Every leader has encountered a situation where one of his executive team members has messed up. It happens.
The problem is, in the heat of the moment, if the blooper is big, we might tend to blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.
Statements such as “I can’t believe you did that!” or “What were you thinking?” can really shut down any further dialogue. They can also fuel negative emotions and shame. These don’t help the situation.
What can you do to avoid creating more problems?
How can you respond in a supportive and proactive way so that the two of you can work from mess to solution?
Here are three questions that make this simpler than you think, helping you to turn a “bungle” into a positive coaching opportunity.
1. Focus on desired outcomes.
Pause. Breathe. Then, ask yourself, “What outcome do we need to achieve here?” This will help quell your emotions and keep dialogue productive.
2. Focus on the future.
Ask your executive, “What do we need to do from here?” This allows the executive to see that you are working as a team. At the same time, you are encouraging your executive’s critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.
3. Focus on support.
Follow with the question, “How can I help?” Reinforce your show of support and your confidence in the executive’s ability to move forward.
The way you handle crisis can be alienating or team-strengthening. You’ll also be modeling this for others, fostering trust and support for growth in your organization.
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Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.
This is powerful information! Putting it to use could bring about workable solutions in so many situations. This is good to use not only in business but in any situation when dealing with people. I see this working even with teens to help them problem solve. And it is also good for helping when we make mistakes ourselves. Instead of beating ourselves up we can stop and ask the three question, “What outcome do I need to achieve? What do I need to do from here? How can I help solve this?” I definitely plan to put it to use. Thank you so much for this awesome info.