On Forbes.com, Susan Adams poses the question: how should a leader act towards staff when all the news is bad?
It's a pertinent question because, as the author points out, plenty of managers have needed to give out bad news lately.
She asks: "How in the world are you supposed to inspire your workers when you're carrying around the burden of ever-worsening balance sheets and the guilt of having to let longtime loyal employees go? Is there a good way to deliver bad news?"
Leadership and executive coach Beth Banks Cohn has the answers. She insists leaders must be decisive about their company's business plan and communicate it clearly to employees - especially important when the plan includes major workload and staff changes.
"As a leader, you have to err on the side of giving more, rather than less, information," says Cohn.
She also offers advice on keeping staff focused in troubled times, and the key is empathy. Cohn says: "A manager can say, 'I know this is very distracting, but we have a job to do. I'm here to support you and to help you be as undistracted as possible. Whatever you need from me, I want to be able to provide it for you.'"
However, a big mistake is to tell staff they should be happy when the all the evidence points to the opposite. "During a trying time you have to let people know you're still human," Cohn says.
How Do You Lead When All The News Is Bad?
Susan Adams, Forbes.com, 06/11/09
