Ask yourself: how often are you blindsided by situations, and how easy is it for others to approach you with difficult information? One of the quickest ways to reduce risk is to be aware that a situation might be developing. More importantly, great communication increases the speed of problem-solving and execution.
As a Continuous Improvement practitioner, I frequently receive concerns and complaints. When I ask if their manager is aware, the answer is often no, accompanied by a clear reluctance to bring it up. I often see these issues unaddressed during team meetings due to concerns about people’s feelings, reactions, or deadlines. Many managers struggle with this because they lack authenticity in their “open door” policy, making it difficult for employees to approach them. They subtly discourage communication by:
– Telling people how busy they are (so people don’t want to bother them)
– Double booking meetings (indicating they are too busy or distracted)
– Creating an air of chaos, so people don’t want to “add” to their workloads
Significant risk is introduced when we fail to address issues with the right people. While this sounds straightforward, people often hesitate to share their concerns because they “don’t want to worry you” or fear you might “overreact.” Despite good intentions, this reluctance can cause minor issues, which could have been managed swiftly and proactively, to escalate into major problems requiring significant efforts to resolve.
This scenario can unfold in various settings, from the workplace to home. Whether it’s dealing with a disruptive employee or customer complaint, or addressing a nagging medical or parenting issue, tackling these matters early and assertively can prevent larger problems down the road.
This tendency to avoid confronting potential issues is sometimes called “hope as a strategy.” It’s the belief that if we ignore a problem, it will magically resolve itself. This mindset leads to a reluctance to get involved, hoping someone else will address the issue instead. Past negative experiences with delivering unwelcome news can also cause people to shy away from proactive communication, preferring to avoid confrontation altogether.
However, we need to reframe confrontation as early intervention. This involves understanding the importance of communication to avoid confrontation and create productive conversations. Effective communication is a two-way street.
As recipients of news, we may not always react well initially, often responding with anger, stress, or blame. However, it’s important to remember that being informed is better than being in the dark. After taking a moment to calm down, we can usually process the information more rationally and decide on the best course of action.
For those delivering the news, it’s important to anticipate that it might not be received positively and to set realistic expectations for both yourself and the other person. Remind them that you are sharing this information to seek their assistance, which can help mitigate any negative reactions.
Cultivating good communication habits helps prevent being caught off guard. Encouraging people to communicate early and often fosters a culture of proactive behavior, reducing the likelihood of denial or, worse, ignoring the issue altogether. Over time, you’ll shift from confrontation to problem-solving conversations.
The faster you begin discussing an issue productively, the faster you’ll be on the road to resolving it, or at least creating a strategy to deal with it.
Maribel Topf has over a decade of teaching companies to transform their businesses through operational excellence. Please join https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14445339/ Lean Office Excellence for more stories into creating a culture of operational excellence.
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