I think you can tell a lot about a leader and an organization based on how they handle bad news. How do you handle bad news? Are you the type of leader that only wants to hear good news? Do you “kill the messenger”?
If you want to know how you’re doing as a leader, look at how your people act when they bring you bad news and how you react to that news.
Good news can wait, but leaders need to get the bad news as soon as possible. You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken, and your people will know what’s broken before you do. You need your people to trust you enough to walk up to you and say, “we’ve got a problem” without fearing your reaction.
Here are a few steps you can take to build trust with your people if it’s been damaged:
- Stay calm and take a few breaths before speaking
- Publicly thank the person who brought you the news
- Highlight that person’s actions in your next staff meeting
- Teach your folks why it is important for them to bring an unpleasant situation to your attention
- Apologize for your past behavior if necessary
Do you have any tips or ideas for people who struggle in this area?
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