plans? When it comes to communicating about change, there are oodles of reasons why the launch of a new system goes awry— competing values, unclear objectives, unrealistic deadlines, budget constraints and so on. From a social psychology standpoint, here’s another reason…
When Employees Complain: 5 Different Leadership Responses
How should a leader respond to an employee complaint? Depending on the circumstances that surround the concern or grievance, there are varying approaches on how to proceed. Below are five different responses to employees who voice concerns. Get clear on the type of complaint that’s voiced In this stellar HBR article, the authors describe four…
3 Things Every Leader Should Ask at Update Meetings
Leaders, do you want a simple, easy-to-remember process for staying up-to-date with your team’s workload? Here’s an idea I heard from my colleague Sally. (She said it was OK to share with my blog readers, so, thanks Sally!) Sally told me about a process that one of her favorite managers created to stay in communication…
How To Gain Buy-In From Your Team
When my daughter was in elementary school I chaperoned a group of second-graders on a field trip to the ArtPrize exhibition in downtown Grand Rapids. Picture this: ten 8-year-olds, excitedly dashing around parks and gardens, in and out of exhibition buildings. They were so excited to experience the art displayed throughout our city. Naturally, their…