Handling those difficult conversations:

“Wherever there is change, there is always casualties ; a good organisation looks after the casualties “
- John Harvey Jones

* for some this is a very real problem, particularly when entering in to a period of  “change” , and where there is fear and uncertainty.

* how we, as leaders,  handle the demand for information is vital to achieving staff engagement.

* so ask yourself, what do you do?

* do you only tell half the truth, in an attempt to try and protect people from the future

* do you try and ignore the need to communicate, instead you lurch from one task to the next hoping to keep people busy

* do you deliver a hand grenade message and then run away failing to provide the support that is needed.

OR …… DO YOU:
Be honest, face the truth with courage, take the people through the situation,
provide a picture of reality, bring clarity to any misunderstanding, be firm, be accessible, be supportive.

You might be surprised at the thanks you get and the respect you are given, because the people aren’t stupid , they have a fair idea what is going on, what they need is for you to tell it as it is.

“What is this world if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.”
WHDavies

As a leader it is important to regularly make the time to reflect :

* on the events of the day, week, month ..

*on the successes, the failures, and the lessons learnt

*on your leadership behaviour, and the signals you have been sending

*on how you have engaged the staff in achieving the common goals

*on what it is you might need to do differently, the messages you might need to keep on repeating

*on the environment and atmosphere you have created

nb: in doing so be true to yourself on your reflections; there is an old maxim worth remembering, “we always lie loudest when we lie to ourselves”.

Finally, it is worth noting, that we have a tendency to disproportionately concentrate on what we haven’t done, or what has gone wrong, and fail to recognise , celebrate , and even acknowledge the lessons we can learn from achievement and success .