After writing my last blog post on the importance of how you speak to people and how to make them feel heard, I feel like there is more to be said about this topic. This was partially spurred by listening to an interview with Joni Spring on the Health Leader Forge Podcast. In this podcast, Joni says that one of the hardest things for her as a nurse in different leadership roles is having difficult conversations on performance. The close relationships she had with her employees made it hard to critique them. As I mentioned last week, I am an RA here at UNH. I have found that one of the hardest parts of the job is getting people in trouble. I think highly of my residents but even ones I am close to, still make mistakes. The hardest thing is having to call out someone I consider a friend. After thinking about this, I realized this will be a reality in the healthcare management field. There will be people who work for me that I will have to address issues with, no matter how much I like them as a person. I found this really interesting article in the Harvard Business Review that provided some good insight on how to have difficult conversations with your employees. Some of the big takeaways are to go in prepared and realistic. Expect that people probably won’t take the news well and plan out possible ways to respond. Another good tip is to put the conversation in perspective by talking about the future. Often times, our day to day lives can trap us into forgetting how much else is out there. If the conversation is framed in the context of how much this will matter in 5 months or 4 years, people may be more receptive to what you have to say. One thing I know I have a particularly hard time with is giving the bad news upfront. I often like to small talk and find an easy path in, instead of just jumping right into the tough topics. In a professional setting, it makes sense to cut to the chase. Time is money and as long as it is done with tact, there is no point drawing out a tough conversation. I’d like to pose the questions to those of you reading this, what are your tips for having hard conversations with your employees?
Links to the materials mentioned above:
Harvard Business Review Article: https://hbr.org/2009/03/7-tips-for-difficult-conversat
Joni Spring Interview: https://soundcloud.com/healthleaderforge/joni-spring-director-of-outpatient-nursing-and-clinic-operations-for-dhmc-edited (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Remember, bad news never gets better with age. If you have to deliver an unpleasant message do it sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteMake a conscientious effort to focus the conversation on the issue, and not on the person. Be objective and factual in a crystal-clear manner. When people receive bad or unpleasant news, it's usually taken better if they perceive that they're still viewed as a person of worth and value as a member of humanity, and the issue is about a specific consequence attached to them, not about their value as a human being. Present the unpleasant topic in a factual, non-judgmental, unemotional manner. If you need to be punitive in your conversation, try as much as possible to still be supportive.
Not an easy task by any means, especially if you're a happy-go-lucky person. But it comes with the job description when you're in charge and the responsibility ultimately falls on you.
When delivering bad news with unpleasant consequences, stick to facts, and don't accidentally demean or devalue the person in the process.
Thank you for your thoughtful advice. What your saying is very valuable. I think it can be easy to let emotions play a role in tough conversations but that would make things more difficult and unprofessional. I will definitely apply that in my life starting now!
DeleteI agree with Don. Bad news doesn't get easier, and it just gnaws on you while you sit with it.
ReplyDelete