THE MANAGER

HOW TO GET THE BAD NEWS YOU NEED

Few Senior Executives think of their Organizations as actively engaged in suppressing the flow of information within the ranks. But if there aren’t policies and processes in place to encourage employees in place to encourage employees to relay bad news or voice dissent, Organizations are in effect encouraging their employees to keep vital information under wraps. To lead effectively, Managers need information. When this information doesn’t reach them, for whatever reason- their own resistance to hearing it, employees covering up mistakes, Organizational Structures that stymie information exchange- their effectiveness and that of their Organization are diminished.

Here are four strategies that Managers and Organizations can employ to break down common barriers to the vital flow of information to those who need it.

1.   PROMISE NOT TO KILL THE MESSENGER – AND DON’T

As commonsense as taking a “Don’t shoot the messenger” approach sounds, it can be surprisingly difficult to do, say Tom Connellan, author of “Bringing Out the Best in Others! Three Keys for Business Leaders, Educators, Coaches and Parents” (Bard Press, 2003).

Managers need to be aware of how their responses to bad news shape subordinates’ behavior. Connellan advises Managers who do become visibly upset when told bad news to explain that their anger is directed at the situation, not at the person who conveyed it. “And even if you’re upset at both, still you should thank her for bringing the matter to your attention.” As Larry Johnson and Bob Phillips point out in their book “Absolute Honesty: Building a Corporate Culture That Values Straight Talk and Rewards Integrity”

(Amacom, 2003), behaviors that discourage the communication of bad news or dissent include interrupting the messenger, patronizing him or changing the subject which convey disrespect for him. “If you want employees to trust you enough to bring you bad news, you must be willing to trust them,” says Johnson. “Do you empower them to make decisions? Do you let them know when you or the Organization has made a mistake? Are you willing to share Strategic Plans with them?

     2. BRIDGE HIERARCHICAL GAPS

In any situation defined by Power Imbalance, those with less power are continually going to assess how much they can safely say without compromising their relationships with Higher ups. To combat this tendency, create forums for open feedback and the airing of dissenting views, such as after-action reviews of the “Work-Outs” pioneered by Jack Welch at General Electric, says Johnson. “These are officially sanctioned events for opening up communication channels,” Johnson says. “If I want people to express their opinion, then I need to create events where that’s expected.” Instituting a mandatory after-action review at the completion of every major project is a positive step, but a “midaction review” may be helpful as well. After all, what better time to unearth a critical flaw in a project than when it’s still fixable?

3. FIGHT COMMUNICATION DRIFT

But even the best policies don’t help if they’re not followed.

“You start with a system of rules and regulations, but over time, strong subcultures and parochialism cause everybody to slowly drift away from them,” says Scott A. Snook, Associate Professor at Havard Business School. This phenomenon often occurs in Cross-functional Teams. Each member is steeped in the language and culture of her particular department and views the project from her department’s perspective. To guard against the distortions and misunderstandings this can cause, team members should relentlessly seek clarification by asking,” What does this mean to you? What are the implications here?” It’s also critical that lower-ranked team members feel free to challenge higher-ups.

4. DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF THE ULTIMATE BENEFICIARY OF GOOD       COMMUNICATION – THE CUSTOMER. 

One way to improve companywide communications is to frame it around creating value for the customer.

“An intense focus on what will add value for the customer will mitigate against turf wars and tear down silos,” Connellan says. The bottom line: The clarity of mission and the ease of collaboration that strong internal communication fosters increase the value an Organization deliver and enhance its ability to communicate that value to outside Stakeholders.